What Does a Car Accident Lawyer Do?

What does a car accident lawyer do? If you’ve recently been in a car accident, you should understand exactly what a car accident lawyer can do to help you.

In California, the general purpose of a car accident lawyer is clear – to provide legal representation to people involved in car accidents. But what does that really mean? The importance and complete scope of a car accident lawyer’s role are not always evident, but the right attorney can be a powerful tool and ally in your car accident case.

Car Accidents Lawyers are Personal Injury Attorneys

California car accident litigation and insurance claims fall under the personal injury umbrella of legal cases. Car accident lawyers are often personal injury attorneys who have chosen to specialize in representing car accident victims, although many continue to take other types of personal injury cases, as well. Whether a personal injury attorney exclusively works with car accident victims or handles numerous types of accidents, their expertise and knowledge of car accident law are beneficial for your case.

Car Accident Lawyers Keep Your Case on Track

It often takes somewhere between six (6) months and three (3) years to settle a California car accident injury claim. While it is difficult to estimate an exact length of time, car accident lawyers have their experience to draw upon to help you understand your likely time frame. When deciding whether you should move from settlement negotiations to filing a lawsuit, California’s statute of limitations should be considered. After a California car accident, you only have two (2) years from the date of your accident to initiate legal action on an injury claim. Your car accident lawyer can monitor this and all the other deadlines to keep your case on track.

Car Accident Lawyers Communicate and Negotiate with Insurers

There are numerous factors that influence the timeline of your insurance claim or personal injury case, including how open all parties are to communication and compromise. Insurance companies may give the impression that they are on your side, but this is only a tactic to make you lower your guard and accept their settlement offer. They often delay or avoid responding to you in a timely manner to increase the chances that accident victims will settle.

Most people are not equipped to handle passive-aggressive behavior like this, especially not when they are facing so many other obstacles to their recovery and well-being. A car accident lawyer will handle these conversations and negotiations for you, helping you identify the tricks insurance companies use so you can avoid settlement offers that will not benefit you.

Car Accident Lawyers Determine Compensation Amounts

After a car accident, victims usually experience an onslaught of bills and expenses. It may be challenging or even impossible for you to determine which expenses should be included in your request for compensation and whether you can include damages for things like pain and suffering. Your car accident lawyer will have answers to your questions about compensation.

If you are working with a personal injury attorney, they will know which of the following damages you may be entitled to:

• Past and current medical bills
• Future medical expenses
• Property damage
• Lost wages
• Loss of future income
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Pain, suffering, and emotional trauma

Punitive damages are also a possibility in California, although these are only awarded in special circumstances. Your car accident lawyer can help you decide if your case may warrant punitive damages.

Car Accident Lawyers Prepare and Argue Your Case

A car accident lawyer’s role in the insurance settlement process is vital, as most car accident cases end in settlement. However, the benefit of a car accident lawyer does not end there. If the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement amount, a lawyer can help you file a lawsuit and prepare a winning case. Gathering documentation, analyzing evidence, and building a personal injury case requires the help of an experienced professional. Your car accident lawyer can handle all of these tasks and improve your chances of success in the courtroom.

Car accident lawsuits involve a substantial amount of evidence, and some of it is more useful for your case than others. Gathering and classifying this evidence is an important task, and it is one that your car accident lawyer will be able to handle for you. Based on the severity of the accident, the complexity of your injury or care, and any other elements involved in your case, evidence will likely include:

• Medical bills
• Hospital records
• Therapy records
• Photos from the accident
• Witness statements
• Police reports
• Employment and wage records
• Video footage of the accident
• Property damage reports

Compiling the right evidence is crucial to proving fault and quantifying the damage you have endured so the judge or jury can make their decision. In preparation for court, your car accident attorney may also need to conduct a process called discovery, which involves issuing requests for documents, admissions, or interrogatories in order to gain information from the other party. Subpoenas for documentation or witnesses will likely also be necessary.

Personal injury attorneys who work on car accident cases often decide to subpoena expert witnesses to testify in court. These are people who have specific knowledge about things that are relevant to your case, such as accident reconstruction, injuries, or vocational abilities. Issuing a subpoena is exponentially more difficult if you are not an attorney, so having a car accident lawyer will save you significant time and effort in this step alone.

As discussed, a car accident lawyer helps you determine the value of your car accident case, negotiate with the insurance company, file a lawsuit, and prepare for trial. These are all elements of a car accident claim an attorney handles before arguing the case in court if that becomes necessary. If your case proceeds to a court hearing, a car accident lawyer is invaluable. The vast majority of lawyers do not even represent themselves in legal battles because having someone advocate on your behalf is far more beneficial for your case.

How Long After a Car Accident Can You Claim Injury?

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: When should I hire a car accident lawyer?

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.