Can I Get A Settlement For A Car Accident Without A Lawyer?

Written by Jeremy D. Earle, JD

April 8, 2023

Do I Really Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?

“Have you been hurt in a car accident?” Make an appointment with a lawyer right now!”

“After an car accident, do you need to make a claim?” “A lawyer can assist you!”

You’ve certainly seen these phrases on billboards or heard ads before, but you probably don’t think about the importance of an attorney until you or a loved one is involved in a car accident.

You’re pretty aware that the other motorist was to blame for the accident. You may even have a police record to back up your claim. So, to proceed with your claim, do you need to hire an attorney? Is it possible to resolve an car accident case without hiring a lawyer? Let’s have a look at some possibilities.

AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT, YOU MUST FILE A CLAIM WITH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY.

Most people know that the first thing they should do following a car accident is contact an insurance provider after getting to the police and seek required medical treatment. It’s the first step in receiving reimbursement for your accident-related expenditures.

You may contact your insurance carrier to learn more about your options, but you may discover that your policy does not cover all of your costs. In any case, you must choose whether to call the insurance companies yourself or engage a car accident lawyer to do it on your behalf.

Before taking on an insurance company and its legal staff, you should always consult a lawyer. Begin there.

When you work with a car accident lawyer, here’s what you may anticipate.

IF YOU’VE ONLY HAD DAMAGE TO YOUR PROPERTY

Suppose you were not physically injured in your car accident and were allowed a doctor to examine you for any concealed injuries. In that case, you might only need to seek compensation for the damage to your car and other personal property.

If you’re just looking for reimbursement via your insurance, you may be able to get it by claiming your own, particularly if you have extensive coverage. To cover all property costs, you may need to utilise the at-fault driver’s insurance in addition to your own.

 

If you sustained significant property damage, the other driver’s insurance might vigorously fight your claim. Suppose your case necessitates a thorough investigation to identify culpability or includes substantial damage to your car and other personal property. In that case, you’ll need a lawyer to assist you in recovering the total value of your damaged car.

IN DISPUTED LIABILITY SITUATIONS

It is not always clear who is to blame for an car collision. Both drivers probably had a role in the crash. In certain circumstances, the other motorist may attempt to blame you for the impact, even though you know they’re to blame!

You’ll need a lawyer if there’s a disagreement over culpability or how much each motorist is to blame for an accident.

You must have clear proof that the liable motorist caused the accident or was at least partially responsible for it to claim under their insurance coverage. The claims procedure may become more complicated as a result of this.

You may be unsure how to show that the other motorist was at fault or how much compensation you are entitled to. Furthermore, gathering adequate proof will be difficult, particularly if you are recovering from physical injuries.

An expert car accident attorney has the skills and resources to establish the other driver’s liability and back it up with proof. Even if your accident merely resulted in property damage and not a significant injury, you will be in a stronger position to seek the compensation you deserve.

IF YOU’VE HAD SERIOUS INJURIES

Severe injuries are more expensive to treat, making a claim more challenging. The insurance company will put up a more vigorous struggle to avoid paying for your medical bills.

Personal injury protection insurance, or PIP, is required in several states. PIP pays for part of the urgent medical costs incurred due to your accident, regardless of responsibility.

If you are injured in an car accident, you will immediately disclose your PIP insurance information to the medical care providers you visit. It’s possible that you won’t need to seek further reimbursement from the other driver’s insurance carrier.

However, many car accident victims get more significant injuries than the PIP coverage provides. While your PIP coverage may be sufficient to cover broken bones and soft tissue damage, traumas such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and internal damage may be highly costly to cure.

Medical expenditures for severe injuries may continue to mount for a long time, if not permanently, after your first accident. In the instance of serious injuries, you may need to

 

seek compensation from the other party’s insurance company—and you can guarantee that they will attempt to reject coverage.

Managing your severe injury claim on your own is challenging, mainly when severe injury sufferers must concentrate on their health rehabilitation. If you are injured in a car accident, you should speak with an attorney to see how they can assist you.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU HANDLE YOUR CLAIM YOURSELF?

You may be aware that working with a lawyer to handle your car accident claim may be beneficial, but for whatever reason, you opt to pursue your claim on your own.

WHAT OBSTACLES WILL YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME?

The insurance company can attempt to establish that you were the one who caused the collision.

The more severe your injuries are due to a car accident, the more compensation you must seek, and the more the insurance company will want to reduce the amount of payment it must payout.

Insurance companies often attempt to establish that you caused or contributed to the accident to reject your claim or give you less money. This might leave you with little choice but to find out how to pay for medical costs and auto repairs on your own.

Working with an attorney, on the other hand, may assist you in demonstrating that you were not the cause of the accident and that you are entitled to the compensation set out in your claim.

An attorney may assist you in a variety of ways. For starters, an attorney may evaluate if other parties are responsible for the disaster. Is it possible that the individual who caused your accident was driving a car that had a manufacturing flaw? Was the other driver at work at the time of the accident, and did the driver’s employer behave carelessly by urging him to take needless risks to save time?

To figure out who should be held responsible for your injuries, you’ll need answers to these and other questions. An attorney understands what questions to ask and can assist you in pursuing compensation from all parties who may be accountable.

THE INSURANCE COMPANY MAY PERSUADE YOU TO ACCEPT A LOW SETTLEMENT OFFER.

Most individuals are unaware of how much money they are entitled to in compensation after a car accident involving catastrophic injuries. You may be aware that it covers part of your medical expenses as well as missed pay. But to what degree is this true? What about other negative consequences, such as the pain and suffering you’ve endured?

 

Some car accident victims who manage their claims fall into the trap of accepting a settlement offer before calculating the total cost of their injuries. Suppose you simply seek reimbursement for your first medical bills. In that case, you may be missing out on compensation for future years of medical expenses, particularly if you have severe injuries that have long-term consequences and need lifetime medical care.

However, many insurance companies are more concerned with their bottom line than with ensuring that their customers get all of the money they need to treat their accident injuries.

When an insurance company makes an early settlement offer, particularly shortly after an accident, it is unlikely to represent the total amount of compensation you are entitled to.

The first settlement offer is most likely just a portion of the amount of money you receive for your car accident injuries. You’re out of luck if you accept the offer, and you’ve waived your right to any future reimbursement. Don’t throw yourself into debt by paying bills you can’t afford!

A lawyer can assist you in evaluating settlement offers from insurance companies to see whether they are reasonable and adequate to pay your costs. You may be tempted to accept the insurance company’s first payment and not engage in further negotiations.

You need funds immediately and do not want to wait, even if doing so might raise the amount of compensation you may get. You could also wish to settle your claim as soon as feasible for other reasons.

Even if you believe the initial settlement offer is sufficient, you should still seek guidance from an experienced car accident attorney to learn about your options.

YOUR INSURANCE PROVIDER MAY ATTEMPT TO REJECT COVERAGE FOR ALL OF YOUR MEDICAL BILLS.

Medical expenditures, such as necessary surgery or treatments, or continuous therapies and prescriptions, generally make up the majority of car accident damage compensation. There are a variety of medical expenditures that you may be eligible to claim. To walk about your house or go out in public, for example, you may need specific medical equipment.

The insurance company may deny your injuries or the expenditures you seek reimbursement for. The insurance company can reject any or all of your claims for medical spending. The following are some frequent grounds for denial that they may provide.

THE INSURANCE COMPANY MAY ATTEMPT TO ARGUE THAT YOU WERE INJURED OR LIMITED IN SOME WAY AT A PREVIOUS PERIOD.

Suppose you had another injury before the accident or had a preexisting condition that the car accident might have exacerbated. In that case, the insurance company may argue

 

that you are seeking reimbursement for medical concerns you already had rather than for expenditures incurred due to the car accident.

Alternatively, the insurance company may claim that something happened after the car collision caused your injury. In any case, they’ll attempt to dismiss your claim by blaming your injuries on something other than the car accident.

The insurance company may argue that you didn’t require a specific therapy for your injuries.

You and your healthcare practitioner will carefully devise a treatment plan for your injuries, which will contain the exact therapies you need. Surgical procedures, physical therapy, and ongoing medical procedures are examples of this.

On the other hand, insurance companies may attempt to argue that you don’t require one or more aspects of your treatment plan or that you picked an excessively more costly choice when a less expensive one would have sufficed.

The insurance company may argue that a surgery you underwent was just for aesthetic reasons and had nothing to do with your genuine requirements due to the car accident. The insurance company may refuse to reimburse some medical expenditures if it believes they are unrelated to the event or are not essential to treat your injuries.

The insurance company may attempt to show that your injuries aren’t to blame for the limits you’ve claimed.

Car accident injuries may severely impede a victim’s ability to work, enjoy leisure activities, and even conduct essential self-care.

However, your insurance provider may refuse to recognise that your injuries have caused such limits. In other situations, the insurance company may attempt to show that you can return to work much sooner than you claim or that your injuries do not prohibit you from going about your daily routine as you did before.

While you may experience sadness due to your injury, the insurance company may attempt to avoid paying for counselling. An attorney can assist you in obtaining the compensation you are entitled to for both physical and intangible damages.

Do not attempt to handle your car accident claim on your own if you have been injured in a car accident. Instead, get help from an experienced car accident attorney.

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