If you have ever been in an accident, remember that it is very important to speak to your attorney before you speak to any insurance company representative. Whether it was your own fault or the fault of the driver, you need to speak to an attorney first. Never speak to the insurance company adjuster before speaking to the attorney.
If there is a property damage adjuster who calls you, you need to have a family member or a friend speak to them. Whatever statements they give will not be adjusted in the court of law against you. But everything you say will be adjusted against you in the court. David Preszler from Preszler Law explains that one key reason to speak to a lawyer after an accident is to obtain an honest assessment of your potential claim. If there is no family member who can talk to the insurance adjuster on your behalf, you can talk to them but do not tell them how the crash happened. Do not tell them whether or not you were injured and do not allow them to record the phone conversation. Remember to never meet the adjuster personally. When you meet them personally, you open the possibility of the adjuster saying what is in the interest of the insurance company and they could use your statements at a later stage.
Benefits of hiring an attorney
There are numerous benefits of hiring an accident attorney and when you hire one, you will realize that you have saved yourself a lot of hassle.
- Deal with the insurance company: Insurance companies have a lot of legal resources and money at their disposal and they have goals to maximize their profits. This means they will strive to deny the compensation you deserve or will get you to settle quickly and for less money. After the party at fault notifies the insurance company of the accident, there will be an insurance agent who will call you or might pay a visit to your home.
Since they want to act hastily and sign the agreement, they will go out of their way to convince you that they have your best interest in mind. Do not be fooled here. They are looking for their best interests and they want you to accept the minimum settlement amount. The company might also try to discourage you from hiring an attorney and they will tell you that an attorney will only take your time and money. However, you need to keep your own benefit in mind and ensure that the attorney represents you in the right manner in court.
- Gain confidence: Whenever you hire an attorney, you can be rest assured that they will handle the case in the best manner while you focus on the health and recovery. The communication and interaction will be handled by the attorney who will know what to say, how to say and when to say. Even if you have a detailed report or eyewitnesses, it could become difficult to prove negligence without the help of an experienced attorney. An attorney will know how to deal with a personal injury case and will do it with confidence. He will also be able to estimate the damages you can recover and will assess the value of the policies you can file the claims against. You will get a concrete idea about what the case will be worth and it will help you decide whether you should accept a settlement from the company or not.
If you choose to pursue legal action by yourself, you might discover that it is more complicated than you originally thought. You can always get help from a lawyer and ask them to take the case forward. It is best to start working with a lawyer at the earliest but he can still enter the process at any time and help you organize the case. A lawyer can make a huge difference to the strategy and could improve the odds of getting maximum compensation. If you have been hurt, do not sell the case short. Even if it is a mundane injury, you need to file a claim for it. Seek the assistance of a lawyer who will help you throughout the case and will ensure that you receive maximum compensation for the injury. When you have the right person fighting for you, you can remain rest assured that it will bring you a positive result and you will receive maximum amount.