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Do I Need A Lawyer After A Car Accident

Here’s a great article from PersonalInjuryLawyers.com When you’ve been hurt in a car accident, the thought of hiring an attorney likely crosses your mind. You might wonder if it would help you to hire an attorney. There are several situations where hiring an attorney may be advantageous to your case:

You have injuries

New York uses a no-fault insurance system. This system often prevents a person from recovering from a negligent driver that causes them injuries. However, when you have serious injuries, you can go outside the no-fault system to recover for both economic and non-economic damages. These damages can include medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of consortium and even punitive damages. When you suffer serious injuries, this wide range of types of damages can be helpful to rebuilding your life.

If you’re not sure if your injuries count, it’s important to speak with an personal injury attorney. New York law defines a serious injury, and the definition includes dismemberment, significant disfigurement, a fracture or significant limitations to using a body function or system. The definition is expansive, and you may be surprised to learn that your injuries count. Your personal injury lawyer can look at the facts and determine if you qualify to bring a case against the other driver.

You’re not sure if you’re to blame, or you’ve been blamed

When you work with an personal injury law firm, they conduct a thorough investigation on your behalf. They don’t just take the police officer’s word for it. Instead, they work with a team of accident experts in order to piece together what happened. If there are witnesses, they contact them to ask for more details.

A police officer may not investigate a crash scene with the same goals in mind as your attorney. A police officer might want to determine if anyone violated a traffic law and then close the case as quickly as possible. Your attorney can do a much more thorough investigation. In many cases, you can recover even if you’re partially to blame for the accident.

You have an insurance settlement offer, or insurance won’t pay

Insurance companies make their profit when they don’t pay you fairly for your claim. In some cases, they offer you a small amount quickly in hopes that you’ll sign your rights away. In other cases, they refuse to pay you at all.

Whatever the case, an attorney can help you evaluate a settlement offer. They can review the facts of your case with you. Using their experience as a guide, they can tell you if they think you should accept the settlement offer or if you should proceed to bring a case for additional payments. If insurance refuses to pay, your attorney can review the case to determine if you should ask a court to order them to pay.

How can an attorney help me?

An attorney has years of training to prepare them to navigate New York’s complex court system. They must meet the rigorous standards of the New York Bar in order to represent victims like you. That means, when you have a lawyer, you have a trained professional on your side.

They can spot potential problems in your case and correct them before they have a chance to be an issue. They can help you create a strategy in order to pursue your case in the strongest possible way. In the end, your attorney’s training can help you recover a larger amount than you might have recovered if you tried to go it alone.

In New York, you have strict time limits to bring a case. In many cases, it’s 3 years from the day that you’re hurt. Even if you only miss the case filing deadline by a day, you completely give up your chance to bring the case. Your attorney can prepare your filing documents and make sure that you bring your case properly in the court with jurisdiction.

Your attorney can help you whether you’re still in the immediate aftermath of the crash or you’ve already filed your case. With a trained lawyer on your side, you can make sure that you properly prepare court documents and appropriately respond to documents from the other side. Your attorney can handle the negotiations with the other party. Your attorney can not only advocate for you in the New York courts, they can also help you understand the process as you work together towards winning your case.

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