Five Reasons You May Need a Personal Injury Attorney

You never expected to be involved in an auto accident but as you drove into an intersection, another driver ran a red light and hit you. They were at fault and you suffered as a result of their negligent and reckless actions.

Immediately after this type of auto accident, the most important thing is to get medical attention to take care of any injuries you may have suffered. You may need emergency care for the obvious injuries, as well as ongoing care for those injuries that may not yet be apparent. Knowing exactly how serious your injuries are, and seeking medical care early on, also helps create a paper trail that can help build your claim against the other party should it become necessary.

After getting the medical care needed for your immediate injuries, calling and talking with an experienced personal injury attorney should be among your highest priorities. Your personal injury lawyer can review your claim and provide legal expertise to help guide you through the claims process so you can focus on your recovery.

Many people often don’t think about contacting a personal injury attorney after a car crash but they should. Remember, you only have a limited time after an accident to make a personal injury claim so talking to one of our attorneys as soon as possible helps get your claim started in a timely way.

5 Things to Consider After Your Auto Accident

Here are five reasons why talking to a personal injury attorney can be important after a car crash, or similar event:

1. Time is of the essence. 

Focusing on your health and recovery after an accident can be time-consuming. Often, the idea of getting legal help to recover from your accident is postponed, often falling permanently to the wayside. However, if you wait too long, you could lose the ability to make a claim at all. The statute of limitations in California is typically just two years which can go by quickly. While you focus on your health, you need someone to lead and promptly manage the many insurance challenges and legal aspects of your case before the statute of limitations expires on your claim.

2. Insurance companies don’t want to pay.

It’s likely that the other party’s insurance company will contact you. They may try to get you to admit fault so that they don’t end up paying at all. They may even try to limit their liability by offering a quick settlement well before you even know how serious your injuries are. In truth, you may not know the full extent of your injuries until several months have passed.

Ultimately, while you might think you’re comfortable talking to the agent, it may be better not to. Never take a settlement before your injuries and value of your case have been fully assessed. Don’t talk to the insurance company about what happened or what kind of compensation you’re looking for; instead, simply refer the insurance agent to your attorney.

3. Car accident claim values can be complex.

While experienced attorneys may have an abundance of legal knowledge, they often use the expertise of several professionals to help determine how much a claim is worth. An experienced personal injury attorney will have experts evaluate and provide insights on those value factors, including:

• Medical care costs
• Damage to your vehicle
• Value of lost wages in the past, present and future
• Expenses related to physical therapy or other ongoing medical care
• Travel expenses to and from medical appointments
• Pain and suffering for you and your family

4. Fault can be argued.

Our personal injury attorneys have both the legal experience and resources to argue the fault or liability issues that an insurance company may present. In addition to the expert information provided from medical and other professionals, a personal injury attorney may also present additional information and exhibits to show who is at fault and liable for recovery costs. Along with those documents, they may also use supporting documents relevant to your claim, such as:

• The police report
• Initial and ongoing medical records
• Witness statements
• Phone records
• Statements from the at-fault party
• Reports and supporting studies about the weather or other uncontrollable factors

5. Personal injury attorneys know how to get maximum compensation for your injuries.

The majority of the time, insurance companies will offer the lowest amount possible to ‘resolve’ a claim quickly. Our attorneys have a thorough understanding of the claims process, and are trained to negotiate on your behalf. When a settlement value remains in dispute and cannot be resolved, our attorneys are prepared to take your claim to court and obtain a verdict if necessary. In fact, Dunnion Law was ranked #2 among all California personal injury firms for our record-breaking verdict in Madera County.

An auto accident injury can be serious. As a victim, you deserve to be treated with respect when getting compensated for your injuries. Dunnion Law focuses on personal injury cases to lead victims and their families through the often complicated legal and insurance processes. Our attorneys:

• Build the strongest case for your claim and obtain the best recovery solution possible
• Know the law and how to apply it successfully to your case
• Manage the insurance companies and paperwork on our client’s behalf
• Pursue the personal injury claim to court when resolution with the insurance company fails

Don’t wait to seek legal assistance after a personal injury. Contact Dunnion Law today. We will focus on getting you fair compensation while you focus on recovering from your injuries.