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Four Reasons You Need a Lawyer for a Car Accident Lawsuit
Getting into a serious car accident can negatively impact many aspects of your life. If you have been injured in a car accident, chances are you have lost time at work and had to spend much of it at doctors’ appointments. Depending on the severity of the accident, your future ability to work or engage in the activities you cherish could be in question. You may be in physical pain and experiencing grief even as you read this.
No matter what, getting injured in a serious car accident is a stressful and potentially devastating event, especially when it was caused by someone else’s negligence and never should have happened in the first place. Thankfully, the law provides an avenue to be compensated for losses suffered in a car accident through a personal injury lawsuit. An experienced Milwaukee, WI personal injury attorney is here to vigorously represent you and fight for maximum compensation on your behalf.
What Is a Car Accident Lawsuit?
After a car accident, the injured party usually first tries to recover damages from the insurance company of the party responsible for the accident. In some cases, this can involve more than one liable party.
If the party responsible for the accident does not have insurance, the insurance company is not offering fair compensation, or there are unresolvable disputes over questions of fact, the injured party can bring a claim in court. Injury claims seek compensation for damages sustained in the car accident, as well as pain and suffering, medical bills, lost income, and other relevant damages.
What Kind of Injuries Can You Be Compensated For?
Car accidents often result in serious injuries that can leave someone out of work and suffering greatly. Just a few of the most common injuries for which people seek compensation include:
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Back and spinal cord injuries
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Lacerations, burns, and scarring
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Internal injuries, including organ damage and loss
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Whiplash and other traumatic brain injuries
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Paralysis
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Amputations
Why Do I Need a Lawyer for a Car Crash Insurance Claim?
If you have been injured in a car accident and are thinking about filing a lawsuit to recover for your injuries, an experienced attorney provides legal guidance throughout the process. Each car accident injury lawsuit is different, and each client has different injuries and facts surrounding the accident. Here are four ways an attorney makes a big difference in personal injury insurance claims and lawsuits:
Understanding the Law
Car accident attorneys know the relevant laws as well as the procedures for filing claims. An experienced attorney will advise you on your potential recovery, figure out the best strategy you should use, and build a strong case on your behalf. For example, an attorney will help you understand the statute of limitations on your claim to ensure that you do not miss the opportunity to file a lawsuit.
Collecting Evidence
In order to mount a strong claim after a car accident, it is vital to collect and preserve important evidence, and an experienced attorney understands the evidence you need and the best ways to get it. They will sit down with you and review all the evidence you have, such as medical documentation and photographs of your injuries, and do the heavy lifting when it comes to investigations, subpoenaing video evidence, and finding witness testimonies.
Your attorney also has access to expert witnesses, such as accident reconstruction experts, whose testimony can be used to make your case. An attorney will also try to determine the cause of the crash and identify potentially liable parties.
Negotiating with Insurance Companies
Not every lawsuit needs to end in a trial. In fact, many do not, while still achieving excellent results. Part of the skills of a personal injury attorney lie in negotiating a worthwhile settlement on your behalf. Dealing with insurance companies can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially because these companies work hard to avoid paying out claims fairly and often use dirty tactics. Attorneys are experienced at negotiating with insurance companies and will do so on your behalf.
Additionally, insurance companies are likely to know the reputation of well-known firms and are more likely to offer higher settlement amounts to people with attorneys known to be experienced and willing to take a claim to trial. If it is not possible to settle, your lawyer can take the case to trial to make your case to the judge and jury.
Maximizing Compensation
In a claim for a car accident injury, it may be possible to seek compensation for economic and non-economic losses, including damage to property, lost wages and potential earnings, medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and more.
Not every claim has the same potential for recovery. Understanding the possible compensation in an injury claim requires the familiarity with both the negotiation and the trial process that only an experienced attorney can provide.
In general, however, people who hire an attorney to represent them in a personal injury lawsuit see much better results:
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Approximately 91 percent of claimants who have hired a personal injury attorney receive compensation, versus 51 percent of claimants who did not hire an attorney.
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Payouts for claimants who have hired personal injury attorneys tend to be three times higher than for claimants representing themselves.
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The Insurance Research Council has found that those who hire attorneys to represent them receive up to 3.5 times as much compensation on average compared to those who do not have an attorney.
Call a Milwaukee, WI Personal Injury Attorney
As a victim of a car accident, you may be suffering physically and emotionally, but you do not have to do so alone. An experienced Milwaukee, WI personal injury attorney is here to look out for your interests and represent your case from beginning to end. The goal of the skilled team of attorneys at Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP is to ensure the best possible result for your lawsuit. Call our offices at 414-271-1440 for a complimentary consultation.
