The Shocking Truth About Accident Claims: What Attorneys Want You to Know

 In the event of a mishap, it can be tricky to handle accident claims. You may be wondering what to do to protect your rights and how the legal process works, or you might have questions about types of recovery. Well, here's an eye-opener: accident claims are more challenging than many others think. Lawyers who work with these cases know the system better than anyone and want to take a moment to explain how the claims process works. This post reveals the dirty truths of accident claims that your lawyer would prefer you not know.

1. Insurance Companies Are Not Your Friends

A common myth concerning accident claims is that insurance companies are there to assist you. Of course, in truth, it is aimed to reduce their payout. Even seemingly straightforward claims can be subject to devaluation or rejection by your insurer. This could be a very low quick settlement or other possible trickery and tactics they can use to delay your compensation payment.

Lawyer Tip: Do Not Take the Insurance Company's First Offer Without Speaking to an Attorney. A qualified personal injury lawyer can advocate to ensure you receive every dollar of restitution due.

2. Time is of the Essence — Statutes of Limitation

No matter which state you live in, there is a set amount of time before your claim becomes invalid due to the statute of limitations. After this period, you can no longer recover damages, even if you have an ironclad case. In turn, different accidents have different limits that can pass.

Legal Tip: Call a lawyer immediately after your crash to get all the most important deadlines. They make sure that your claim is filed in a timely fashion and with all the supporting documents.

3. Injuries Are Not Always Visible

In the aftermath of a crash, it is human nature to immediately zero in on visible wounds such as cuts and broken bones. However, some injuries, like internal trauma or soft tissue damage, can remain dormant for several days after the accident. Insurance agencies can pressure you to settle quickly before your injuries reach full depth.

Lawyer Insight: Don't settle too quickly. Attorneys advise anyone involved in an accident to get an examination promptly after the crash and to monitor their symptoms over time. You should be compensated for all injuries, current and future.

4. You Might Be Able to Receive More Than Just Medical Expenses

When you say accident claims, most people think of things like covering your medical bills, but that's only one thing you can get compensation for. Or, depending on the type of your case, you may claim lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering compensation for emotional distress, and punitive damages in some cases.

Legal Insight: Lawyers understand how to evaluate all your losses accurately. They may make sure that your claim takes into account every possibility concerning your injury and also how it has affected your individual life, including future medical needs along with the emotional stress of the crash.

5. Proving Fault Can Be Complex

Not All Wrecks Are Simple DETERMINING who is at fault in a car accident is not always easy. For many incidents, more than one individual or group may bear responsibility. Compensation is not guaranteed in these accidents. It would help if you showed the other party's guilt or their negligence, which can make it difficult to collect evidence, take testimonies from expert witnesses, and even have experts reconstruct the scene.

Find Out About Your Case Specifics With an Attorney: An attorney will investigate your accident, gathering the evidence to build a powerful case. They have intricate knowledge of what it takes to establish liability and will work to ensure you are not assigned incorrect liability or underpaid.

6. If settling outside of court is more cost-effective, you will also seek to do so.

Believe it or not, most accident claims are resolved before they reach the courtroom. Going to trial would waste more time (and expense) for the insurance company. However, if an agreement can be made between both parties and your lawyer deems it acceptable, the lawsuit could be negotiated for settlement.

The Attorney's insight: Attorneys know when to settle and when to go to trial. Expert advice on your particular case will give you support to protect your interests.

7. Why Hiring An Attorney Will Save A HUGE Amount of Money (and How They Increase Your Chances)

While handling an accident claim on your own is always tempting, doing so means going up against well-oiled insurance companies with significant resources and experience — handling claims by the thousands. Lawyers are there to even the odds and help ensure you wind up with a successful result.

Insider tip: The average compensation recovered by accident victims who hire a lawyer is usually around 3x more than those who represent themselves. Your Attorney will negotiate, do paperwork, and make appearances in court so that you can concentrate on recovering your health.

Conclusion

The alarming reality is that accident claims are much more intricate than initially seem. Insurance companies want to save themselves money, and failing to dot the i's and cross the t's on your claim could cost you thousands. This is why accident lawyers scream from the rooftops about knowing your rights and not acting too late. tootting In An Accident?

Call to Action

Do not face the claims process yourself if you or someone dear to you has been in an accident. Call us today for a free consultation with an experienced accident attorney to protect your rights and maximize your recovery.