What to Do After a Car Accident: How a Lawyer Can Help

The loud crunch you hear when you are in a serious car accident might be one of the scariest sounds you will ever hear. Even before your car has stopped moving, you know that your life is potentially in danger. And you just hope that you come through the accident safe and unhurt.

Unfortunately, major accidents often result in serious injuries. And all too often, after you hear that loud crunch, you will be in significant pain. It is at that moment, when you are scared and suffering, that you need help from compassionate people that have experience with car accidents.

Medical professionals, like EMTs and doctors, will quickly evaluate and treat your injuries. Police and firefighters will secure the scene and prevent any additional harm. But who will help you collect the money you need to pay for medical expenses and any other costs resulting from your injury?

The caring car accident attorneys at Morgan & Morgan are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to help you get compensation for your injuries. We know how important it is to have a compassionate and experienced lawyer available for consultation as soon as possible after an accident.

If you have been injured in a car accident, contact our law firm immediately to schedule a free case evaluation and get the help you need.

Why Do You Need a Car Accident Injury Attorney?

Many people who suffer an injury in a car accident make a very big mistake; they don’t consult with a personal injury lawyer. In some cases, they don’t realize that they are injured until it is too late, and in other cases, they trust that the insurance companies will treat them fairly.

Whatever reason you might have for not contacting a car accident injury attorney, it is always the wrong choice. By choosing not to contact a lawyer, you are practically ensuring you will receive less compensation for your injury than you should.

Additionally, there is no cost when consulting with an attorney. Your initial case evaluation and consultation with Morgan and Morgan are completely free. Our experienced lawyers will evaluate your case, explain your legal options, and direct you to medical professionals who can best determine the severity of your injuries.

That last bit is one of the most important reasons to consult with an attorney. Injuries suffered from a car accident often seem less severe than they are. If you aren’t properly evaluated, you could discover years too late that you have a lifelong injury and no options to collect compensation for it.

Our attorneys will ensure that you receive a diagnosis for all of your injuries and that you start receiving treatment promptly. We do this both because we care about you and because this makes it easier for us to collect the compensation you require.

Even if you are fully informed about the severity of your injuries, you still need representation from a car accident injury lawyer. Your attorney is bound by law to represent your best interests. The insurance company that is paying compensation is not.

Without an attorney advocating for your claim, the insurance company will likely pay you less than they owe you. It might deny your claim, refuse to pay specific bills, or underestimate future expenses.

What You Should Do After Being Injured in a Car Accident?

If you have been injured in a car accident, the actions you take at the scene of the accident could significantly affect your recovery time and how much money you receive in compensation from the insurance company. We recommend you take the following actions.

• Contact Emergency Services

Before you do anything else, call 911 and request a quick response from police, firefighters, and EMTs. Your safety needs to be your priority after a car accident. Any other activity can wait until you have been medically evaluated and the scene has been secured.

• Contact an Attorney at Morgan & Morgan

While we are unlikely to be able to meet you at the scene of the accident, we can provide you with some quick advice over the phone and schedule your free case evaluation. Additionally, once you contact us, you can tell other parties (police, other drivers, insurance company, etc.) that you are represented by an attorney.

The earlier we can start working on your case, the more likely we will be able to get you a positive result.

• Share and Collect Contact Information

Seek out other drivers involved in the accident and collect their contact information. Before anyone leaves the scene, you want to know:

• The name of all other drivers
• Their insurance policy numbers and names of their insurance companies
• Their driver’s license numbers
• Their addresses and phone numbers
• The license plate number of all cars involved in the accident

Assuming you have a working camera (probably on your phone), you should take a picture of all this information. It ensures that you don’t record it incorrectly and significantly lowers your chances of losing the information.

It is equally important that you provide all that information to other drivers. You can get into legal trouble if you hide any information after an accident.

While sharing information with other drivers, avoid talking about the accident. As tempting as it may be to discuss what happened, anything you say at this time could potentially be used against you when the fault is determined for the accident.

• Find Witnesses and Document the Scene

Since you already have your camera out, this is also an excellent time to document the scene of the accident. Take pictures of all damage to your vehicle and the state of the accident scene. These pictures can help your lawyer get you compensation.

Also, collect any contact information for witnesses to the accident. Don’t try to interview them at the scene. Your attorney can do that later. For now, you just want your attorney to have an easy way to get in touch with them.

• File an Insurance Claim

You may wonder how you can file an insurance claim when you don’t yet know what insurance company will pay for the accident. The answer is simple. Always file a claim with your insurance company.

Depending on the laws in your state, the other driver's insurance company may be liable for compensating you. But that is something that can be determined later. Immediately following the accident, you just want to get the process started.

Since most insurance companies allow you to file a claim online, it should be relatively easy to start your claim. You can even include pictures of the damage to your car when you make the claim to help speed up the process a little.

How Much Compensation Could a Car Accident Injury Attorney Can Get for You?

If you have suffered an injury in a car accident, you are probably concerned about how much it will cost to receive medical attention. While that is a reasonable concern, you shouldn’t let it stop you from getting the care you need. Your attorney will fight fiercely to get you the money you need to pay your bills.

After you suffer an injury, you will often incur several types of expenses. All of those expenses should be covered by the insurance company, including:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages if your injury prevents you from working
• Pain and suffering
• Punitive damages, depending on the circumstances of your accident

Your attorney will explain what damages you are eligible to receive compensation for and how long you should expect it to take to recover those damages. Even if your case is relatively simple, it will likely take a few weeks for you to get paid. And if you have a complicated case, you may have to wait years for full compensation.

How Much Will I Spend on a Car Accident Injury Lawyer Near Me?

You will spend nothing on your Morgan and Morgan car accident attorney. Your initial evaluation and consultation are free, regardless of whether we take your case. If we determine you have a strong case, we take you on contingency.

Contingency means that we only get paid if we get you money. If, for any reason, we fail to get you money, you will never receive a bill from us.

Can a Car Accident Injury Lawyer Near Me Help Me With My Medical Bills?

We know that medical bills can pile up while you are waiting for a settlement or a trial award. To help you with that, our attorneys will send a letter of intent to any party sending you medical bills. This letter assures them that you will pay your debts as soon as you collect money from the insurance company.

While this can’t force them to stop sending you bills, it will usually get the bills to stop while you are waiting to receive your money. This should reduce your stress and make it easier for you to recover from your injuries.

Should I Accept the First Settlement Offer From the Insurance Company?

Usually, you should never accept the first settlement offer made by an insurance company. Typically, the first offer is much lower than what you deserve, and the insurance company only makes it to try to end your claim quickly.

Instead of accepting the offer, let your car accident attorney make the decision. They understand the true value of your case and can give you an honest assessment of whether it is a good offer and whether you should reasonably expect to get more money.

Do I Have to Follow the Advice of My Lawyer?

In any car accident injury case, you make all of the final decisions. With that being said, you should consider why you retained a lawyer in the first place before ignoring the advice of your attorney. Your attorney has experience with these types of cases and has your best interests in mind. You should think twice before not following their advice.

Choose a Car Accident Injury Lawyer Near You From Morgan and Morgan

If you have been injured in a car accident, you want to ensure that your recovery goes as smoothly as possible. To do this, you need money to pay for the best doctors available. The caring car accident injury attorneys at Morgan & Morgan have the experience to get you that money quickly and easily.

Don’t wait after suffering a car accident injury. Contact our law firm today to schedule a free case evaluation.