When to Hire A Lawyer After A Car Accident

Even though car accidents are a common occurrence, with a little under six million in the United States in 2015 alone, it doesn’t make it any less scary for the individuals involved. If you’re involved in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, your mind can often go into panic mode, leaving you to wonder what your next move is.

If you want to know when to hire a car accident lawyer, the answer is almost immediately, and we’ve included the process you will need to follow. Being aware of the steps can make all the difference to your control of the situation directly after a road accident.

1. Call for Emergency Services

Immediately after an accident, it’s crucial that you dial 911 for emergency services. Even if you believe no one is injured, police can take charge of the scene, help direct traffic if required, and take statements for a police report. These might come in handy for when you approach a car accident lawyer to claim maximum damages. Having police at the scene can also help to de-escalate any situation and keep witnesses at the scene you may require in court.

2. Gather Insurance Information

Next to making sure that no one is seriously injured, it’s equally as important to gather all the necessary insurance information from the other driver(s) at the scene. This will include their provider, their names, contact information, and addresses. However, it’s crucial that during this interaction you do not speak directly to their provider or take or lay blame for the accident.

Anything you say during any interaction with an insurance provider, or the other driver, may be used against you in a court setting. It’s best to contact your car accident lawyer for further clarification on this process.

3. Gather Witness Statements

Immediately after an accident that wasn’t your fault, it’s a good idea to talk to those who witnessed the crash to get their version of events. You may need to call upon these witnesses and provide their statements in court should your case proceed. The more effective and telling your witness statements are, the higher the chance you can claim for maximum damages. However, don’t forget to get their names, addresses, and contact information to easily contact them again in future.

4. Get All Paperwork in Order

From your ongoing medical reports and insurance company statements (both yours and the other driver’s) to police reports, property damage valuations and photos of the crash scene and damage, it’s crucial to have all of your ducks in a row. All of this information is vital to building a solid case, and without it, you may run the risk of a reduced settlement claim, or your case being thrown out of court.

5. Contact Your Car Accident Lawyer

Being involved in a car accident is an unfortunate situation, especially since they claim the lives of over 37,000 people every year in the United States. By hiring a car accident lawyer, however, the aftermath can be substantially less stressful.

Once you’ve gathered all the necessary paperwork, it’s time to contact your lawyer and get your claims process underway. The goal is to settle for maximum damages, and one of the best Denver car accident lawyers can help you achieve just that.

While no one wants to be involved in a car accident, it’s an unfortunate reality of today’s modern world. Following on from a car accident, don’t delay in getting the legal process underway. Your efficiency and haste can make all the difference to the compensation to which you can lay claim.

5 Questions Your Lawyer Will Ask After a Bike Accident

In 2015, around 45,00 0 people suffered from injuries and disability as a result of an accident on a bicycle. Nearly a third of these accidents were a result of a collision with a vehicle on the road. Unfortunately, bicycle accidents are all too common, but did you know that as a cyclist, you are entitled to claim negligence and sue for damages?

There’s no time like the present to enlist the help of an Englewood Bike Accident Lawyer to represent your case. Once you’ve found the right legal representation, here are five questions that he or she may ask.

1. What Insurance Do You Have?

Following on from your bicycle accident, it’s important to sit down with your Englewood Bike Accident Lawyer and discuss the ins and outs of your entitlements. While it might be clear who was to blame, it’s essential that this blame is established, without a doubt, so that insurance companies can cover any associated costs.

Therefore, one of the first courses of action is to find out what insurance you do have. Do you have specific bicycling insurance, as many cyclists do? Or, do you have car insurance? Many people aren’t aware, but depending on your car policy, you may be covered by your car insurance policy. By getting in touch with an Englewood Bike Accident Lawyer, you’re able to work through the many different insurance options, and how to maximize your cash recovery.

2. Did You Speak with The Driver’s Insurance Company?

The mistake many people make at the scene of an accident is either admitting or placing blame or talking directly to the driver’s insurance company. During the early stages, it’s critical to neither place blame, nor accept it. The best course of action is to talk to your Englewood Bike Accident Lawyer and ask them to handle your case on your behalf.

By speaking with the vehicle driver’s insurance company, there’s every possibility what you say can be used against you in court.

Your statements can significantly affect your settlement amount, and may even see the case thrown out of court. To establish a solid case of negligence, let an experienced law firm take control.

3. Did You Speak to Witnesses and Take Photos?

With over 6.4 millio n vehicle accidents in 2014 alone, your Englewood Bike Accident Lawyer is well-versed in how a negligence case plays out in court. Therefore, they know how well photos work to back up your claim, and how witness testimonies can prove invaluable to a trial. As a result, one of the first questions they will ask is whether you spoke to any witnesses, and took any photos.

If you don’t require an immediate trip to the hospital, it’s a good idea to get as many photos of the scene and close-up damage as possible. That includes taking pictures of your injuries, and damage to vehicles and your bicycle in the crash.

It’s also critical to get names, addresses and contact information from witnesses who can testify to the events that played out. This reliable evidence can be all it takes to settle a case of negligence for maximum damages.

4. Have You Suffered from Injury, Harm, Loss of Income, or Disability?

If you’re involved in a bicycle accident, your Englewood Bike Accident Lawyer is interested to know what the financial and physical implications were. It’s crucial not to play these down, as the financial burden of an accident can be substantial. If you were injured, disabled, lost income, or suffered from physical or emotional harm, take note. This can all be helpful for settling for maximum dollar.

5. How Can We Claim Negligence?

If you were involved in a bicycle accident through no fault of your own, your Englewood Bike Accident Lawyer will help you to establish a case of negligence. Negligence can seem like a strong term for something that is, in effect, an accident. However, it’s through neglectful actions that this accident occurred.

Your lawyer will discuss the events that led to the accident to determine how the situation could be deemed a case of negligence. It could be anything from a traffic sign or law violation, following too closely, reckless or careless driving, improper or no signaling, illegal lane changes, speeding, or even driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

After a bike accident, your emotions and sense of control can be all over the place. In such a situation, you’re also more likely to make errors. Therefore, it’s crucial that after an accident, you seek advice and counsel from an experienced Englewood Bike Accident Lawyer. Let them take the reigns and open your case of negligence for a higher chance of maximum damages.

5 Questions you NEED to ask When Looking for An Injury Lawyer

If you find yourself a victim of a car accident as a result of someone else’s negligence, it’s crucial that you immediately begin looking for an injury lawyer in Englewood. While of course, your initial concern is seeking medical treatment, but who is going to pay for that medical treatment? As a victim of a car accident, it is your right to seek damages for medical bills, pain and suffering and a loss of wages.

The sooner you get the process underway, the better, as memories can fade, eyewitnesses can be challenging to track down, and evidence may be lost. The sooner you find an injury lawyer in Englewood to take on your case for maximum compensation, the better. Here are five questions you should be asking an injury lawyer before you agree to let them take your case.

1. What Does “No Win, No Fee” Really Mean in Injury Lawyer Terms?

Many law firms offer a “no win, no fee” agreement when you consider them to represent you as their injury lawyer in Englewood. For some people, this can be a little tricky to understand. In lawyer terms, this is known as a contingent fee agreement. A contingent fee agreement means that an injury lawyer in Englewood will only recover funds for their time if you, the victim, recover funds from the other party. However, you still pay for expenses pertaining to your case.

Expenses can include anything your injury lawyer in Englewood covered to bring your case together. These expenses might include filing fees, physician report fees, expert witness fees and money paid to court reporters and for medical records. These are costs your injury lawyer initially paid for, which must then be passed onto you. The time your injury lawyer put into your case would only be passed onto you as fees if your case was successful, and this cost is typically between 33 and 40 percent.

2. Can You Give My Case Your All?

When you’re looking for an injury lawyer in Englewood, it’s critical that you find out whether that particular lawyer has the financial and staffing capacity to give your case their all. Your chosen injury lawyer’s aim should always be to give your case 100 percent for maximum compensation, but if they don’t have the skills, funds, or staff capacity to do so, you’re at risk for either losing the case or settling for a figure far less than what you’re owed.

Some cases can be more complicated than others, such as medical malpractice or serious injury against a major corporation, and with their very best legal team on the case, you need to have yours as well.

If your injury lawyer in Englewood isn’t able to involve the right experts in your case to prove without a doubt that your case is worthy of compensation, there’s every possibility you won’t get the desired outcome. What’s more, an injury lawyer without enough funds can cut corners at the expense of your final settlement.

3. Do You Specialize in Injury Law?

One of the most critical questions to ask your injury lawyer in Englewood before you consider utilizing their services is whether they specialize in injury law. There are many highly-skilled lawyers out there, and while they have their finger on the pulse of some areas, they may only dabble in personal injury on the odd occasion. There’s no denying general lawyers are good at what they do but do they know the complexities of personal injury law? For the right outcome for you, it’s always a good idea to find out exactly what the lawyer you’re looking to hire is capable of. How much experience do they have in personal injury law? Can they take your case all the way to trial if necessary?

Insurance companies typically only hire the best injury lawyers around, and if your lawyer isn’t a seasoned specialist, you’re at risk of settling for a smaller claim or losing altogether.

4. How Many Years of Experience Do You Have?

It’s all too easy to pick the first injury lawyer in Englewood you come across purely because time is of the essence. However, their years of experience can most certainly make a difference to the outcome of your case. Often, less-skilled injury lawyers can charge the same fees as a seasoned lawyer but do not have the experience to back up these fees.

Always opt for an injury lawyer who has many years of legal experience, is skilled in trial advocacy, and can take your case to the very top.

5. How Do I Get Medical Treatment After A Car Accident?

At the time of your accident, it’s essential to receive medical attention as soon as the accident or injury occurs. However, the average person may be a little dubious to do so without truly knowing who will cover those costs. If you are not at fault, the person who is, or their insurance company, is responsible for paying for your medical treatment. Typically, though, you do not see this money upfront. Instead, it’s included as reimbursement in your final settlement. So, in the interim, who covers your costs?

If you have private health insurance, which is recommended for every American, your insurance company will cover the initial costs following on from your accident or injury. Once your claim is settled, they then are entitled to be reimbursed from your settlement.

However, if you don’t have private health insurance, there are other avenues you can go down. Your injury lawyer in Englewood can talk you through the various options, but it might be agreed upon that your care provider agrees to payment upon resolution of your case.

Get The Best Injury Lawyer in Englewood

Choosing the best injury lawyer in Englewood is not a decision to be made with haste, and there are several things you must consider first. When you believe you’ve found the right one, ask them these five questions above. It may just give you the peace of mind you need to know the right injury lawyer is representing your case.

How to Ensure You’re Taking Full Advantage of Your Legal Resources

Making the Most of Your Legal Resources

When you find yourself in an accident through no fault of your own, it’s critical that you understand the legal resources you have at your disposal. Even more important is knowing that you have a right to fair compensation if the liable party was found to be negligent.

Did you know that if you are in an accident as a result of someone else’s negligence, you can file a claim seeking damages for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and more? If ever there were a more appropriate time to flex your legal muscles, it would be now.

1. Exchange Contact Information

When you’re at the scene of an accident, it’s crucial to exchange contact information with those involved. Take note of their names, phone numbers, addresses, license plate and driver license numbers, and even information from the passengers. What you shouldn’t exchange, however, is apologies. Never admit fault at the scene of an accident, especially when the exact cause isn’t apparent. Be sure also to gather insurance information as this will all be helpful when you’re collecting all your legal resources.

2. Become a Photographer

When you’re involved in an accident, it’s helpful to become a photographer. Take photos from every angle of your vehicle and have someone photograph you if you’ve been injured and require medical care. As part of your legal resources, these photos will come in helpful should your case move to court. Be sure to have ‘before’ shots of your vehicle as well, as these can help the courts compare the damage to what it should have been before the accident.

3. Talk to Witnesses

Unless you’re in need of an immediate trip to the hospital, it’s a good idea to talk to witnesses. When you’re gathering all your legal resources, you want to have a decent number of witness names and phone numbers that you can call upon later if required. What’s also important is to see whether they’ve seen accidents in that spot before. If they have, there’s reason enough to believe the area itself has liability, and that’s an avenue your legal team can follow up.

4. Hire an Attorney Immediately

Once you’ve been involved in an accident, it’s crucial that you hire an attorney as soon as possible. While the accident and what happened is fresh in your mind – and in the minds of witnesses and victims – you have a better chance of getting the desired outcome. It’s also a good idea to hire the best personal injury lawyer you can find. You will often find that they provide a contingent fee agreement which can make your financial outlay more bearable.

A contingent fee agreement essentially means no win, no fee. You pay for expenses related to the case, but if you lose your case, you will not have to pay for your lawyer’s time. If you do win, and that’s always the goal of a personal injury lawyer, you typically pay between 33 and 40 percent of your compensation to your lawyer.

5. Leave It Up to Your Lawyer

Aside from ensuring you’re keeping paper trails with your medical records and hospital stays, it’s time to leave your case in the capable hands of your personal injury lawyer. Get in touch with your insurance company with your personal injury lawyer present, and discuss what happened at the scene, and let the case take its course.

Your lawyer is trained in fighting for compensation on your behalf, and they will keep you involved in the entire process. Now is the time for you to utilize your legal resources wisely and let your personal injury lawyer do what they do best.