Attorney??
As always, it depends. Many factors determine the value of an accident injury claim: injuries, injections, surgeries, amount of medical bills, future medical bills, lost wages, who is at fault fault, property damage, your preexisting medical condition, etc. My best advice is that you speak with an injury attorney who can give you tailored advice to your situation.
When You Don’t Need an Injury Lawyer
The easiest situation is when you are not hurt. In these cases, the value of your claim is so little that you are better off negotiating with the insurance company yourself. Most times, the insurance company will offer nuisance value for a few hundred dollars to close out your case. Likewise, the same situation would apply if you just went to your primary care doctor and didn’t seek anymore medical help after the wreck. Once again, an injury lawyer is not required. Just ensure that some time has passed before accepting any settlement as you want to make sure that you are completely better and recovered after the wreck. Oftentimes injuries may not appear until weeks, maybe even a few months after the incident.
The Grey Zone
The grey zone is an area where it may or may not be beneficial to have a lawyer. These situations arise when you treat a few times after an accident but return to normal health after a few weeks. Most times your medical bills and lost wages are less than $2000. In these cases, you may be financially better off negotiating a settlement yourself and keeping as much of the proceeds as possible. On the other hand, you may need a lawyer if you believe that other issues may need to be taken care of. This would include negotiating unpaid medical bills, hospital liens or your health insurance provider is seeking reimbursement. Once again, consulting a lawyer would be the best piece of advice.
When a Lawyer is a Must
Any injury claims where you have treated for longer than a month and have incurred more than $3000 in medical bills. It is a known fact that an attorney will resolve a claim for a much higher value than if you handled the claim yourself. This extra value is more than often enough to compensate the lawyer for his fee as well as at the end of the day putting more money in your pocket. Another advantage of having a lawyer is that he or she will handle the claim, meaning that you won’t have to deal with the insurance company, medical providers, health insurance providers or any person who may have a claim to the accident proceeds. Also, an experienced lawyer should be able to give you advice on whether the settlement is fair or if a lawsuit should be filed.
Picking a Car & Truck Accident Lawyer
Always insist on talking to a lawyer and have a face to face meeting. An injury claim process takes months, and in certain circumstances years to resolve if a lawsuit is filed. During that time, you and your lawyer should be in constant communication regarding your case. It is a relationship where both parties need to be on the same page so that each can do what is expected of each other. The number one reason why lawyers and clients terminate each other is because of a failure to communicate.