Five Reasons Why You Need Legal Assistance After an Accident

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Five Reasons Why You Need Legal Assistance After an Accident

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

After a car accident, the last thing on your mind is if you should hire an attorney. Instead, you’re dealing with the physical and emotional trauma associated with your collision. You may be dealing with doctor’s visits, missing work, explaining your pain to family, etc. But, during all of this, you need to also assess your future needs – and more importantly, who will pay for your damages. After an accident, you need to focus on physical recovery, but you also need to focus on financial recovery. That is where an accident attorney can help. If you have been seriously injured, here are just a few reasons why you should consider contacting an attorney right away.

How an Attorney Can Help Immediately After an Accident

1. Documentation about your injuries may not be clear. One of the most important things to document after an accident is your injuries. The courts need to see your injuries and how they will affect you for the rest of your life in order to properly compensate you. While you are dealing with the treatments and pain, it is unlikely that you are reviewing your medical charts or even taking notes about what is going on. By having an attorney, you can make sure that all injuries are properly documented and that any notes about your injuries are preserved.
2. Witness testimony may be lost. After the accident, you may not have time to contact witnesses and get testimonies from them. But, an attorney has the time. You can give contact information to your personal injury attorney and let him or her contact all potential witnesses and get their account of what happened. Sometimes, a personal injury claim will depend heavily on the testimony of eyewitnesses; therefore, you cannot risk witnesses forgetting what happened.
3. Insurance companies have no reason to settle if you are not pursuing a claim. Why would insurance look to settle with you if they have no reason to do so? In order to collect a settlement, you must actively pursue your claim. While you are recovering, you have little time to file paperwork, meet strict deadlines, or even appear in court. An attorney can assist you with all of this. Instead of waiting to hire an attorney and prolonging how long you must wait to receive your settlement, you can begin the process right away – and work toward a solution long before the bills pile up.
4. Any delay could be misconstrued as a lack of interest. While you know you are recovering – not delaying – insurance companies and even jurors may look at your delay to hiring an attorney as a lack of interest in the claim. They may also use that delay to state that you were not as seriously injured as you claim; therefore, you do not need compensation for your injuries.
5. A good personal injury attorney will add value to your claim. Even better, it will not cost you any extra. All good personal injury attorneys will work with you to ensure maximum settlement. They will work on a contingency basis to ensure that you do not pay them unless you recover. Also, they will make sure that all future costs are calculated into your settlement – such as future lost wages, pain and suffering, and even future medical bills.

Were You Injured in an Accident? Do Not Overlook the Value of a Personal Injury Attorney

If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, you need to contact an attorney right away. There are numerous more reasons why you should call an attorney following an accident, but these reasons alone are still something to consider. If you have been injured, contact Malman Law today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our skilled attorneys. Schedule your consultation by calling our offices, or fill out our online contact form with your legal questions.