Hiring an accident attorney so you can pursue a claim or lawsuit is a good idea in most circumstances. There is more to dealing with the situation than just handing the job to a lawyer. You can contribute to your case by addressing these 5 areas of concern.
Understand the Statute of Limitations
Few problems are as likely to torpedo a case as badly as starting it close to or after the time the statute of limitations expires. Even if you're not sure you're going to move ahead with a case, you can contact an accident attorney and ask them what the statute is in your state. If the incident involved a government vehicle or driver, make sure to include that detail because it may shorten the statutory period in some states.
Make Copies of Everything Related to the Incident
You are probably going to end up with a lot of paperwork related to the accident. Make copies of all the paperwork you receive. This is going to at least include documentation from the police who responded to the accident, and there will likely be medical reports. Anything you get from the hospital or your medical insurance company in relation to the incident should also be retained and copied. The same goes for documents from your auto insurance carrier.
Don't Jump on Any Offers
If someone from your car insurance company contacts you, don't jump at any offer they make. Instead, ask them to send the settlement offer to you in writing and with their official information. You can then show the offer to an accident attorney to determine whether it's good or whether you should negotiate.
Understand the Fault Insurance Rules
You should also try to understand how the state will treat fault. Many states use no-fault systems where your insurer will pay your medical bills, but you may not have a lot of options for suing.
The major exception to these limits is usually when catastrophic injuries occurred. Proving your injuries were catastrophic, though, is a major hurdle to clear. You should talk with an accident attorney to discuss if your case represents a catastrophic scenario.
Be Prepared to Wait
If everything comes together quickly, that's excellent. Many cases take months or even years, especially if your accident attorney and the insurance companies disagree about the nature of the injuries or how bad they were. Make sure anyone you owe medical bills is aware of your situation so they can seek liens rather than sending your bills out for collection.
To learn more, contact an accident attorney.
