If you have been in a minor car accident, it might be hard to know when it is a good idea to hire a lawyer. While you should always consider speaking to a lawyer any time you were involved in an accident, here are a few times when you should always pick up the phone and call an experienced car accident lawyer:
You were injured, no matter how minor the damage to the vehicles.
Unfortunately, insurance companies have spent years planting the false idea that if the physical damage to the vehicle was minor, then the person inside the vehicle cannot be injured. That understanding is false. If the force of the impact is enough to bend metal on the vehicle, even a little bit, then the force is strong enough to cause damage to the soft tissues, muscles, and spine on the human body. This is especially true for older people, people who already had an underlying medical condition, and people who are more prone to injuries. You can even recover if the accident aggravated your pre-existing condition.
The other driver was D.U.I.
If the other driver was driving under the influence, you should always call and speak to an experienced car accident lawyer because you might be a witness in the criminal D.U.I. case and things you say in the criminal investigation could affect your civil case for damages caused by the car accident. You also are entitled to punitive damages. Punitive damages are extra compensation to punish the D.U.I. driver and deter them from ever driving intoxicated again.
You were the victim of a hit and run.
Hit and run accident cases add complexity to routine car accident cases. Insurance policies have different procedural requirements for hit and run accidents. Failure to properly follow every rule and requirement perfectly could lead to your claim not getting paid by your underinsured motorist policy. Further, if the driver is caught or located, you again could be entitled to punitive damages to punish the driver and deter him or her from ever engaging in a hit and run again.
You were a pedestrian or on a bike.
When the human body contacts a vehicle, damage is almost always likely to occur. If you were involved in a collision as a pedestrian or on a bicycle, the property damage to the vehicle might be minimal, but the physical, internal damage to your body could be significant. Do not assume that you do not have a case because the damage to the vehicle was minimal. Always speak to a lawyer and get the medical attention that you need as soon as possible.
At first you thought you were not injured, but as time went on, you felt worse.
People are surprised to discover that most injured people feel no pain at the scene of the accident. This is because their adrenaline is pumping, and their body goes into a state of shock. Often, the worst pain does not occur until hours or even days later. For some clients, they might think that the accident is minor, and they are not hurt, only to discover that they suffered a significant injury a few days or even weeks later. These cases almost certainly require a lawyer because the insurance company loves to allege that since you were not hurt at the scene, your pain must not be from the car accident. Of course, we know that is not true.
If you were involved in a car accident and want to know if it makes sense to hire a lawyer for your case, our firm is happy to give you a free case evaluation to discuss your options. Allow us to show you why thousands o