How Can a Car Accident Attorney Help You? 5 Things You Should Know
If you’ve been injured in a car accident and are considering obtaining the services of a personal injury lawyer, you probably have a lot of questions. If you’ve never worked with an attorney before, you may feel nervous and unsure about the process or how it could benefit you.
A reputable personal injury attorney will put you at ease and walk you through the process to ensure that you make the right decision and get a fair settlement if you proceed.
What a Car Accident Attorney Can Do for You
There are many benefits to working with a law professional. A personal injury attorney can help you by:
- Providing honest advice regarding your situation
- Communicating with the insurance company
- Helping prove liability/fault
- Determining the value of injuries
- Negotiating a settlement or filing a lawsuit
Let’s examine each of these five benefits more closely.
Providing honest advice regarding your situation
There are many personal injury law firms in Minnesota to choose from, but they aren’t all created equally.
Reputable attorneys like the team at Hall Law will listen to the facts of your situation and give you honest advice about the likelihood of a positive outcome and how we think you should proceed.
For help deciding if you need an attorney for your car accident, read our previous piece on that topic.
Communicating with the insurance company
The simple fact is that insurance companies do not want to pay out large amounts of money. Working to reach a fair settlement with an insurance company can be a lengthy, difficult, and frustrating process. Attempting to handle it on your own can be even more difficult and stressful.
Insurance adjusters look for any reason to pay out a smaller settlement amount or to deny payment completely.
Having someone well versed in the law and in dealing with insurance adjusters in your corner will ensure the best possible outcome.
Helping prove liability/fault
Determining who is at fault in a car accident is usually crucial. However, proving fault or liability — even when it seems obvious — can be challenging, and the other party may dispute fault, complicating things further.
Documentation that can serve as evidence of fault are:
- Police report
- Witness testimonials
- Pictures of the scene and damage
A car accident attorney will be experienced in obtaining evidence and determining fault and will take the burden of proof from your shoulders.
Determining the value of injuries
The next step is to calculate the type and extent of damages you could be eligible to recover through financial compensation. Two main types of damages are:
- Basic – Economic losses. These are straightforward losses that often come with an obvious price tag. These accident-related losses can include property damage, medical bills, and lost earnings due to missed work.
- Exceptional – Harms. These can often be the more significant and sometimes profound harms. These exceptional losses can include harms like: the death of a loved one; living with incurable pain; the loss of one’s chosen career; the loss of a leg. These exceptional harms are sometimes referred to as “pain and suffering.” In addition to physical pain, such damages can also include loss of enjoyment of life and emotional distress or anxiety related to the accident.
Calculating the cost of basic economic damages may seem relatively easy, but an experienced car accident attorney can help you identify costs you may overlook. Exceptional damages, on the other hand, can be incredibly difficult to prove and quantify on your own.
Negotiating a settlement or filing a lawsuit
One of the most important things a Minneapolis car accident attorney can do for you is to use all the facts and evidence of your case to negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company and help you with the deposition.
In the event a settlement cannot be agreed upon, you may have to take your case to trial in court. You will absolutely want an experienced and skilled attorney on your side to represent you in this situation. If you’ve been working with an attorney up to that point, it will only help you because the attorney will already be familiar with your case and will have done everything up to that point to set you up for a positive outcome.
The team at Hall Law includes dedicated and experienced Minnesota personal injury attorneys with offices in downtown Minneapolis, Edina, and St. Cloud to serve clients in the Twin Cities and beyond. To speak with a Minnesota car accident attorney, contact our legal team to schedule a no-obligation consultation.