Being involved with a car accident in any capacity can be a terrifying thing. After the initial shock and pain of injuries, there are often many legal procedures and insurance-related tasks that need to be done. The following will break down some of the situations where a car accident lawyer should help make things a little bit easier on you.
Before we begin, it is essential to note that you need to make sure that you’re getting adequate medical attention if you have been in a car accident recently. Many types of injuries take some time to reveal themselves and the fullest extent of the damage done. In a lot of cases, early intervention is a significant part of a quick and complete recovery.
Choosing A Course Of Action
If you find yourself lost with the different options you’ve heard about or read about online, speaking to an attorney can help. You might not know if you want an insurance payout or press charges having to do with negligence or other crimes. You might not understand what your options are. If this is the case, seek out an attorney. Most offer a free consultation to explain your situation and outline the different options you have.
Placing A Value On Your Injuries
Determining the financial cost of injuries is something that a lot of people struggle with. Yes, you have the medical bills and know how much work you’ve missed, but there are so many other factors to consider. If you’re having trouble understanding how much a car accident has cost you, reaching out to an attorney can help. Many lawyers have experience with exactly these calculations.
Gathering Evidence
Perhaps you need proof of certain things as requested by the insurance company and are having trouble tracking these things down. Maybe you need to grant power of attorney to someone, so they can collect your medical records for you. An attorney can help you gather evidence, either by giving you instructions on how to get access to things related to your files or by helping you with the power of attorney process.
Negotiating On Your Behalf
Many of us don’t understand the inner workings of insurance agencies or the law. We can feel like a fish out of water when having conversations with insurance providers about an accident and what we need from them. It can be challenging to be clear and ask for what you want, especially because legal jargon is so prevalent. An attorney can speak to you and understand your goals and what happened on the road and then talk on your behalf to insurance agents or in other legal proceedings to make sure that your views are given the best representation possible.
Dealing With Your Local Judges And Insurance Company Employees
If you seek out a local attorney, you’ll have the added help of them knowing the local judges and insurance company employees. This can be particularly useful in situations where a clear outcome isn’t obvious. An experienced professional who has already worked with those you’re interacting with will be able to understand how those you’re working with think and feel about certain aspects of your situation. Experts at terry-lawfirm.com/greeneville-tn/car-accident-lawyer/ emphasize that this means a local lawyer can help you put your best foot forward when it comes to insurance claims and legal proceedings.
Recommending Resources
Being involved in a car accident doesn’t only require practical steps to be followed. For many people, there are emotional and mental difficulties that need to be worked through. A car accident lawyer can recommend resources that will help with this process. Car accidents can be traumatic (in fact, they’re the leading cause of post-traumatic stress disorder). You might need help getting back behind the wheel or finding alternative methods of transportation for emotional reasons.
Providing Advice
For many of us, the law is a foreign concept written in Latin-based old English that we never have to think about. Because of this, it can be hard to understand how the law applies to our situation and what, if anything, we should be doing given the law. Things like posting on social media or commenting when called by the insurance company can drastically change the outcome of a legal proceeding. An attorney can help advise you on avoiding the common pitfalls associated with not understanding the law and how it can be used.
The above types of help are by no means exhaustive. Every car accident is different, and so the help an attorney can offer will also differ on a case-by-case basis.