Can an Attorney Help if I’m Hurt in a Car Wreck?

If you or a loved one got hurt in a car wreck, an attorney from Morgan & Morgan can provide the support and leverage you need to recover adequate compensation for your injuries and damages. Our lawyers can handle your claim correctly, gather evidence to prove and build your case, and negotiate with the insurance company. If you cannot recover a fair settlement from an insurer, our car accident lawyers can file a lawsuit on your behalf and fight for maximum recovery. 

We understand that victims of car wrecks need a fair settlement to go on with their lives and pay their medical bills and other expenses. Having an experienced and determined lawyer by your side who can fight your case vigorously can be crucial for getting what you deserve. Contact Morgan & Morgan for a free case review today to find out how we could help you.  

What Does a Car Accident Lawyer Do?

If you got hurt in an accident and are not at fault, a car accident lawyer can help you seek damages, such as medical expenses, income loss, pain and suffering, and others. An attorney from our firm can help build your case and fight for the best outcome in the fastest time possible. We can: 

Investigate Your Accident Thoroughly

Our experienced attorneys can investigate the facts of your accident with the help of professional investigators. Accidents are not always what they seem at first glance, and accident reconstruction professionals can help uncover the full circumstances of the crash. While another driver may be responsible, there could be various other contributing factors to an accident, such as poor roads or vehicle defects, among others. 

Identify All Liable Parties

There could be several liable parties in your car accident, including other drivers and vehicle manufacturers. You could also have a case against a local government authority if your crash happened due to poor road repair or bad road design. An attorney from Morgan & Morgan can determine all potentially responsible entities liable for compensation. 

Handle the Insurance Company

Your car accident lawyer can take over all communication with the insurance company and deal with adjusters while you are concentrating on your health. A lawyer can protect you from attempts by the adjuster to invalidate or minimize your insurance claim or misconstrue anything you say. Therefore, it is best to let an experienced car accident lawyer handle the insurance company and adjusters.

Calculate Your Damages and Estimate Future Expenses

Gathering evidence for your losses and calculating damages correctly can be challenging, especially if you are still suffering from your injuries. However, an attorney can assess your current expenses and estimate any future medical bills and costs you likely face. For this, your attorney typically consults with your medical providers to determine a figure for the cost of future medical treatments. Calculating your damages correctly is crucial for getting what you deserve and prevents you from missing out on the compensation you need for recovery and rehabilitation. 

Negotiate With the Insurer

Insurance companies want to protect their profit margins. Therefore, an insurer’s first settlement offer is generally low and could be much less than a claim is worth. If you accept the initial settlement offer, you could end up having to pay for your own future medical expenses. Therefore, ask an attorney to review any settlement offer before accepting it. 

A lawyer also knows how to negotiate with the insurer to try and achieve a fair settlement amount that comprehensively covers all your damages and future expected expenses. 

Morgan & Morgan Can Do More

As the largest personal injury firm in America, we have resources that few firms can match. Our attorneys never settle for the last best offer. Instead, we want our clients to receive the full value of their case so they can rebuild their lives after an accident. We do not shy away from going to trial and doing everything we can to fight for the maximum possible recovery on your behalf. 

Compensation You Could Receive After a Car Wreck

A catastrophic car crash can alter your life forever. Life-changing injuries could prevent you from returning to work and severely impact your home life. However, you could have legal recourse and recover compensation if another caused the car wreck. Depending on your accident, you could be entitled to the following damages and others:

• Medical expenses 
• Lost income
• Emotional trauma
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of life enjoyment

Car Accident Wrongful Death 

Relatives of a loved one who died in a car wreck could file a wrongful death lawsuit and qualify for compensation, such as:

• Funeral expenses
• Medical costs before death
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of income from the deceased

Protecting Your Legal Rights After a Car Crash

Our car accident attorneys can protect your rights and help you receive what you deserve. However, there are also some crucial steps you should take immediately after a crash and in the following days.

Visit your Medical Provider

Seeking medical help after a car wreck is vital for your health and preserving your chances of receiving compensation. A medical provider will record all your accident injuries in a report, which can be essential evidence for your legal case. 

Collect Evidence

Keeping all receipts and records of expenses in connection with the accident is essential. Evidence for the car accident can help reconstruction experts piece together exactly how the crash happened. Important evidence can include: 

• Photos and videos of the accident scene and vehicles
• Police accident report
• Your medical bills
• Receipts for all incidental expenses 
• Expenses for car repair or replacement

Get in Touch With a Car Wreck Attorney

If you suffered severe injuries or a loved one died in a car crash, getting in touch with our car accident attorneys can be your best course of action. Our lawyers can help you learn about your legal rights, analyze your accident fully, and determine your legal options. We can also move forward with a claim or lawsuit.

Can I Sue the Other Driver Personally After a Car Crash?

Injured victims would usually file a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance company. However, getting your due from an insurer can be tricky. Moreover, if an uninsured driver caused your car accident, your only choice to receive compensation could be to sue them personally. If you are unsure about your options for recovering damages, schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to learn about your legal rights and the best course of action. 

Should I Hire a Car Accident Attorney for Minor Injuries?

A car accident lawyer can protect your legal rights and ensure that you claim all the damages you are entitled to, even if you have only minor injuries. Moreover, what seems like minor injuries now could develop into more serious conditions later. 

Most car accident victims believe that injuries must be significant or life-changing to qualify for compensation. However, even severe strains and sprains or whiplash can cause you to lose work time and wages and lead to substantial medical bills. Having professional legal representation in your corner can also protect you from legal claims by the other parties involved in the car accident. They may try to shift the blame for the car accident on you.

Do I Need the Help of a Car Wreck Attorney?

If you were involved in a fender bender without suffering any injuries, you might not need the help of a lawyer. However, if you or a loved one got hurt in a car wreck, an attorney can protect you and fight for adequate compensation on your behalf. Many injured car crash victims underestimate the amount of paperwork, effort, and time required for fighting for their due. Collecting evidence, obtaining medical records, negotiating with insurance companies is all part of this long and potentially arduous process. 

Getting an attorney into your corner can be essential when: 

• You suffered life-changing or permanent injuries
• You incurred significant medical expenses and income losses
• A loved one died in a car wreck
• The insurance company delays or minimizes your claim settlement
• The responsible party blames you for the accident
• The insurer denied your claim

A car accident attorney can ensure that you are not leaving any money on the table in negotiations and that the at-fault party and insurance company treat you fairly.

How Long Does a Car Wreck Case Take to Settle?

The length of your specific case can depend on various factors, such as:

• The extent of your damages
• Whether fault for the crash is unclear
• Whether the case goes to trial

If your attorney can negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company, your case could settle in a few short weeks. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the majority of injury cases are resolved with an out-of-court settlement. 

However, more complex cases may result in a trial, which will invariably add time. Some lawsuits can take a year or longer to resolve, particularly when a victim suffered permanent or disabling injuries and high damages. A car accident lawyer at Morgan & Morgan can help to resolve your case as quickly as possible. However, we never settle for less. If we think that going to trial is necessary, we will fight hard so you have the best chance of getting what you need to pay your bills and move forward with your life.

How Much Does a Car Wreck Attorney Cost?

Car accident attorney costs can vary drastically, depending on the fee arrangement. Examples of how attorneys get paid include:

Retainers 

Some car accident lawyers charge clients an upfront retainer before they begin work on the case. Retainers will vary from one firm to the next but are normally several thousand dollars. 

Hourly Fees

Hiring an attorney on an hourly fee can make sense if you only need a specific task, such as drafting an official letter or a document. However, if you are looking to recover compensation after a car accident, an hourly fee can work out prohibitively expensive. Lawyers generally charge hundreds of dollars per hour. Moreover, your attorney will receive the hourly fee whether they win or lose your case.

Contingency Agreements

Contingency is a “no-win-no-fee” agreement between a client and an attorney. This means that the client only pays the attorney’s fee if they win the case and receive compensation. If they lose, neither the client nor the attorney will receive any money. 

We understand that car accident injuries can be extremely expensive and cause financial hardship for victims and their families. Therefore, our fee is free unless and until you win. Morgan & Morgan will never charge you a dime upfront. 

When Should I File a Car Wreck Lawsuit?

The statutes of limitations in your state generally dictate when you can file a lawsuit. Deadlines for initiating legal action vary from one state to the next, and missing the deadline could prevent you from getting compensation. Therefore, you should seek legal advice as soon as possible after a car accident to determine a timeline for your next steps. 

However, you may not want to file a lawsuit right away after an accident. Victims who suffered severe injuries should wait to file a lawsuit until they have recovered or reached maximum medical improvement. At this stage, your doctors will be better able to estimate your future medical costs and rehabilitation expenses. You could leave money on the table if you sue too quickly.

Morgan & Morgan Fights Hard for Car Wreck Victims

If you suffered injuries and expenses due to someone else’s negligence, you should not have to shoulder your medical expenses and other costs. Getting what you deserve can involve a fight. However, you do not have to fight alone. Morgan & Morgan is here for you. We have been helping car accident victims recover what they deserve for decades.

If you are hurt in a car wreck, our attorneys, legal teams, and investigators are ready to assess your case and evaluate your next best steps. You pay nothing unless we win and you receive compensation. Contact us today to determine whether you qualify for compensation.