Our Houston personal injury attorneys are often asked if getting a car accident lawyer is worth it. Car accident victims are understandably stressed out and want to get the whole claim ordeal over with as soon as possible. However, it can be a mistake to get straight on the phone with an insurance company and take the first offer the adjuster gives you. Many car accident victims find getting a car accident lawyer is worth it because they receive more money than they would if they negotiated directly with an insurance company.
Although hiring a lawyer can result in larger payouts, getting a car accident lawyer is not always worth it. If your auto accident left you with minor damage to your car and no injuries, it may make more sense to deal directly with an insurance company. If you were mostly to blame for the crash, it might not make sense to hire a lawyer. Accident lawyers do not take on all cases, but they will talk to any potential client. Schedule a free consultation with a Houston car accident lawyer if you are unsure.
Anyone who has suffered serious injuries due to the fault of another Texas driver or those whose cars are seriously damaged should consider hiring an attorney. Getting a car accident lawyer is likely to be worth it in these cases.
Does it Take Longer to Deal With an Accident Lawyer?
Some car accident victims need money fast. They believe dealing directly with an insurance company will speed up their payout while hiring a lawyer will slow everything down. This is not necessarily the case. Bear in mind insurance companies often make quick offers but these are typically to ‘buy out’ claimants. In other words, they are lowball offers made by adjustors who realize the case is worth much more. Insurance companies are very good at dangling money in front of claimants and getting them to sign away their rights before they hire a lawyer who could win them twice or three times as much.
It may take longer to deal with an accident lawyer, but that time allows the lawyer to build up a stronger case and make a powerful argument for a better settlement. Hiring a lawyer can streamline things and avert the situation where the insurance company keeps you hanging on for months.
Will a Lawyer Help You Understand Your Case Better?
Knowledge is power in personal injury cases. A lawyer will help you understand the complicated laws of liability and traffic codes in Texas. The attorney can advise you of pitfalls and things not to say that will harm your case. A lawyer can give you a more realistic idea of the value of your case than the insurance company.
Will Hiring a Lawyer Mean You Go to Trial?
You could end up giving evidence to a jury if you hire an attorney but it’s unlikely. According to statistics, only 5 percent of cases go to trial. Typically, your accident lawyer will enter a negotiation process with the insurance company that will end when a figure acceptable to both parties is reached. Many cases are resolved in mediation, a voluntary process in which the parties make their arguments to a neutral party who is usually a retired judge or a former trial attorney.
Will a Car Accident Lawyer Take Over the Difficult Negotiations?
People who sustain injuries in car accidents often struggle to get their lives back on track. Depending on its severity, a car crash can transform your life and leave you dependent on others for medical care. Even soft tissue injuries such as whiplash can be extremely painful and harm your career, your home life, and your social life. The last thing accident victims want to do is to haggle with insurance companies. A car accident lawyer takes over all of these difficult negotiations on your behalf. The attorney will request important documents like accident records, cell phone records, and medical documents under a legal process called discovery. The lawyer may hire medical experts or accident reconstruction experts. Hiring an accident lawyer can be worth it for your peace of mind alone because it frees you from fraught negotiations with insurance companies, allowing you to concentrate on getting better.
Will a Car Accident Lawyer Save a Client from Mistakes?
You have a limited amount of time to bring a car accident claim in Texas. Under the Statute of Limitations, Texans have just two years from the date of the accident to bring a personal injury action.
Personal injury claimants have strict deadlines to respond to requests and to deliver documents. A car accident lawyer takes over the running of the case and will ensure a client meets all deadlines. The car accident lawyer will also help the client avoid making mistakes such as downplaying the seriousness of injuries.
Will a Car Accident Lawyer Calculate Damages?
Attorneys are experts at putting a value on injuries. Your past medical bills after an accident may be obvious, but it’s more difficult to predict future medical bills. A lawyer will calculate a figure for the potential future loss of wages due to an injury.
It becomes more complicated when a lawyer calculates so-called non-pecuniary damages. It’s almost impossible for accident victims to put a figure on pain and suffering, emotional anguish, or the loss of a limb. The insurance companies know this. However, lawyers use tried and tested formulas to give a value to these items.
A car accident lawyer can help you recover:
- Lost wages
- Past, present, and future medical expenses
- Money for emotional distress
- Loss of earning capacity
- Money for a lost limb
- Money for pain and suffering
- The cost of post-injury treatment such as physical therapy.
Will a Lawyer Help With Hidden Injuries?
Lawyers are not usually doctors. Adam Ramji of the Ramji Law Group is an exception to this rule. Medical knowledge is essential when dealing with hidden injuries such as mild traumatic brain injuries which can seriously affect the victim’s life. Insurance companies typically downplay traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), arguing the victim has a temporary condition. Personal injury lawyers back up their cases with evidence from expert witnesses. We can put you in touch with brain injury specialists who diagnose hidden injuries.
Can a Lawyer Help Recover the Lost Value of My Car?
If your car, motorcycle, or truck is badly damaged in an accident and rebuilt, its value is typically lower than before a collision. A car accident lawyer can help you file a diminished value claim. It’s certainly worth hiring a car accident lawyer after serious structural damage affects a car’s value although it may not be for a fender bender that caused minor damage.
Is Getting a Car Accident Lawyer Worth it for Soft Tissue Injuries?
You should always hire a lawyer for serious conditions such as spinal injuries. Our firm has recently secured settlements of $610,000 ad $475,000 in cases that involved spinal damage. Some clients are less convinced hiring a lawyer is worth it for soft tissue injuries. Although many people who sustain whiplash in a car crash deal directly with insurance companies, this is a risky strategy. The insurers usually discount these injuries while a lawyer will typically be able to secure four or five figures for a whiplash case.
Talk to a Texas Car Accident Lawyer
The attorneys at Ramji Law Group will be able to tell you whether it’s worth hiring a car accident lawyer. If you suffered an injury or your car was badly damaged, consider contacting us as soon as possible before you deal with the insurance company to avoid pitfalls that harm your case. We offer free consultations and clients are not billed until a case is resolved. Call (713) 766-0770.
