Car Accident Attorney in Waltham

Following a car accident, insurance providers often try to reach the people involved to work out a settlement, especially if the collision involves injuries.

Because of the nature of their business, insurers typically try to minimize any payout they provide. They’ll try to coerce you into giving a statement that could negatively impact your case or offer you a settlement that doesn’t cover your medical care expenses.

If you try to handle your claim without legal assistance, you may make errors that impact the settlement you later receive. There are many loopholes in car accident law, and insurance providers know every single one. For example, they may tell you that you were partially responsible for your accident or that your car isn’t worth enough to repair. 

Hiring a car accident lawyer in Waltham will provide you with the legal assistance you need to pursue your claim successfully. You won’t need to worry about dealing with conniving insurance providers or being stonewalled by another driver. Instead, you can focus on recovering from your injuries while we do the heavy lifting.

Your car accident lawyer will:

• Examine the facts of your case to determine who was at fault for the accident
• Review the official police report and other documents
• Speak with medical experts regarding your injuries
• Review documentation of the crash, including any public recordings available
• Negotiate with insurance providers to obtain a fair settlement on your behalf
• Assemble the evidence necessary to file a lawsuit
• Handle all court filings for you
• Examine case histories and current laws to develop a sound legal strategy

Unless you’re an attorney, you’re unlikely to be familiar with the tactics that insurance companies and liable parties use to protect themselves from the financial consequences of an accident. The experienced attorneys at Morgan and Morgan are.

We can help you obtain the compensation you need to move on from your accident.

Car accidents can occur for many reasons, but most stem from driver errors or other preventable circumstances.

Some of the most common causes of car accidents include:

Speeding

Speed often plays a role in severe car accidents. People who drive at speeds higher than the posted limit run an increased risk of causing an accident. Accidents at high speeds on highways and interstates are common, and they often leave victims with extensive injuries that can take years to recover from.

Distracted Driving

Accident statistics show that over 1,000 crashes occur daily due to distracted driving. Distracted driving includes talking on or checking a mobile device while navigating traffic, conversing with passengers in the vehicle, and even eating while behind the wheel. 

Distracted driving often results in unexpected accidents that can cause serious injuries. Approximately nine people are killed every day in distracted driving collisions.

Failure to Yield or Obey Traffic Signals

Failure to yield and obey traffic signals are frequent causes of collisions. It’s not unusual for them to result in severe injuries.

Most of us are guilty of failing to look both ways when making a turn. We often get so familiar with our regular driving routes that we become complacent and fail to anticipate oncoming traffic crossing our paths.

Driving Under the Influence

Despite many laws placing stiff penalties on people who drink and drive, some drivers still decide to break the rules. They mistakenly believe they can handle their vehicles properly, even after having too many drinks. 

Drinking impairs the ability to navigate roads safely. It also diminishes reaction times and leads drivers to misjudge distances or overlook traffic signals. Drivers whose blood alcohol levels exceed the legal limit can easily cause severe or fatal accidents due.

Poor Weather Conditions

Inclement weather, like rain, snow, and sleet, is another common cause of serious crashes.

Weather impacts road conditions and makes it difficult for people to stop their cars safely or spot vehicles or other objects in front of them until it’s too late. By some estimates, poor weather conditions contribute to approximately 20% of all car crashes annually.

The severity of an accident is usually the primary factor determining the injuries drivers receive. A rollover crash, for instance, is 17.9% more likely to result in a fatality than one in which the vehicle remains upright. Similarly, driving while intoxicated can significantly increase the risk of death or severe injury.

Some of the most common types of injuries associated with car accidents include:

• Whiplash
• Bruises and contusions
• Cuts, scrapes, and lacerations
• Muscle strains and sprains
• Broken bones
• Traumatic brain injury, such as concussions
• Spinal cord damage
• Internal organ damage

Frequently, car accident victims don’t realize they have severe injuries until days or weeks after a collision. Adrenaline tends to surge following an accident and can mask the symptoms of conditions like whiplash, concussions, and internal organ damage that may not be present at the time of the crash.

Even if you don’t think you’ve sustained injuries, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Visit a hospital or urgent care center for a checkup. If a physician catches your injuries early, they can administer treatment to mitigate the damage and speed the healing process.

Anytime you’re involved in a car accident, you’ll want to take specific steps to gather evidence from the collision and protect your legal rights.

First, check yourself and everyone else involved in the wreck for injuries. If anyone requires immediate medical assistance, call for an ambulance. You should also inform the emergency operator of the crash so they can send a police officer to the scene.

Next, take photographs of the accident scene. Pictures of damage to your vehicle, injuries, and the cause of the collision can all be helpful later on. If there were witnesses to the crash, ask them for their contact information.

When the police arrive, they’ll likely ask you to remove your vehicle from the roadway. Doing so can potentially prevent other accidents. Provide officers with any details you have concerning the collision and ask for a copy of the police report once they’ve finished their initial examination.

Even if you don’t require immediate first aid for your injuries, it’s still a good idea to go to the hospital or an urgent care center for a checkup. A doctor will be able to determine whether you’ve sustained any injuries that aren’t yet visible.

Finally, contact a qualified car accident lawyer in Waltham for assistance. Morgan & Morgan offers free consultations to all our clients. Even if you decide that a lawsuit isn’t necessary, it never hurts to ask for advice following a car crash.

Every state has a statute of limitations defining the time accident victims have to file lawsuits for their injuries. In Massachusetts, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is three years.

While that may sound like plenty of time to start a legal claim following a collision, it’s best to take action sooner rather than later.

As time passes, people tend to forget important facts about their accidents. It may also become more challenging to gather physical evidence or witness testimony to support your case. 

Your attorney will also need time to assemble documentation and formulate a strong legal strategy. As such, you should seek legal assistance from a car accident lawyer in Waltham as soon as you feel physically able to do so after your accident.

If another driver collides with you and takes off, don’t attempt to pursue them. Instead, try to note the make and model of their car and write down their license plate number. Call 911 immediately to report the hit and run and give law enforcement the information you recorded about the vehicle. The police will attempt to locate the driver using the details you provide.

Sometimes, drivers leave the scene of an accident because they feel they’ve done something wrong. They may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and may not be carrying valid automobile insurance. Pursuing them can be dangerous. 

With any luck, the police will be able to track down the perpetrator, and you’ll get the information you need to file a claim. 

Car accident victims can often collect compensation for past and present medical expenses, lost wages, emotional pain, suffering, disability, and disfigurement. The more severe your injuries, the more you stand to collect in damages.

However, other factors can impact the payment you receive following a car accident. Under Massachusetts law, you must first file a claim for compensation with your insurance provider. If your claim exceeds the value of your coverage, you may pursue a case against other involved parties.

Massachusetts follows a modified comparative negligence rule. This means that you must be less than 50% liable for the accident to collect damages from another party. If you’re found to have been mostly at fault, you won’t be able to collect compensation from the other driver.

Morgan and Morgan is the largest personal injury law firm in the United States, and one of the most accomplished. We’ve helped thousands of car accident victims win the financial damages they need to move on in the wake of a devastating collision. We look forward to helping you, too.

Reach out today to schedule a free case review and get assistance with your car accident claim.