Why You Need To Quickly Consult With An Experienced Lawyer After A Serious Injury
Posted on Fri Jul 09, 2021
If you have been seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident because of another party’s negligence or recklessness, you have grounds for a lawsuit. The statute of limitations in Alabama for filing such a lawsuit is two years. While it is important to heal properly after surgery or other treatments, consulting a personal injury attorney promptly should also become a top priority.
Hiring a lawyer quickly is beneficial because if witnesses are not interviewed and evidence collected quickly, memories fade and evidence disappears. This could affect the outcome of your lawsuit and is a major reason why contacting a personal injury attorney as soon as possible is crucial.
You need professionals who will preserve the evidence.
Professionals working for a personal injury lawyer investigate all aspects of a car crash. Our firm has a full-time investigator who is a retired traffic homicide investigator. He investigates all our cases involving serious injuries. That includes going to the scene of the accident to find and photograph skid marks, roadway gouges, debris, and similar material. He collects statements from eyewitnesses and interviews investigating police officers while their recollections are fresh, and photographs of the damaged vehicles are taken. Waiting to consult a personal injury attorney could mean that much of this evidence is no longer available.
A personal injury lawyer also sends letters to the at-fault drivers and insurance companies to have them preserve evidence, including the damaged vehicles and the at-fault driver’s cell phone records. In cases involving commercial drivers, an accident reconstructionist downloads the engine control module (ECM) or “black box” data from the at-fault vehicle. This allows us to determine the at-fault driver’s exact speed and braking in the seconds before impact. A personal injury attorney works hard to protect their client’s rights, and you do not want to inadvertently lose your rights due to inaction.
You may need help getting a vehicle quickly.
A serious car accident likely took a toll on your vehicle. If your car was not totaled, it probably needs extensive and expensive repairs. This is called a property damage claim.
Most auto accident victims work and need a vehicle to get to and from work. Usually, car accident victims are able to settle their property damage claims quickly without the assistance of a lawyer. However, most accident victims have some questions about settling their property damage claim. An accident and injury lawyer can answer your questions and also assist you in repairing your damaged car.
Your case may settle quickly once a lawyer gets involved.
If you are involved in a car accident caused by another driver, the other driver’s insurance company will contact you soon after the car wreck. The amount of money offered as a settlement may sound attractive, especially when you cannot work due to your injuries and the bills are piling up. However, what sounds like a fair settlement may not prove the case, especially if you are facing a long rehabilitation and your injuries may not allow you to perform the same type of work you did prior to the crash.
If you will not agree to a quick settlement, the insurance company may try to delay as a tactic to drive down the settlement value. A common tactic is for the insurance company to request document after document and drag out the settlement negotiations for months. It is not uncommon for insurance companies to drag out settlement negotiations in hopes that the victim will accept less money to just get the case resolved.
Once you agree to a settlement with an insurance company, you cannot change your mind, even if you discover the amount is far too small to pay for accident-related expenses. Never agree to accept a settlement without speaking with a personal injury lawyer.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident due to the actions of another driver, you need the services of the experienced personal injury attorneys at Warren & Simpson, P.C. Call us today at 256-539-7575 or contact us online to arrange a free consultation. We fight aggressively for our clients so that they may receive the compensation they deserve. While most cases are settled, we do not hesitate to go to trial when necessary.