Do I Need an Attorney if I’ve Been in a Car Accident?

Car accidents are common. Indeed, car accidents are a leading cause of injury and death in the United States, and chances are that you will be involved in at least one car accident–if not more than one–throughout the course of your life.

What is less common than car accidents, though, is knowing what to do after a car accident. Even if you have car insurance, you may not understand when you should notify your insurance agent of the crash, who pays for your damages, how to prove fault, what your claim is worth, or what to do if your claim is denied or if you are offered less than you deserve. Further, you may not know whether or not hiring an attorney is beneficial, or will cost you more than you are able to recoup. Here’s what you need to know:

Are Your Injuries and Damages Serious?

One of the first considerations when thinking about hiring an attorney should be a review of your injuries and damages. If your car was hardly harmed in the crash, and if you suffered minor injuries that were not expensive to treat (i.e. no overnight hospital stays, surgeries, etc.), you may be able to bring forth a claim without legal counsel. However, if your injuries and damages were severe, and if not recovering your full settlement amount after a crash could mean losing thousands of dollars, working with an attorney who is a skilled investigator and negotiator is recommended.

Is Fault Disputed?

Alabama is a tort insurance state, which means that drivers who cause accidents have to pay for them, and lawsuits can be brought against at-fault parties to recover damages. Alabama is also unique in that it recognizes the rule of pure contributory negligence, which means that a plaintiff/victim in a claim can only recover damages from the defendant so long as they didn’t contribute to their injuries in the slightest. In other words, if you were even one percent to blame for your accident, you could have a harder time recovering damages, as this could be used against you to deny your claim outright.

If there is any dispute about fault in your crash, call a lawyer. A lawyer will not only investigate your claim, but will also call upon accident reconstruction experts and other professionals to determine what happened and build a strong case on your behalf.

Has Your Claim Been Denied or Lowballed?

It would be nice to think that an insurance adjuster is on your side and is committed to helping you recover the compensation that you deserve after a crash. However, this is rarely the case; the primary job of the insurance adjuster is to save the insurance company money, which often means finding any way possible to offer you less than you deserve.

If you are offered a settlement that you think is less than what it should be, you should reject it. By working with an attorney, you can determine what your claim is really worth, submit a demand letter for this amount, and negotiate to reach a settlement that fully compensates you for your losses.

Contact Chip Nix, Attorney at Law for a FREE Consultation Today

Another thing to remember about working with a car accident attorney in Alabama is that when you call Chip Nix, Attorney at Law, a consultation is completely free of charge, and our law firm works on a contingency fee basis. This means that there is no fee unless we win, and that our fee is based on a percentage of your winnings, so you’ll never have to pay for our services out-of-pocket.

To schedule your initial case review today, please call 334-279-7770, or send us a message using the contact form on our website.