Is it wise to fight with the insurance company alone?
When filing a claim with your insurance, you might be overwhelmed by the process. In most cases, when you submit a claim with your PIP insurance, your policyholder will either approve your claim, deny your claim, or approve your claim but offer a lower compensation than you might be entitled to.
If your property loss or damages are not severe, it can be relatively easy to gather evidence, defend the claim, and convince your insurance company to negotiate with you.
In cases where there’s been substantial property loss, severe injuries, or an accident involving multiple parties, especially a corporate entity, it might be harder to work with the insurance company alone.
Your insurance company’s ultimate goal is to resolve your case as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. This may mean they’ll deny your claim or offer a much lower settlement. In cases where there are multiple parties involved, an insurance company may be more likely to pass off the blame to another party to cover the cost of your damages.
A car accident injury attorney can help simplify the process by working with all parties involved, communicating with your insurance company, and defending your rights.
Reasons to hire a car accident lawyer
Whether you’re filing a personal injury lawsuit or dealing with the insurance company directly, there are many benefits an experienced car injury attorney can bring.
Determine damages fairly
Your attorney will bring a fresh perspective to your case and have the legal experience to determine what damages you’ve sustained. For example, property loss and pain and suffering fall under the legal concept of damages and you may be entitled to more than you know.
They understand the laws
An experienced attorney will have a detailed understanding of the law. Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, have outstanding experience in state and local laws and can apply those laws to your case to give you comprehensive representation.
A lawyer handles the leg work
A lawyer will speak with all parties involved to get a thorough picture of what happened. Speaking with the legal counsel of other parties involved, communicating with car insurance companies, and petitioning law enforcement agencies for relevant evidence takes a great deal of work. Having a dedicated legal team can help with this process.
Gather evidence and witness testimony
The legwork of building a robust case involves the collection of evidence, including photographs, surveillance footage, and witness statements regarding the accident.
Determining negligence is another critical part of gathering evidence. Proving negligence requires that you can show that four elements exist:
- The defendant had a duty of care
- The defendant violated that duty of care (negligence)
- The plaintiff sustained injuries
- The injuries were the result of the negligence
When determining negligence, turning to things like a police report can help support your claim. Bringing in expert witnesses who can break down complex topics can also help build a successful case.
Negotiating a settlement
An experienced attorney will know how to negotiate with the parties involved to help you recover the compensation you’re entitled to. Insurance companies may try to get you to sign documentation or agree to a settlement offer that’s much lower than you deserve. Having an experienced lawyer look over any documentation first can keep you from agreeing to terms that are not in your best interest.
Professional advocacy and court representation
A car accident attorney will represent you at each step of the claims process. They can offer professional negotiation tactics that you may not have access to otherwise. If your case goes to trial, an attorney will offer comprehensive legal representation when defending your case in front of a judge or jury.
You can focus on your recovery
Working with an experienced attorney allows you to focus on healing and recovery while they focus on building your case. An attorney will also help you keep up to date with important deadlines and tasks that you need to complete to keep your case moving forward.