When Do You Need To Hire A Car Accident Lawyer?

Folks involved in a car accident often have lots of questions about what to do next. Do I make a claim with my car insurance company? What should I do if the other driver’s insurance company offers me money to settle my claim? Who will pay for the damage to my car, my medical bills, or the money I’ve lost because I couldn’t work? Do I need a lawyer after a car accident?

Not Every Crash Requires A Car Accident Lawyer, But Many Do

Not everyone who is in a car accident winds up hiring a collision lawyer. That’s because not every crash results in injuries or other significant damage. There are approximately six million car accidents in the U.S. every year. That equals an average of 16,000 crashes per day. Fortunately, many if not most of these accidents are fender-benders that leave behind nothing more serious than some dents, scratches, and inconvenience and require nothing beyond some body work. Such incidents usually get sorted out between the two drivers’ car insurance companies with minimal fuss.

But not every crash is a fender-bender. Many car accidents cause injuries to drivers, passengers, and others. Some of those injuries are devastating and life-changing. Such collisions can leave victims and their families reeling as they suddenly face enormous medical costs, difficult medical treatment and rehabilitation, the loss of earnings, and a life that never may be fully the same as it once was.

Of course, some wrecks are so catastrophic that they take the life of a loved one, with those left behind not only coping with grief but also worried about how to move forward without a breadwinner, a companion, a spouse, parent, or a child.

In such serious cases, the question of when to hire a car accident lawyer almost answers itself. But even “minor” injuries from a car accident can create upheaval in someone’s life and cost them a lot in medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering. And some injuries from a crash may not become apparent until weeks or months later.

The Answer To “Do I Need A Lawyer After a Car Accident?” Is Found In the Answers To These Questions

If your accident resulted in injuries and losses that fall between fender-bender and catastrophe, the question of when to hire an attorney after a car accident can actually be answered by asking yourself the following questions.

Do You Want To Bear The Burden Of Injuries and Losses That Were Somebody Else’s Fault?

If you suffer injuries in an accident caused by another driver’s negligence or recklessness, why should you bear all the burdens? Why should you have to cover huge medical bills, lose out on paycheck after paycheck, or endure pain or loss of mobility because someone else was irresponsible? Why shouldn’t the other driver’s insurance company pay me for my losses; after all, isn’t that what liability insurance is for?

If you want to make the negligent driver and their insurer pay for the harm and damage they caused you and your family, you should hire a collision lawyer.

Do You Want To Get Played By A Greedy Insurance Company?

No matter how warm and fuzzy their TV commercials may be, insurance companies are in the business of making money.

After your accident, the other driver’s insurer will want to try to resolve your claim quickly – and on the cheap. They’ll do so by making you an offer far lower than what you deserve or what you could get at trial. They know you have bills you need to pay and wages you aren’t earning as you recover from your injuries. They know you need the money, and they understand that any offer of quick cash can be very tempting. They also know that you may not fully grasp your rights or trust them to do right by you.

The insurance company will use this knowledge to manipulate you and convince you that you either don’t have a valid claim or that it is worth pennies. The insurer may try to get you to make a statement or admission which could hurt any car accident suit you may want to file. They’ll question the extent or cause of your injuries as well.

The bottom line is that when you negotiate your claim with a car accident insurance lawyer, you are giving the insurance company a gift. That’s because car insurance companies negotiate settlements every day – and you don’t.

Do You Want To Get The Maximum Amount Of Compensation Available For Your Car Accident Claim?

When an insurer knows that they are negotiating with an experienced car accident attorney rather than a claimant, their manipulation, intimidation, and other tactics are rendered useless. That is why car accident claimants who hire a lawyer get significantly more in compensation on average than those who don’t.

According to the Insurance Research Council (IRC), injury victims who had an auto accident attorney received settlements that were 40 percent higher than those negotiated by the claimants themselves. In another study, the IRC found that claimants represented by a car accident lawyer receive 85 percent of all settlement money paid out by auto insurance companies for claims.

Do You Want To Miss Out On Compensation For Your Injuries Altogether?

If you don’t hire a car accident lawyer in time, you may lose any ability to obtain compensation for your injuries.

A statute of limitations is a law that sets forth the period within which you must file a lawsuit for a particular type of claim. Different types of claims have different limitations periods. In Illinois, lawsuits seeking to recover compensation for personal injuries, including those from a car accident, must be filed within two years of the date of the accident that caused the injuries. If you file a car accident lawsuit after the applicable statute of limitations has passed, the court will throw it out.

Do You Want To Get All The Advantages Of A Hiring A Car Accident Lawyer For Free?

If you suffered injuries in a Chicago car accident, answers, help, and a Chicago car accident attorney dedicated to your well-being is only a phone call away. And all of the advantages that come with hiring a car accident attorney won’t cost you a dime in attorney’s fees unless they recover compensation for you.

Located in Glenview, Chicago Legal Group focuses exclusively on the representation of personal injury victims, using our experience, tenacity, and advocacy skills to get our clients the compensation and resources they need to move forward with their lives.

Please contact Chicago Legal Group today to arrange for your free consultation at 1-847-305-4105.

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