We rely on our cars for just about all of our travels, from daily commutes to weekend getaways. Unfortunately for California residents, the roads aren’t always safe. In fact, we have the highest car accident fatality rate in the nation.
What happens if you survive a car accident with serious injuries? What if those injuries are impacting you financially, leading to impossibly high medical bills and a reduced capacity to earn an income?
If this sounds all too familiar, it’s time to consider hiring a personal injury lawyer. Filing a personal injury claim may be the only way to restore financial security after a car accident. A personal injury lawyer can help.
Ready to learn more? Read on for seven major benefits of hiring a personal injury lawyer.
1. Providing Legal Expertise
When you’ve been hit by a car, whether you were driving, walking, or cycling, it’s easy to assume that everyone will recognize you as the victim. However, when filing a personal injury claim, you will have to meet the preponderance of the evidence. That means that you will have to prove that there is more than a 50% chance that the following is true:
- the accident was caused by another driver’s negligence
- the accident left you seriously injured
- these injuries have made a substantial financial impact on your life
An experienced lawyer will know what laws impact your case, how to put together the evidence in a compelling way, and what types of precedents have been set in your local court system.
2. Compiling the Right Evidence
Compiling evidence for a personal injury claim after a car accident requires you to walk a fine line. You want to gather as much evidence as possible regarding the accident and your related injuries without including evidence that could unintentionally hurt your case.
An experienced accident lawyer will help you to gather photos, videos, witness statements, and the police report to recreate the scene of the accident. They will also help you to put together all of your relevant medical records, medical bills, pay stubs, and more to establish the extent of your injuries, the trajectory of your medical care, your reduced capacity to work, and anything else that has impacted your finances.
3. Helping With Medical Care
These days, many Californians don’t have a primary care doctor. As a result, they may not know how to seek the proper medical care, secure referrals, and get the help they need to recover from an unexpected injury.
Personal injury lawyers can help you to secure medical care. Not only will this enable your path to recovery but it will also ensure that you have the right evidence to establish the facts of your case. Without seeking medical care, it won’t be possible to prove that you have sustained serious injuries, which means that your claim could get thrown out before it even begins.
4. Evening the Playing Field
When you file a personal injury claim after a car accident, you’re filing a claim with the negligent driver’s insurance company. What that means is that you won’t be negotiating with the other driver. You’ll be negotiating with the lawyers who represent the insurance company.
Insurance company lawyers have one goal: to lower your settlement. They will do whatever they can to throw your claims into question or turn the evidence around on you. By hiring a personal injury attorney, you even the playing field and ensure that you have a legal expert in your corner.
5. Fighting for a Fair Settlement
If there is one thing that insurance company lawyers understand, it’s that personal injury plaintiffs are in a desperate position. Your medical bills are building up, your decreased paycheck is straining your bank account, and all you want is to secure some funds. They know that which is why they’ll try to encourage you to settle immediately–and settle low.
Personal injury lawyers know how to negotiate and they know how to spot a low offer. Your personal injury lawyer will advise you on when to keep pushing for a higher settlement and when to recognize that you’ve reached the highest settlement you can.
6. Taking on the Work While You Recover
You’ll certainly have time to recover before you open a legal claim, right? Not exactly. In the state of California, you have two years from the time of the accident to file your personal injury claim before it’s too late.
The good news is that when you hire an experienced personal injury attorney, you won’t have to do the majority of the work. Your attorney will ask for your input, assistance, or presence when needed. Otherwise, you can prioritize your health and well-being while your attorney takes care of the rest.
7. Court Preparedness
It’s rare for personal injury claims to make it to the courtroom. The vast majority are settled outside of court without the oversight of a judge. However, it is possible for a personal injury claim to go to court, and you want to make sure that you’re prepared if it does.
Once a personal injury claim goes to court, it’s up to the judge to make the final decision regarding the settlement. That means that you’ll need a bulletproof argument, and a personal injury lawyer can put one together before bringing it to the judge.
Hire a South Bay Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you are the victim of a recent car accident, your best next step is to hire a personal injury lawyer. South Bay Accident Lawyers have decades of combined experience and a great track record, and we’re here to help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
To get started, contact us today. We’ll schedule a free case consultation and learn more about the facts of your case.
