A serious or fatal automobile accident can be a difficult and emotional ordeal for victims and their families.  At the same time, there are multiple requests and paperwork from doctors, law enforcement and insurance companies. You may be confused and overwhelmed. If you were hurt, or if a love one died in an accident, a personal injury attorney can answer questions and help with what to do next. Personal injury attorneys and their staffs are trained to help victims and their families with the task of bringing and winning accident claims.

1. Attorneys know the value of your case

Most people do not have the experience to know how much money they are entitled to after an automobile accident. In a wrongful death case, the surviving family members may not be aware of what compensation is allowed. Insurance companies have huge financial incentives to negotiate quick settlements with unrepresented people who do not know the full, fair value of their case.  Because personal injury lawyers usually work on a contingency fee, their financial incentive is to recover as much money as possible for your case.

2. Experts and investigators

Attorneys have a network of investigators and experts available who can help with your case.  For example, if an accident was caused by a tire blowout, it’s important to hire a tire expert to examine all of the evidence and testify about the cause of the tire failure.  In wrongful death cases, attorneys use vocational counselors and economists to prove how much money a person would have earned throughout his or her life if they had not died. 

3. No fees if you don’t recover

Most personal injury attorneys work for a contingency fee, which means if you do not win your case you will not pay attorneys' fees. You are, however, responsible for certain expenses not directly related to an attorney’s services, such as the fees doctors charge for reviewing your records or being interviewed.

4. Help dealing with medical bills

It can be confusing and frustrating to deal with medical bills after an accident.  Often there are multiple insurance companies and governmental agencies involved; and for disputes to arise over who is responsible for paying and whether they are entitled to be reimbursed.  Personal injury lawyers and their staffs have experience sorting these issues out so you don’t have to.

5. Experience with insurance companies

Personal injury lawyers are used to working with large insurance companies and understand their procedures.  They are not confused by their tactics and never feel pressured to settle for an unfair amount.

6. Attorneys can take your case to trial

If trial is necessary, an experienced attorney will zealously represent you in court and work to obtain the best possible jury verdict. Even in cases that do not go to trial, having the ability to take a case to trail allows the lawyer to be firm in settlement negotiations with the insurance company.

7. Mediation

A jury trial is not always the best way to resolve a case. A well-qualified attorney will know whether your claim can be resolved through mediation, thereby saving you time and emotional energy. An experienced attorney will be able to select the right mediator for your case and present the facts in such a way so as to recover the most money at mediation.

For more help:

To help accident victims, Accident Data Center has a highly qualified attorney (perfect 10.0 AVVO rating) with 20 years’ experience on staff and available to provide a free and impartial case evaluation and to answer your questions. If you request, and if your claim has merit, we will find and associate with the best local attorney for your case to help you obtain the maximum financial recovery. For a free, no obligation, case evaluation, use our easy e-mail form.   Accident victims and their families can also request a free copy of the police collision report by using our police report request form.