Jason Stephens | March 27, 2020 | Car Accidents
A car accident can turn your life upside down. Even though you may not sustain serious injuries, you must deal with the property damage from the accident. If you do sustain injuries, you also may have doctor’s bills, loss of income, and other damages caused by the crash.
Knowing when to hire a car accident attorney can be difficult. In this article, Stephens Law Firm, PLLC reviews several signs that indicate you may need a car accident attorney to help you with your personal injury claim.
Reasons to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer
1. Your injuries are severe or traumatic.
Anyone who sustains severe or traumatic injuries may want to talk to a lawyer before taking any action to settle a personal injury claim. Severe and traumatic injuries can significantly increase the value of an injury claim. For that reason, you want to ensure that you do not undervalue your claim.
A catastrophic injury may also result in permanent impairments or disabilities. Additional compensation may be available for disabilities and impairments. Future compensation may also be justified to compensate you for your future loss of income, diminished earning capacity, and ongoing medical or personal care.
2. You are being blamed for causing the accident.
If the insurance company or the other driver blames you for causing the car crash, it is time to get an attorney. You are only entitled to recover compensation from the other driver if you can prove the other driver was responsible for causing the crash.
Therefore, you must have evidence that proves fault. An attorney has the resources, knowledge, and skills necessary to conduct a comprehensive accident investigation. Also, the attorney may retain accident reconstructionists and other professionals to help prove that the other driver caused the crash.
Insurance companies often blame the victim for causing the crash to avoid paying a liability claim. The company may try to claim that you contributed to the cause of the accident if it cannot blame you for the total cause of the crash.
If the company proves you contributed to the cause of the car accident, your compensation could be reduced substantially under the comparative fault laws in Texas. If you are found to be 51 percent or more at fault for causing the car accident, you are barred from receiving any compensation for your car accident injuries and damages.
3. Multiple parties are involved in the car accident.
When you have multiple parties and multiple insurance carriers involved in a car accident claim, the claim can become very complicated. Insurance carriers may battle with each other to avoid liability. Parties may become very aggressive in attempting to prove comparative fault.
Having an attorney to deal with the various parties can reduce your stress, so that you can focus on your recovery. Also, an attorney protects your best interests and your legal right to compensation as the various parties battle with each other over fault and liability.
4. A semi-truck or commercial vehicle was involved in the crash.
Accidents involving commercial vehicles and large trucks often result in serious and life-threatening injuries for the occupants of other vehicles. Therefore, truck accident cases are usually high-dollar injury claims that can benefit from having an attorney involved as soon as possible.
Insurance companies and trucking companies have large teams of professionals who investigate these crashes to protect the companies’ best interests. These crashes often involve federal regulations and laws. Having a legal team on your side who understands the complexities of a truck accident claim evens the playing field.
5. You are unsure how much your car accident claim is worth.
Another reason to hire a Fort Worth car accident attorney is to ensure you receive a fair amount for your injury claim. The insurance company will not tell you how much your claim is worth. The insurance provider wants to pay as little as possible to settle your personal injury claim.
Therefore, you need help to calculate the correct value of your accident claim. Placing a value on your pain and suffering can be difficult. Without an attorney, you may not realize how much money you can receive after being injured in a car accident.
An attorney helps you gather evidence that supports your claim to maximize the amount of money you might receive from the insurance company. Without sufficient evidence, the insurance company will deny your claim.
Contact Our Car Accident Law Firm in Fort Worth, TX
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Fort Worth and need legal help, contact our Fort Worth car accident lawyers at Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents to schedule a free consultation.
Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents
1300 S University Dr # 300
Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 420-7000