Car accidents are unpredictable and cause considerable damage to victims, including injury, pain, financial losses, loss of property, and income loss. Consequently, most US state laws require that all registered vehicles have basic car insurance, at the very least.
For example, Florida’s Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department dictates that all vehicles with a current Florida registration must have personal injury protection (PIP) and personal damage liability (PDL) cover. Even so, meeting and exceeding the recommended vehicle coverage does not guarantee a maximum payout from insurance companies after an accident. However, you can rely on a skilled lawyer to maximize your compensation.
- Accident Lawyers Help Establish The Liable Party
Car accidents may occur for various reasons, but someone must be held liable at the end of the day. For starters, Florida laws dictate that each driver on its roads and highways have a duty of care to fellow road users.
Poor driving behavior like speeding, driving under the influence, ignoring traffic lights, and sleeping behind the wheel, qualify as a breach of care to fellow drivers. Therefore, a vehicular accident lawyer helps you establish a fellow driver’s breach of care beforehand and file a settlement claim against their car insurance company.
Besides a driver’s breach of care, a third party, like a car’s mechanic, spare part dealer, or manufacturer, may be held liable if investigators rule that faulty car parts caused the car accident. Third, the car accident could result from an oversight on your part.
Depending on the laws in your jurisdiction, causing an accident does not mean you automatically lose out on an opportunity to file an insurance claim. For example, Florida is a comparative negligence law state.
The comparative negligence law stipulates that a driver partially responsible for a car accident that resulted in them accruing bodily injuries can still sue a second driver. Moreover, the law allows drivers partly responsible for the accident to collect a reduced portion of the insurance claim based on the level of their involvement in the accident.
Therefore, your first call after an accident should be to your car accident lawyer. Car accident lawyers analyze the situation, determine the party at fault, and help you file a suit that will earn you maximum compensation.
- Let The Lawyer Manage Your Case From End To End
Filing an insurance claim with your auto insurance company after a car accident is only the first step in a long and tedious process. For starters, the first thing you must do after calling your car accident lawyer to the scene of an accident is to visit a health facility for a full-body check-up. Medical reports are crucial evidence in car accidents, helping establish the level of injury or bodily harm resulting from the accident.
Second, evidence collection, including photos of the accident scene, injuries, and the other vehicle, is also necessary while filing a car accident claim. Third, you must file a police report on the accident, as the report is crucial while filing an insurance claim.
Most states have a statute of limitation on when you should file your car accident insurance claim. For example, Florida’s laws dictate that car accident victims should file a personal injury claim within four years from the accident’s date and a wrongful death claim within two years from the date of the accident.
Besides collecting relevant documentation, you must negotiate with the insurance companies, a task that is anything but simple, given that insurance companies aim to minimize settlement amounts and maximize profits.
Moving from office to office or handling endless correspondence regarding the accident claim while nursing injuries and the mental trauma associated with the injury is overwhelming. Moreover, it may cause you to settle on the minimum amount your insurer offers so that you can move on with your life.
However, you need not worry about caving to the pressure if you hire a car accident lawyer. A car accident lawyer has the experience to oversee the insurance claim process from end to end and the stamina to withstand the most challenging negotiation with insurance companies, ensuring you receive the highest compensation due to you.
- An Accident Lawyer Upholds Your Rights As An Accident Victim
Most accident victims get bounced around from office to office after an accident and forget they have rights as accident victims. Therefore, an accident lawyer is a reminder that you have rights despite the prevailing circumstances.
Accident victim rights under Florida’s laws include No-fault benefits, which means that as an accident victim, you are entitled to prove compensation without having to prove fault. However, you also have the right to overlook the no-look benefit policy if you sustain severe or permanent injuries. The party or driver at fault must compensate you for the extensive injuries inflicted during the accident, including pain and suffering.
Third, you have the right to access the other driver’s information, including their vehicle’s plate, name, address, and insurance information. Fourth, you have the right to determine the value of your car accident claim, including damages and compensation.
Fifth, you have the right to file an appeal against an insurance company’s decision if they deny your claim or fail to offer a fair claim. Lastly, you have the right to pursue formal legal action in enforcing the insurance contract. Hiring a car accident lawyer ensures no third party violates your rights to fair compensation.
- A Car Accident Lawyer Protects You From Insurance Adjusters
An insurance adjuster is an in-house officer hired by an insurance company to investigate insurance claims on their behalf. The insurance adjuster is likely the first point of contact with an insurance company after an accident and often seems nice and genuinely concerned when seeking information about an accident.
However, their primary role is to establish seemingly minor details that they can use to discredit your claim or ensure you accept minimum compensation. Fortunately, you can avoid falling for the insurance adjuster’s antics by hiring a car accident lawyer to handle all communication with the insurance company.
Contingency Fees
Most car accident lawyers charge contingency fees, meaning they deduct their service fee from the awarded claim after winning your case. Therefore, they are motivated to win your case and to negotiate for a reasonable payment plan.
Conclusion:
You do not simply deserve compensation that will help you get by after a car accident, but the maximum compensation to facilitate maximum medical improvement and a comfortable life. So, consult a qualified car accident lawyer today to learn more about their services.