When to Hire an Attorney After a Car Accident

The moments following a car accident can be painful, overwhelming, and confusing. You could be left with physical or mental injuries from the crash and questions about the best way to move forward. By having an experienced legal team on your side, all of your concerns can be addressed.

The truth is, hiring a car accident lawyer can give you the best outcome for pursuing the financial recovery you need to move on with your life post-accident and to ensure you are treated fairly.

The Best Time to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer Is Now

After you’ve been in a car accident, the most important factor is your safety. If you or a loved one were hurt in the accident and require medical attention immediately, call for an ambulance or get them to a doctor right away. You’ll also want to call the police to report the accident. Besides these steps, the next call you should make following a car accident is to your attorney.

If your car accident involved personal injury, vehicle damage, or fatalities, the sooner you contact an attorney, the better. There are a number of reasons for this:

You Can Seek Recovery Quickly and Fairly

The moments following a car accident are crucial. It’s very important to capture as many details as you can, including the other party’s name, phone number, license number, and insurance information, pictures of the accident scene and any physical or vehicle damage, and names of any witnesses. 

These details matter because your attorney will use them to pursue a monetary claim in your case.

You’ll Have an Advocate Against Insurance Companies

After a car accident, insurance companies start working immediately to investigate and, unfortunately, often try to undermine your recovery and limit their financial responsibility.  Insurance companies are for-profit businesses, and despite being regulated by state law, they may use information against you to ultimately reduce how much you receive for your damages.

A car accident lawyer won’t take the insurance companies’ side and knows how to advocate for victims from the start. Contacting your attorney as soon as possible means you’ll have them guide you through each step of the insurance claim process. They can also determine if the settlement the insurance company is offering is actually fair. 

Professional legal assistance can be the difference between getting what you need and deserve to recover from the accident and losing out on large amounts of monetary damages. This is why it’s crucial to contact an attorney before you speak with the insurance company following an accident.

Damages Your Car Accident Lawyer Can Help You Collect

Having a car accident attorney on your side from the beginning will give you the best chance for fair recovery in a number of areas, including:

• Medical expenses and doctor bills
• Any lost wages for work time missed
• Repairs for damage to your vehicle
• Recovery if you lost a loved one in the accident, especially if it involved drunk driving, reckless driving, or speeding

It’s often hard to know just how much you’ll need for these damages. Some expenses seem small at the beginning but can add up over time, such as worsening injuries, or extended time off work. An attorney will know how to factor in these expenses so you’re not left struggling. 

They can also help you avoid any deadlines for filing your claim so you don’t miss your opportunity to collect damages.

You don’t Want Evidence for Your Claim to Disappear

Personal injury claims are very time-sensitive and an experienced lawyer can make sure any valuable pieces of evidence needed to show the other driver’s negligence don’t disappear. A car accident lawyer can collect evidence such as:

• Photos of the accident scene
• Photos of your damaged vehicle
• Police crash reports
• Eyewitness statements
• Medical and work records
• Manufacturer records and recall information

Your attorney can gather all of this information as well as consult with other experts to put together a strong case for you in order to negotiate a settlement with insurance companies. It’s important to keep in mind the costs of a Georgia car accident lawyer associated with this. Attorney’s fees largely depend on what additional services were required based on your case. 

Get the Help You Need After Your Car Accident

With medical bills and lost wages looming over you following an accident, contacting a car accident lawyer sooner rather than later is your best option for pursuing the recovery you deserve. Our lawyers at John Foy & Associates are here to ensure you get what you need. Call us today or fill out the form to your right for a FREE case review.