Car accident lawyers are legal professionals who specialize in helping accident victims secure the compensation they require after an incident, including filing an insurance claim, negotiating an appropriate settlement agreement and fighting on your behalf in court.
Experienced car accident lawyers understand all of the tactics and strategies employed by insurance companies over time, as well as what evidence must be obtained in support of your claims – this may include photographs taken at the scene, witness statements, medical bills and records, employment/lost wage details etc.
Contingency fee arrangements allow attorneys to work on your case on a contingency fee basis, meaning they only get paid if you win it. This ensures their interests align with yours, making them more willing to fight for a fair settlement and provide greater support than before. In addition, many have access to professional resources like accident reconstruction experts which may further strengthen your claim.
While medical attention should always come first after an accident, it’s also critical that you contact a New York car accident lawyer as quickly as possible afterward. The sooner an attorney begins gathering evidence against those at fault, the higher your chance is of reaching an acceptable financial settlement agreement.
Insurance companies may be reluctant to settle car accident claims without being presented with proof of injuries and losses sustained by victims, so it’s vitally important that victims keep all paperwork related to their crash – such as police reports, hospital/doctor visits, out-of-pocket expenses and employment/lost wages claims – from day one. A lawyer can assist in gathering all this data and present it clearly and convincingly so as to convince insurance providers of the merits of their settlement offers.
A good lawyer can also assist in demonstrating non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. While this may be challenging to establish, having someone familiar with this field of law on your side can help ensure your injury meets the threshold for such awards under state laws.
Your lawyer can also assist in claiming any additional compensation you may be owed, such as loss of consortium damages – this compensation compensates your partner for harm they’ve endured due to your injuries; yet is often overlooked by victims who don’t seek legal advice.
Car accident lawyers can also be useful in tracking down assets belonging to uninsured motorists that might be eligible for recovery under your own policy’s uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage – this is especially useful if you were injured by someone driving without enough coverage or without enough of it at all.