When Should You Get a Lawyer for a Car Accident?
If you plan on hiring a car accident lawyer to represent you, you should get one as soon as possible. The obvious benefit of getting a lawyer involved in your pursuit of compensation right away is his increased ability to comply with the statute of limitations—the state law that mandates the amount of time you have to file your lawsuit. In addition to this critical compliance, hiring a lawyer right away may bring additional benefits to your lawsuit.
When you seek the advice and support of a car accident lawyer, he may:
- Advise you on what to do at the accident scene
- Gather accident scene evidence
- Interview witnesses immediately
- Locate any available video surveillance
- Recommend health care professionals
A lawyer may also explore your full range of options for compensation if involved early enough in the process. That typically includes pursuing it from the at-fault driver’s insurance company, your own insurer – if the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured– or the at-fault driver personally, if necessary.
Prove the At-Fault Driver’s Liability Right Away
Before assessing the value of your car accident lawsuit or attempting to negotiate a financial settlement, you and your lawyer may be required to establish the at-fault driver’s negligence and liability. According to the American Bar Association (ABA), negligence occurred if the at-fault driver was careless or reckless in causing the collision. If their actions breached their responsibility to provide you with a reasonable standard of care, you might have the basis of a personal injury lawsuit.
To prove your right to compensation, your case file might consist of the following forms of evidence:
- Your official car accident report
- Oral and written witness accounts
- Evidence collected at the scene
According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), evidence collected at the accident scene may include vehicle and driver details, photos, videos, and notes on the road and weather conditions. Your car accident report may capture most of these details for you, so be sure to obtain a copy right away.
A Lawyer Can Help with a Complicated Case
Although any car accident lawsuit might be complicated, certain types of collisions may lead to more challenges than others. Our legal team is familiar with car accident cases and local laws, and we can help you if you were involved in one of these types of accidents:
- Accidents involving multiple vehicles
- Collisions involving falling objects or debris
- Crashes caused by another driver
We can also represent you if your accident was caused by a vehicle design flaw or manufacturer’s defect. A lawyer from our firm might also be helpful if your car accident involved multiple victims, such as the passengers in your own car.
This situation might be complicated because two injured parties in the same vehicle might have different compensation types and amounts. We can help each injured party in your accident seek compensation of their own.
A Lawyer Can Help if You Are Unfamiliar with Local Laws
If the at-fault driver in your car accident attributes part of the blame for the accident to you, a car accident lawyer from our firm might be able to help you avoid a reduction in your potential monetary award. Your lawyer can explain any state laws that determine damage caps because they, too, might limit your potential monetary award. You do not have to locate or understand these laws on your own.
A personal injury lawyer from our firm can familiarize you with these laws and their potential effect on your lawsuit.
Contact Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers for a Free Case Review
If you or someone you love was injured in a car accident, your fight for compensation might benefit from the assistance and guidance of a personal injury lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers. Contact the personal injury team at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers by calling (337) 777-7777 today to find out when you should get a lawyer for a car accident. Because we work on a contingency-fee-basis, you will not owe us anything upfront.
