A car accident can leave you physically hurt, emotionally distressed, and financially burdened. Dealing with insurance companies and navigating legal procedures can be overwhelming. However, an Alabama car accident attorney can help you through this process. Even better, a skilled injury attorney can help you get the money you need to get your life back on track. The rest of this article will discuss the many ways that a personal injury attorney can help you maximize your compensation after a car accident.
Your Lawyer Can Help You Deal with Insurance Companies
Most people believe that they can trust a well-known company. This might be true for some businesses, but not insurance companies. After an accident, the insurance company is not your friend. Insurance companies lose money every time they pay a claim. So, insurance adjusters work very hard to make sure that they don’t. They’ll use anything and everything you say to deny or reduce your claim. Fortunately, accident attorneys are very familiar with insurance company tactics and know how to handle them. They can talk to the insurance company on your behalf to protect your right to compensation.
Your Lawyer Can Assign a Fair Value to Your Car Accident Claim
Getting a fair and accurate value for your case is crucial. If you rate your case too low, you could accept an insufficient settlement that won’t compensate you for all your injuries. If you rate it too highly, you might turn down a good offer. So, getting a precise evaluation of your case really matters.
Some websites claim that a simple calculator can tell you how much your car accident claim is worth. In reality, determining the value of a car accident claim involves looking at many factors such as the severity of your injuries. An experienced Birmingham accident injury lawyer will know these factors and how to apply them to your case to get you the highest possible financial award.
Your Lawyer Can Help You Negotiate a Fair Settlement
In settlement negotiations, each side makes an offer until both parties agree on a number. A reasonable settlement will fully compensate you for your pain and suffering, lost wages, property damage, and other accident-related losses. However, insurance companies are notorious for offering low settlements that only cover a portion of the injured person’s losses. Your Birmingham injury attorney can use their legal knowledge and negotiation experience to persuade the insurance company to raise its offer to a more acceptable level.
Your Lawyer Can Help You with Questions Concerning Fault
Sometimes, it’s easy to tell who caused a car accident. But in trucking accidents, multi-car crashes, and other complex cases, establishing fault can be difficult. This process is complicated by the fact that Alabama uses a rule called contributory negligence. Under this rule, a person who is partly responsible for causing their own accident injuries – even if they’re just one percent responsible – cannot recover any damages after an accident.
Contributory negligence may seem like an impossible hurdle for any injured person to overcome, but this isn’t necessarily the case. Experienced Alabama accident injury attorneys know how to use the law and evidence to argue that you weren’t at fault. They also know the exceptions to the contributory negligence rule. This knowledge can preserve your right to recovery after an accident.
Your Lawyer Can Use Evidence To Build Your Case
In a personal injury case, if you don’t have evidence for your claim, as far as the court is concerned, it didn’t happen. As such, how much you can recover in an accident injury case depends not only on the quantity but also on the quality of the evidence supporting your case.
Alabama personal injury lawyers know how to work with evidence. When it comes to documentary evidence, they know which documents matter and where to get them. They also know how to work with witnesses. Most accident attorneys have a roster of expert witnesses they can call to explain your injuries and their causes to the jury. They also know how to prepare regular witnesses who testify about what they saw on the day of the accident. A case supported by strong evidence is far more likely to lead to a high level of compensation.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Minor Car Accident?
Yes. Even a “minor” car accident can cause major problems. If your accident led to physical injuries, missed time from work, or property damage, you may be entitled to compensation. You might think you can handle a “simple” accident on your own, but even in a minor accident, you’ll have to deal with legal issues such as contributory negligence, insurance company tactics, and more. Making a mistake could cost you — literally.
On the other hand, a Birmingham personal injury attorney can ensure that your accident injury claim is handled properly. For example, some accident injuries appear immediately, while others take time to appear. If you don’t include these injuries in your claim, they won’t be part of the settlement, and you’ll get no compensation. An Alabama car crash attorney can ensure that every present and potential injury is included in your claim so that you get the highest possible compensation.
I’m Not Sure That I Can Afford a Lawyer. What Can I Do?
Lots of people think that hiring an attorney is expensive. It can be in some cases. However, most Alabama accident injury attorneys use contingency fee agreements. In a contingency fee agreement, the attorney takes your case but does not ask for any payment upfront. Instead, if you win, the lawyer will take a percentage (usually 35% or so) of whatever you get through a settlement or a jury verdict. If you lose, you pay nothing. So you can get quality legal help without worrying about the cost.
Where Can I Find Quality Legal Representation?
Hopefully, this article has convinced you of the many ways that a Birmingham personal injury attorney can help you maximize your compensation after a car accident. As you look for legal representation, prepare a list of questions for any potential attorneys. When you meet with them, pay attention to their answers as well as to how they answer. This will be an important and ongoing relationship, so make sure that you are comfortable with the attorney after your meeting.
If you are looking for legal help after an Alabama car accident, consider Collins Law, LLC. Our firm’s founder, April H. Collins, is one of the state’s most respected personal injury attorneys. The Collins Law team is competent and caring. We’ll work to maximize your settlement or verdict to ensure you get what you are entitled to under the law. To learn more about how we can help you, call 205-588-1411 or use our website’s online scheduling tool.