Whether you need an attorney following a car accident typically depends on the circumstances and what happened as a result of the car crash. If you did not suffer physical injuries, you might not need a Tennessee car accident attorney to help you with a property damage claim if the insurance company for the other driver agrees to be liable for all vehicle repairs. However, if the insurance company denies liability or you sustained physical injuries because of the collision, you may want to consult a Tennessee car accident attorney to discuss your legal options and rights to recover compensation for your damages.
In this article, we discuss four reasons why you may want to hire a car accident attorney to assist you with your injury claim:
· Conduct an accident investigation to prove liability for the accident.
· Determine the value of your accident claim.
· Handle all negotiations with the insurance company.
· File a car accident lawsuit.
Proving Liability for a Car Accident
One of the complicated issues related to a car accident claim is proving fault and liability. Proving that the other driver is responsible for causing the crash is crucial if you want to recover compensation for your injuries.
A car accident attorney conducts a thorough accident investigation to determine how the crash occurred, gather evidence proving liability, and identify the parties liable for damages. Some steps an attorney takes during an accident investigation include:
· Gathering physical evidence from the accident scene
· Interviewing eyewitnesses
· Working with experts to reconstruct the collision
· Gathering and reviewing medical records
· Obtaining and reviewing the police report
· Working with physicians to obtain impairment ratings and prognosis
Calculating the Value of Your Accident Claim
Determining the value of a car accident claim is another complicated step in obtaining full compensation for your injuries and losses. The challenging part of calculating financial losses is ensuring that you have evidence to prove your actual monetary losses, including medical expenses, lost wages, travel expenses, and other out-of-pocket costs.
Calculating the value of your “pain and suffering” damages is a bit more difficult. You do not have receipts or bills to prove how much you suffered because of the car wreck. Tennessee personal injury laws do not provide a standard formula for calculating non-economic damages. However, an experienced personal injury lawyer understands how to use the other evidence in your case to maximize the compensation you deserve for your physical pain, emotional suffering, mental anguish, permanent impairments, loss of quality of life, and other non-economic damages.
Lastly, your car accident attorney understands how to calculate and prove that you are entitled to future damages for lost wages and medical treatment if you sustain a permanent disability because of the car crash.
Filing an Insurance Claim and Negotiating with the Insurance Company
Injured accident victims receive up to three times more financial compensation when they are represented by an experienced attorney.
Your car accident attorney handles all communication with the insurance company on your behalf. Insurance adjusters work to arrive at settlements that are in the best interest of their employer. Your attorney protects your best interest during the negotiations. Settling a claim directly with the insurance company may result in a lower settlement amount because the adjuster is not going to tell you what the true value of your claim with worth.
An experienced attorney understands the tactics used by insurance companies to deny and undervalue insurance claims. Therefore, allowing a car accident attorney to handle the negotiations for settlement is often best to avoid making mistakes that could lower the amount of money you may receive for your claim.
Filing a Car Accident Lawsuit
Many car accident claims can be settled through aggressive negotiations with the insurance company. However, if an insurance company refuses to negotiate a settlement that provides fair compensation for damages or denies liability for the accident, it may be necessary to file a car accident lawsuit. In some cases, filing a lawsuit will encourage the insurance company to settle the claim before trial.
Contact the personal injury attorneys at Cummings Law today. Hiring a top-notch Tennessee car accident attorney early in your case allows your attorney to fight for you to get the best outcome for you possible – including via a fair settlement. It also allows your attorney to begin preparing for a court battle, if necessary, to protect your right to receive the compensation you deserve for injuries sustained in a car accident that was not your fault.
Posted in: Car Accidents