On average, 6 million car crashes occur in the U.S. each year. These range from seemingly minor fender benders to crashes that can change your life forever. And if you’ve never been in one before, it can be difficult to know what to do. After receiving medical help for your injuries, we recommend you immediately contact a car crash attorney in Houston, TX. An attorney can help you navigate this challenging time and fight for your rights.
In a Crash? 11 Reasons You Shouldn’t Wait to Contact a Car Crash Attorney in Houston, TX
1. Preserve Evidence
Evidence is crucial to the success of any car accident claim. But delaying action increases the likelihood that evidence will be lost or destroyed. In addition, key evidence like proof of your injuries, witness statements, and surveillance videos may be harder to obtain as time goes on. Contacting a car crash attorney sooner rather than later ensures this evidence is not only preserved but also put into the right hands.
2. Prove Liability for Your Injuries
To win your car accident injury claim, you must prove your injuries directly resulted from another’s negligence. This is no easy feat, but it forms the heart of your case. Anyone harmed by another’s actions has the right to seek compensation.
Keep in mind all parties involved in an accident are likely to shift blame. This makes it difficult to sort through the facts. An accomplished attorney, however, will build a strong argument on your behalf based on the evidence. Those elements used in your case might include:
- A reconstruction of the accident scene
- Your medical records
- Testimony from medical experts who can validate your condition
- Witness interviews
- The accident report
3. Maintain Memories
It’s no secret that memories gradually fade, causing your level of certainty as to what caused the crash to likewise diminish. The memories of witnesses also erode, meaning you’ll have a more difficult time proving your case.
An attorney will document what happened and recognize which details are most important to your case. This means that even if your memories blur with time, the sequence of those events that led to and followed the accident will be protected.
4. Increase Your Settlement Speed
The longer you wait to hire an attorney, the more likely you are to pay medical bills and other expenses out of your own pocket. And if you’re also out of work as you recover, you can quickly eat through a savings account or other financial reserves. This underscores the importance of contacting an attorney now, before you’re in a desperate financial situation. Put simply, an attorney can help bring your case to resolution more quickly.
5. Negotiate with the Insurance Company
Insurance companies don’t willingly give money to accident victims. Instead, adjusters undergo extensive training to minimize pay-outs. They will even deny valid claims, especially when speaking to those who lack negotiation experience. Or, an adjuster may get you to inadvertently make a statement that could influence your chances of recovering adequate compensation.
Hiring an attorney early on will prevent you from having to speak to the insurance company. This also eliminates the possibility of you saying something the insurance company can use against you. Your attorney will:
- Handle all of your claim’s details
- Negotiate with the insurance adjuster
- Prepare a written or verbal statement carefully worded to your benefit
- Fight to obtain the compensation you deserve
6. Calculate the Value of Your Injuries
It’s tempting to accept a lowball settlement offer after an injury; you’re exhausted emotionally and physically and likely worried about paying bills. And insurance companies are skilled at convincing accident victims to accept the first offer put on the table.
Attorneys will intervene and help you receive maximum, not minimum, compensation. If you begin negotiations without legal representation, however, you’re likely to lose out on money that will help you and your family. An attorney will also fight to get you compensation for:
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Future lost income
- Past and future medical bills
7. Explore Your Legal Options
The saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know” applies perfectly to the law. Most people have no idea what their legal options are after an accident. This might be the foremost reason why you need to contact an attorney as soon as possible. He or she can advise you on the options at your disposal. If the insurance company will not make a reasonable settlement offer, the attorney can file a personal injury lawsuit to fight for your compensation.
This step often pushes an insurance provider to finally make a reasonable settlement – before the case goes to court. You’ll save time and get your money more quickly, as mentioned earlier. But if the insurance adjuster still won’t bend, you have the right to pursue your case in court.
8. Meet All Legal Deadlines
The law is governed by deadlines, and your accident claim is no different. In Houston, TX, most victims have just two years from the date of the incident to file a lawsuit. Other deadlines must also be met, such as those for filing paperwork with the court. Your policy may even have a set period in which you must notify your insurance provider of a claim. The wording might include something like “as soon as practical.”
Missing these deadlines can be detrimental to your case. You may be unable to win or even file a suit at all. A car crash attorney will know these deadlines and ensure you meet each one.
9. Explain the Legalities of Your Claim
You may not realize this, but an insurance policy is a contract that describes the details of each party. This sounds simple, but deciphering the details can be difficult if you’re not familiar with the industry jargon.
Accident attorneys in Houston, TX, have the training necessary to read and understand these documents. They can also tell if your insurance provider is acting in good faith by adhering to their contractual obligations. If not, you can explore your legal options to hold the insurance company responsible.
10. Ensure You Get the Care You Need
You might feel fine after an accident, but this doesn’t mean you don’t need an attorney. Certain injuries, including whiplash, are not immediately felt. It could be days or even weeks before the pain and other symptoms take hold. An attorney can guide you in getting the medical care you need and will also use the doctor’s medical notes to further your case.
11. Provide Peace of Mind
The aftermath of a car accident is stressful. As we mentioned earlier, it’s easy to spend this time worrying about money and logistical details, when you should be focused on healing from your injuries.
Hiring an experienced attorney can provide the peace of mind you need to rest comfortably. He or she can also diffuse tension by handling all negotiations with the insurance provider. And oftentimes, simply knowing someone is on your side can help you feel less stressed and more in control of a situation.
Don’t skip contacting an attorney after a car crash. You might have no physical pain or think your injuries are insignificant, or you may simply hope the situation resolves itself without taking legal action. Rarely, however, is a situation this straightforward. Preserve your right to compensation and get the help you need by contacting the office of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner today.