Is it Worth Hiring a Lawyer After a Car Crash?

When you get into a car crash, you may be injured and more than likely will need your car repaired. You are probably wondering if you actually need to hire a lawyer, or if it’s possible to simply handle all of the negotiating with the insurance company about payment yourself.

However, in any crash that involves injuries, it’s almost always worth getting a lawyer involved.

Why You May Want a Lawyer

There are many reasons why people depend on lawyers to help them after auto wrecks, but the main reasons why people call our firm, and why we recommend people do so, include:

Insurance companies know that you likely don’t have a good idea of how much money you’ll need. What they offer you may cover all your bills from your initial hospital visit or even a bit more than that, but it probably won’t include what you’ll need for any and all future treatment you’ll require, including follow-up visits, prescriptions, surgery, physical therapy, crutches or wheelchairs, and so on. They will almost always come out with a lowball offer first. But a lawyer who has dealt with many cases similar to yours will have a better idea of what you should be demanding, and will have access to resources including expert witnesses like doctors and financial advisers who can back those numbers up.
Insurance companies may try to mislead you. It doesn’t happen every time, but it does happen. The insurance adjuster assigned to your claim may try to say that you are not eligible when you are, or even that if you reject their initial offer, you won’t receive anything at all (which isn’t true). A lawyer can cut through the legalese of your insurance policy and make sure you know what’s true, what’s not, and what your rights are.
Insurance companies know that injury victims need money right away. One thing we make sure to tell all our clients at Joye Law Firm is that you are NOT required to resolve your injury claim and your vehicle repair claim at the same time. You can and should handle these separately. So even if you need a check right away so you can get your vehicle repaired, you can still keep negotiating the compensation for your medical expenses. Don’t allow an insurance company to pressure you into accepting an offer you know isn’t enough because the bills are piling up and you need transportation. A lawyer can help make sure you aren’t tricked into accepting a bad offer while also making sure you can get your car fixed and still get the treatment you need by negotiating with healthcare providers.
You need rest and time to recover. Injuries are painful and extremely stressful, especially if you are also unable to work. And when you are in pain and stressed, you may not be in the right frame of mind to be making important decisions, like determining a fair settlement offer. Hiring a lawyer allows you to focus on just getting better without the frustration of dealing with legal red tape and an argumentative insurance company yourself.

Is It Difficult to Win a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

While it is legal to represent yourself in a personal injury lawsuit, there is a reason lawyers spend so many years in school. The legal code is extremely complex, and it can be difficult to take on a big insurance company by yourself without the backing of the years of education, experience, and resources a law firm has.

In addition to all the paperwork and deadlines, there are also four main things you will have to prove:

The other person or party was negligent.
You were injured.
The other person or party’s negligence was directly responsible for causing your injuries.
You suffered damages as a result.

Failing to sufficiently prove even one of these could cause you to lose your lawsuit, which may be more difficult than you expect, especially when the other party disputes their negligence or that it was their negligence rather than your own that caused your injury.

How Much Can a Lawyer Get Me in a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

There is no exact number in answer to this question, as it can vary greatly on a variety of factors, including:

the severity of the injuries,
the length of recovery,
how much the victim’s daily life was impacted,
how much their ability to work and provide for themselves and their family was impacted (especially if the injury resulted in permanent disability),
how much pain they suffered,
and how much emotional distress the injury caused.

However, you will generally be able to receive 2-3 types of compensation.

Economic damages, which include medical bills, lost wages, and so on.
Non-economic damages, which include pain and suffering.
Punitive damages, which are not guaranteed, but may be awarded to punish the at-fault party for excessive negligence, such as driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

You Don’t Pay Unless You Win

One of the main reasons we hear that people don’t want to hire a lawyer is because they think they can’t afford it. However, many personal injury lawyers, including those at Joye Law Firm, work on a contingency fee basis. This means that their payment comes out of the settlement offer or trial verdict, so if we don’t get you money for your injury, you don’t have to pay. There are no upfront fees, including no cost to speak to a lawyer about your case.

Get a Free Case Review Today

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, don’t waste time arguing with an insurance company who doesn’t have your best interests in mind. They only care about making money for themselves, but our entire job is to get money for YOU.

Contact us today for a free case evaluation and learn how our team can help you get the compensation you deserve after an injury that wasn’t your fault.