When Should I Hire a Car Accident Lawyer In California?

When Should I Hire a Car Accident Lawyer? It’s a critical question after an accident.

Hiring a car accident lawyer immediately after you are in a California car crash will give you the best chance for a successful outcome of your personal injury and property damage claims. Any delay in seeking legal representation after a car crash can hurt your chances of a successful outcome for your case. Seeking the advice of a skilled car accident lawyer early on after the accident is always in your best interest.

It is common to wonder whether or not you should hire a lawyer to help you after a California car accident. Many accidents seem like they will be simple and straightforward in the beginning stages. You may think you will file an insurance claim and receive an appropriate settlement offer to cover your medical treatment, property damage, and pain and suffering. However, this is not usually the case for most people.

Understanding Insurance Claims and Settlements

In theory, the at-fault driver’s insurance company would assess the damage the car accident caused you and provide you with a reasonable offer. In reality, initial insurance settlement offers are usually minimal offers and rarely sufficient to cover your damages. Having a skilled car accident lawyer negotiate on your behalf with the insurers is often the only way to receive a fair offer for your injuries and property damage.

Insurance companies are profit-driven, and minimizing their losses is always their primary focus. This means that they will try to pay out as little as possible to settle claims in order to maintain their profit margins. The insurance adjuster and other representatives you interact with may seem like they are on your side in this process, but they are not. Do not let them convince you that they have your best interests in mind.

Insurance settlement offers are notoriously insufficient to cover an accident victim’s loss of income, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and property damage. A car accident lawyer can accurately assess what your case is worth, so you will know if the settlement offer is a fair one.

Valuing Your Personal Injury Case

There is more to your recovery than simple financial compensation, but without a just and fair award of monetary damages, your recovery will be significantly more difficult. From missed work and lost income to current and ongoing medical expenses, the financial toll of a car accident can be substantial. A skilled car accident lawyer will understand that your physical, psychological, and financial well-being rely on you recovering the right amount of compensation.

Assessing the past, current, and potential future needs that have arisen as a result of your car accident injury is crucial for this aspect of your case. Without the proper knowledge and experience, assigning an appropriate economic value to your claim would be challenging. Your car accident attorney, should you choose to hire one, would be able to accurately calculate this number for you.

Determining Car Accident Fault

California uses a system of comparative fault in car accident cases. This means that both drivers could be found partially responsible for the accident, and their relative fault will impact the amount of compensation they receive for their injuries. The award each injured party receives for their claim will be decreased by the percentage of fault they hold. For example, if Chloe was awarded $50,000 in damages following her car accident, but she was found to be 20% at fault, her actual monetary compensation would be $40,000.

Because comparative fault makes California car accident cases especially complicated, hiring a car accident lawyer is advisable if there is any question regarding fault in your accident. Proving liability is crucial in these cases because fault is based on negligence. Building a case to show that the other driver acted negligently and caused your injuries is another way a skilled car accident lawyer can be extremely helpful.

Working with a Car Accident Lawyer

You are not required to hire a car accident lawyer to represent you in your insurance claim or litigation for damages, but there are many scenarios in which having an attorney is absolutely in your best interest. If you lost a family member, experienced substantial property damage, or sustained significant injuries, you should strongly consider hiring an attorney. Other reasons or factors that can make a car accident lawyer invaluable to your case:

• There is a question of fault, or the other driver is denying fault
• The insurance company denies your claim
• You are asked to provide a recorded statement to the insurance company
• Negotiations with the insurer are expected
• More than two vehicles were involved in the accident
• You feel confused or overwhelmed about the claims process

While a lawyer may not be required, many people prefer to have the guidance and expertise of skilled legal counsel as they navigate the insurance claim and litigation processes. There are also other reasons to consider hiring a car accident lawyer.

Car Accident Compensation Amount

It has been shown that car accident victims who are represented by a lawyer receive more compensation than those who are unrepresented. Settlement amounts are often 3.5 times higher when cases are handled by an attorney because they understand what your case is worth and have the skills needed to negotiate increased settlements.

Legal Tasks After A Car Accident

Filing an insurance claim or pursuing litigation requires a significant time commitment. Tasks include gathering evidence, building a solid case, interviewing witnesses, filing paperwork, and meeting filing deadlines. These are not things that most people can handle on their own, especially not when they are recovering from a severe collision. A car accident lawyer can take on all of these tasks and keep track of deadlines and requirements so you can focus on healing from your injuries.

Stress and Recovery After A Car Accident

Stress is detrimental to your recovery process, so feeling alone and unsupported is not going to help you heal. Further, the extensive work required to build and prepare a solid car accident case means less time for you to rest, attend medical appointments, and complete necessary therapies or medical treatments.

An attorney will not always be necessary in every car accident case. If your accident resulted in only minimal property damage and minor or no injuries, you might prefer to handle everything on your own. The decision is ultimately up to you, and having an understanding of how both options may affect your case will help you make an informed decision.

We offer California Car Accident Victims a Free Consultation, and there are No Attorney’s Fees Unless We Recover Compensation For You

At The Hassell Law Group, our legal team are experts in car accident law and personal injury law with over 100 years of combined legal experience. Experience matters. We stand up to aggressive insurance companies and have a history of obtaining award-winning results for our clients. We fight every step of the way to achieve the best possible outcome for our car accident clients. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means there is no risk in hiring our law firm.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and case evaluation. We welcome your questions, and our legal team looks forward to helping you obtain just and proper compensation for your car accident claim.

Read next: How much does a car accident lawyer cost in California?

The general information provided on this website should not be considered legal advice and does not constitute legal advice. For legal advice, you should consult directly with an attorney. If you contact us by telephone, email, letter, or by contact form submission through this website, please note that such communication does not create or constitute an attorney-client relationship. We cannot act as your attorney until we are hired as your attorney by a formal written agreement.