When you are in an automobile accident, it feels like your life changes in the blink of an eye. Prior to the accident, you were going about your daily affairs. You had plans for that day, week, month, and year. However, in the aftermath of a serious accident, all those plans change. Some of them disappear forever.
Your focus is now on recovery from the injuries you sustained. You might not be able to work, yet the bills for your rent, mortgage, and other expenses keep streaming in. Added to these are medical bills that seem to never end. With all of this going on, you may wonder when the best time would be for you to hire a car accident attorney.
Insurance Companies Have Attorneys Working Hard on Their Side and So Should You
If you are waiting for the at-fault party’s insurance company to do the right thing and give you the compensation you deserve for your accident, you will wait a long time.
Despite the way insurance companies portray themselves, as the kind, friendly, and neighborly defender of the little guy, they are actually large corporations focused on making a profit. If they pay out large settlements to accident victims, it will cut into their profits and the profits of their shareholders.
Insurance companies have teams of adjusters and lawyers. These individuals evaluate your claim immediately. Therefore, it is imperative that you have a personal injury lawyer working for you from that moment you are injured in a car collision. This is the only way that you can level the playing field.
Can You Get Fair Compensation for Your Accident on Your Own?
Nothing is impossible. However, it is very implausible that you will get the compensation due without the help of a legal professional.
Imagine that you are driving down the street in Birmingham. A vehicle runs the red light and slams into you. You and maybe members of your family are hospitalized. After spending days in the hospital and after going through physical therapy, you can finally return home.
However, the bills have been piling up. You reach out to the insurance company and they offer you a settlement. It’s not enough to cover your expenses, but they are pressuring you into believing that there is no other option available.
The insurance company has you over a barrel. They know that you can only survive so long with mounting debt and no income because you are not able to work. However, the insurance company is a multibillion dollar organization. They can afford to wait you out until your situation becomes so desperate that the only option is to accept the unfair settlement they offer.
However, if you contact a car accident lawyer in Birmingham, for example, the situation changes. Car accident lawyers are experienced in interacting with insurance companies. They know the tricks that insurance companies try to play to force you to take an unfair settlement. They help you level the playing field and can improve the chances of you getting a settlement that will adequately compensate you for your injuries and financial losses.
Negotiating with Insurance Companies
Personal injury attorneys can negotiate with insurance companies. Accident claims are often settled out of court. These settlements happen when lawyers present their client’s case in such a way that it forces insurance companies to recognize that settling for a fair amount is better than having a protracted legal battle.
Attempting to negotiate with insurance companies without legal representation is attempting to negotiate from a position of weakness. Insurance companies see people who try to negotiate without lawyers as someone who has no bite behind their bark. Since the unrepresented individual does not understand litigation, they will get destroyed by a seasoned insurance defense lawyer.
Many individuals take the minimum settlement and release the negligent party. They may not realize how serious their injuries are. They may turn to a lawyer month later hoping to get the expenses for their medical treatment cared for. By this point it’s too late because they negotiated without an attorney and signed away their legal rights.
Conclusion
An automobile accident can change your life in a matter of seconds. When dealing with insurance companies, the playing field is not level. If you are unrepresented, you lack the experience or training necessary to properly defend yourself and could hurt your chances to get the compensation you deserve.
