Navigating Car Damage Claims: Can a Lawyer Really Help?

If you have been seriously hurt in a vehicle accident but are also concerned about your vehicle’s damage, it is in your best interests to retain an experienced and knowledgeable attorney as soon as possible. The right personal injury lawyer can help you recognize the many different aspects of your personal injury case that could lead to fair compensation. Many victims recognize that some of the most substantial damages have to do with medical expenses and other similar costs. This is because if you are seriously hurt after an accident, you may have substantial medical costs that could continue for many years. In those circumstances, you may focus primarily on attending all of your medical appointments and making sure that your lawyer has the right information about your diagnosis and next steps. 

However, you may also be wondering, “Can a lawyer help with car damage?” A car damage claim is often a supplement to a personal injury lawsuit because it is a claim you have directly with the insurance company when you are unable to reach full and fair settlement terms. 

After a vehicle accident, you will notify your car insurance company as soon as possible about the incident and report to them any concerns over damage. The goal is to protect your right to recover compensation as covered through your insurance policy. However, as many people have personally learned by going through this process on their own, it's not always easy to recover the compensation that you need for car damage. 

This is why you might be asking, “Can a lawyer help with car damage?” When you hire an attorney who has experience with personal injury cases, including communicating with insurance carriers about vehicle damage, this can relieve a lot of pressure from you because your lawyer takes over the responsibility of communicating with the insurance company. They help you to gather any and all evidence that strengthens your overall claim and can answer many of the most important questions you have about the insurance process. This means that you can focus on getting medical care and other aspects of recovery that can be very challenging during this period. 

Knowing that you have an attorney in your corner who is familiar with this area of law and who will work as hard as possible to understand how your car damage impacts your full recovery is essential. Although you may assume that your car damage is a relatively small component of your overall personal injury claim, it can be very important to have an attorney who understands that it is in your best interests to get any and all compensation owed to you.

What Can a Lawyer Really Do?

If you've already attempted to negotiate with the insurance company and to arrive at a fair settlement offer on your own and to no avail, you may assume that you have no further options in handling your case. However, when you work with an attorney who has experience in handling car damage cases, they will start by evaluating the strength of your legal case to give you further information about whether or not it makes sense to pursue legal action. 

Because this may be treated as separate from your overall personal injury lawsuit against the at fault driver, you'll want to speak about financial considerations directly with your attorney. Many personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that they only get paid if they are successful in obtaining a recovery in a settlement or a verdict in a lawsuit. 

Your claim against the insurance company may be different. It can also be complicated if the insurance carrier has engaged in bad faith tactics, which include unnecessary efforts to delay the payment of your claim or to deny your claim altogether. Of course, when in this situation, you'll have plenty of questions about how all of these lawsuits connect to one another and influence your chances of putting your life back together and moving on into the future. Finding an attorney who has extensive experience in working through these kinds of cases will not only give you peace of mind, but it will give you clarity over what to expect in working with a lawyer and where to focus most of your energy. 

If you believe that your insurance company has minimized your car damage claim unnecessarily, this could lead to the recovery of hundreds or potentially even thousands more dollars. However, many insurance companies use very specific formulas in determining someone's recovery in a car accident lawsuit when it comes to vehicle damage, so make sure you educate yourself about this first by talking with your lawyer. Your attorney can help you to see when it makes sense to continue fighting a car accident damage claim because there are substantial damages on the table. Your lawyer can also help make sure that no deadlines are missed with all of these different pieces moving forward. 

An attorney can also have multiple advantages in the management of your legal case. First of all, if you are feeling overwhelmed by the entire process, your lawyer can help you by gathering necessary information and preparing a timeline or calendar of events. Just having some clarity over how these lawsuits typically unfold over time can make a big difference in how you feel about moving forward with a lawsuit. It also tells you where to focus your energies early on in the case, as well as where you may hit some potential pitfalls later on. 

A lawyer can also communicate with the insurance company directly, providing them evidence and important details they may use to make or change their decision. Most importantly, your lawyer keeps you updated about any changes in your case, including new settlement amounts that you should carefully consider. Ultimately, you have a vested interest in not making mistakes that could compromise your ability to receive maximum compensation. Find an attorney who is familiar with both personal injury and car damage aspects of lawsuits to increase your chances of maximum recovery.

If your car has serious damage and you have been unable to resolve this claim by working directly with the insurance company, it might be time to bring in an experienced attorney. You can put your trust in the experience, size, and strength of Morgan & Morgan—we’re here to help and handle every aspect of your legal claim, and to provide you with insight about what to expect and how to avoid common missteps. We know many different people find themselves in this difficult situation and simply need guidance during the process, and our lawyers are here to help leverage our years of experience and background to help get you the fair compensation you deserve.

Should I sign anything from the insurance company?

You might assume that any paperwork presented to you by your insurance carrier requires your signature. It is likely that your insurance company will reach out to you with many different questions and potentially even paperwork for you to complete. When you have hired a car damage insurance lawyer to assist you with your claim, you can have your attorney review these materials and make sure you've considered all possible issues before adding your signature or agreeing to anything. This can help you to avoid significant mistakes in your claim and to protect your rights from beginning to end.

If your car has serious damage and you have been unable to resolve this claim by working directly with the insurance company, it might be time to bring in an experienced attorney. You can trust our law firm to help and do every aspect of your legal claim, and to provide you with insight about what to expect and how to avoid common missteps. We know many different people find themselves in this difficult situation and simply need guidance during the process, and our lawyers are here to help leverage our years of experience and background and helping many other victims to make this easier for you.

Can I really argue with the insurance company over car damage?

Most insurance companies use very specific formulas in order to determine a car damage payout amount. They will also review your specific policy to determine the items that you are eligible for, so it might seem as though it is impossible to fight back against them when you have a car damage claim. If you have questions about whether or not your insurance company has given you a fair amount, make sure that you consult with a car damage insurance lawyer so that you can consider all possible issues and discuss whether or not gathering additional evidence can help you.

What if we can’t arrive at a settlement?

At Morgan & Morgan, we work hard to make sure that our clients have gathered all possible evidence that can bolster their claims. If you choose to use the service of Morgan & Morgan, your lawyer can also give you a realistic appraisal of the common issues that you might expect and when you should push back against the insurance company. In some cases, you may not have a strong enough claim in order to move forward with a car damage argument, but we can be at your side to help you make the distinction in these different cases to make an informed decision and know what to expect next. 

At Morgan & Morgan, our lawyers are here to help you with every aspect of your car damage and personal injury case. We have been through this situation and many times before and have overcome countless obstacles helping victims. We use all of that experience to help make things easier for you. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to get started.

What if we can’t arrive at a settlement?

Your lawyer will work hard to make sure that you have gathered all possible evidence that can bolster your claim. Your lawyer can also give you a realistic appraisal of the common issues that you might expect and when you should push back against the insurance company. In some cases, you may not have a strong enough claim in order to move forward with a car damage argument.  Having a lawyer at your side can help you to make the distinction in these different cases so that you can always make an informed decision and know what to expect next. 

Our lawyers are here to help you with every aspect of your car damage and personal injury case. We have been through this situation many times before and have overcome obstacles helping victims. We use all of that experience to help make things easier for you.