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We asked 16 attorneys to answer a simple, yet important question: “When do I need to hire a car accident lawyer?
Keep in mind that the insurance carriers have teams of lawyers and adjusters who begin evaluating your injury claim once they receive notice of such. Thus, it is essential you retain legal counsel immediately (assuming you are injured as a result of the collision) to level the playing field.
It is important to note that not all personal injury law firms are the same. In fact, many of the biggest advertising firms are little more than settlement mills. A settlement mill is a firm that relies on heavy advertising as the lifeblood of their business and litigate a disproportionate amount of their cases. Such firms do not rely on current or former clients to refer cases via word-of-mouth and can thus afford to employ a mill mentality to their handling of cases.
In fact, settlement mills tend to leave money on the table at the time of settlement as they are more concerned with resolving a volume of cases each month to pay their expensive advertising budget. Keep in mind that even an average trial lawyer is superior to a settlement mill as the insurance carrier must spend money defending a trial or a case that has advanced far in litigation. The goal of any insurance carrier is to save money and forcing them to run up costs gets their immediate attention.
The Dolman Law Group has decades of experience in protecting the rights of car accident victims all throughout Florida. David Neiser is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney and our firm has tried a number of cases before Florida juries. We have the financial resources to stand toe-to-toe with any insurance carrier or corporation. Our skilled and dedicated attorneys will fight to ensure that you are fairly compensated for your losses. Call (727) 451-6900 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation today.
If you have been involved in a car accident resulting in a physical injury, your likely next step is to file a claim with your insurance company along with the insurance carrier for the at-fault party. Since Florida is a no-fault state, a PIP insurance(Personal Injury Protection) claim will be opened in order to treat your injuries. You must also file a claim with the other driver’s insurance (if they were at fault) in order to pay for the medical bills and lost wages that exceed PIP’s $10,000.00 in maximum benefits.
This process is fairly routine and most people driving in Florida understand how it works. The “no-fault” system simply means that no matter who is at fault in the accident, you will treat under your own PIP benefits for the first $10,000.00 in medical bills. The purpose of the “no-fault” system is to enable an auto accident injury victim to commence immediate medical treatment without having to wait for a Court of Law to determine who in fact is liable for the car wreck.
Once you’ve filed a claim, it will be up to the insurance company to determine the value of such. The insurance carrier may also deny the claim completely. It can become complicated when filing multiple claims with different insurance companies, facilitating treatment and repairs, and ensuring that you’re getting the compensation you deserve.
If your injuries are minor, then you may continue to try to handle the case yourself. If your car accident injuries are more serious, then you will probably begin to wonder about the hiring process of a personal injury attorney.
We went out and asked 16 different attorneys a simple, yet extremely important question: “When should someone hire a car accident attorney?” Read their answers below.
When do you Need to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
Individuals who are involved in a motor vehicle accident should hire an attorney as soon as possible. Car accidents have the potential to leave victims with serious injuries and tremendous damage to their property. Florida law allows people to recover financial compensation for these and other types of losses, but only if they are able to establish that their accident was caused by someone else’s legal negligence. Two of the most important reasons that car accident victims should retain an attorney immediately include:
Sometimes, establishing negligence can be difficult – When liability after a car accident is contested, investigation may become necessary to establish negligence. A car accident lawyer will know where and how to look for evidence that supports your case.
You may inadvertently admit fault – Insurance companies are in the business of making money and train their adjusters to minimize the amount they pay out, even on completely valid claims.
In some cases, an insurance company may try and obtain a statement from you or ask certain questions hoping that you inadvertently admit full or partial liability for an accident, which could have a significant impact on your ability to recover. When you retain an attorney, he or she will deal with the insurance company on your behalf and make sure you receive the compensation to which you are entitled.
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