After a car accident, it can be overwhelming to know what to do to get the support you need. Your mind may be swirling with endless questions about your next step. “How do I recover compensation for my injuries and other losses?” “How do I hold the right person responsible for causing the collision?” “How long do I have to file my lawsuit?” “What if I can never work again?”
Answering these difficult questions is easy when you consult a qualified attorney. An attorney helps you break down the car accident personal injury claim process in a manner you can understand and gets you closer to the compensation you deserve.
How Can a Lawyer Help Me Through the Car Accident Injury Claim Process?
An experienced attorney understands the complexity of the car accident personal injury claim process and analyzes the specific facts of your case to determine the best strategy forward. They assist clients in several ways to help them obtain the best possible payout for their losses.
Contact Your Insurance Company
Even when you weren’t at fault, you must notify your insurance company that you were in an accident. If the other driver was insured, their insurance company may reach out to speak with you. Only talk to them with an attorney present. Insurance adjusters may try to entice you with offers of initial compensation. However, these settlement offers never amount to the actual value of your losses.
Seek Medical Treatment
You may have sought medical treatment after your collision, and getting those records over to your attorney for review is vital. A skilled personal injury lawyer may refer you to specific doctors for an in-depth evaluation of your injuries and prognosis to assist in quantifying the value of your claim. Most attorneys possess useful contacts to get the medical treatment you need quickly so your lawsuit can proceed.
Investigate and Gather Evidence
Your attorney reviews various evidence to understand your collision’s facts and strengthen your compensation claim. The most common forms of evidence include the following:
- Police accident reports;
- Surveillance footage;
- Photographs and videos of the vehicles involved, the surrounding area, and of your injuries;
- Your medical records detailing the scope of your injuries and your prognosis for recovery;
- Eyewitness statements;
- Proof of your lost wages or loss of future earnings due to your injuries; and
- Expert witness opinions or accident reconstructionist opinions.
Much of this evidence is easier to recover and properly analyze with the help of a personal injury attorney.
Calculate
One of the most essential parts of the car accident injury claim process is calculating the value of your losses. Your attorney reviews medical records, pay stubs, receipts, invoices, and the outlook of your diagnosis to guide negotiations and ensure your demands match the extent of your losses.
Liability
After reviewing the relevant evidence about your accident, your attorney constructs the legal arguments determining the at-fault party’s liability for your injuries. An accident report taken at the scene of your collision may also provide a police officer’s determination of liability that your attorney may use. Clear liability makes it more difficult for the at-fault party to assert that your negligence may have caused the collision.
Prepare Demand Letters
Once the value of your claim is determined, your attorney prepares a demand letter to the insurance company. This letter includes necessary information detailing the facts of the collision and begins negotiating a settlement. A demand letter also contains evidence to support the at-fault party’s responsibility in causing the accident and the details of your injuries and other losses.
Negotiate
It’s challenging to deal with difficult insurance claim adjusters and opposing counsel who refuse to pay out what you deserve in damages. Your attorney strengthens your demand for damages by proving the extent of your losses and the party’s fault that caused your injuries, helping you get closer to your well-deserved payout.
Litigate
When negotiations fail to progress favorably, or insurance companies and opposing counsel refuse to cooperate, your attorney prepares your case for trial. Many cases going through the car accident injury claim process never reach this stage. While most cases settle without going to trial, choosing an attorney who can litigate your case if necessary is vital.
Contact Us
Your legal matters are important to us at The Law Offices of Ali Yousefi, P.C. We can help you achieve the best possible outcome for your situation and pride ourselves on the support and compassion we provide clients at the most challenging times. We work closely with you to make the right decisions about your legal needs. While our efforts focus on resolving cases without litigation to reduce your costs and maximize your returns, we are fully prepared to fight for your rights at trial to obtain the judgment you deserve.
If you want an attorney who works diligently and expeditiously to handle your case while respecting your wishes for results, contact us today for a free consultation.
Attorney Ali Yousefi is the founder of Law Offices of Ali Yousefi, P.C., and has distinguished himself as one of the leading lawyers in California. Ali values that his work allows him to make a direct, positive impact on the lives of people who have experienced stressful or traumatic events.
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