Car Accident Attorney in Burlington

Here are some important steps to follow if injured in a car accident in Burlington, Vermont. These steps significantly increase your chances of obtaining a fair settlement after the accident. 

Your Safety Comes First

After a car accident in Burlington, the first thing you need to do is to ensure that you're safe. For instance, suppose the accident has occurred on the highway, and you can still drive the vehicle off the road. In that case, do so but with caution. If you can't move for any reason, don't attempt to because you may hurt yourself even more. 

Seek Emergency Assistance

Call 911 right away and request an ambulance and police officers at the accident scene. This isn't the time to worry about ambulance costs and other related factors —  your safety comes first more than anything else. When police officers arrive at the scene, they'll write a report documenting the details of the accident. 

Document the Accident Scene  

If possible, take pictures and videos of the accident. You can also check if there are any witnesses around. If so, find out if they'll be willing to record statements of what they saw. Their statements could come in handy when pursuing compensation for the damages. 

Also, it's important to gather the other driver's information. If circumstances allow, make sure you take pictures of their driver's license and auto insurance card. You can also take pictures of their license plate number for future reference. 

However, it's understandable that you may not be able to take pictures, videos, or interview witnesses under certain circumstances. For example, if you're severely injured, you may not be able to move, let alone document the accident scene. In that case, an experienced Morgan & Morgan attorney can help collect important facts and evidence about the case, increasing your chances of filing a successful claim. 

Get Checked by a Doctor

Schedule a medical checkup with a doctor specializing in car accidents injuries. This step is crucial. Even if you don't have any signs of pain or discomfort, don't overlook the importance of visiting a doctor for further examination.

If you don't visit a doctor after the accident, filing a claim with the other driver's insurance company becomes even more difficult. Remember, Vermont is an at-fault state, meaning you can sue the party responsible for your injuries to recover damages caused by their negligence. However, the defense can argue that you didn't get injured or that the accident wasn't that serious if you don't have any proof of medical treatment. Such an argument gives the judge enough reason to dismiss your lawsuit (if the case heads to court).

The compensation aside, it's still important to seek medical attention even if you don't have any immediate signs of pain or discomfort. Some injuries may take a while to show, and when they do, it might be too late for you to file a claim against the other party's insurer to recover the medical costs. 

Examples of such injuries that don't usually show right after a car accident include:

• Concussions
• Soft tissue injuries
• Back injuries
• Whiplash
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Notify the Other Driver's Insurance Company

If you took the contact information of the other driver's insurance company, call them to notify them about the accident. Remember, notifying the insurer about the accident doesn't mean that you're filing a claim. In fact, at that point, chances are you won't even know how much your claim is worth. 

When you contact the other driver's insurance company, it's important to understand the tactics they might use to avoid liability. Here are some of the most common tactics to watch out for. 

Requesting a Written or Verbal Statement

Insurance companies might request that you provide a written or verbal statement regarding the accident. The entire time, they'll be hoping that you provide a specific detail they can manipulate to jeopardize your claim. Therefore, avoid providing any written or verbal statements regarding the accident. Other than the accident's date, time, and location, you shouldn't discuss further details with the insurer, especially without legal counsel. 

Issuing a Quick Settlement Offer

The insurers might try to trick you into signing a settlement offer. However, if you agree to sign the offer, you also agree to waive your right to pursue further compensation for damages caused by that particular accident. So if you later discover that you may be entitled to more than the initial offer, you can't seek additional compensation. 

Discussing Your Personal Lifestyle

After a car accident, the insurance company will most likely send a claims adjuster to evaluate the extent of damages caused by the accident. Claims adjusters often sound friendly, but you shouldn't fall for this tactic. Deep inside, they'll always serve the interest of the insurance companies they work for.

So if they start discussing your lifestyle, chances are they want to know more about your financial status. With this kind of information, they can tell what type of compensation suits you. For instance, if you don't have a stable source of income, insurance claims adjusters will assume that you may accept just any kind of compensation over what you actually deserve. 

Delaying Your Claim

Some insurance companies use delay tactics, hoping to exhaust you. They know that you probably don't have much time or energy to pursue your claim after a car accident. Unfortunately, such tactics could frustrate you in the long run, forcing you to abandon your claim. 

Threatening You With Court Processes 

Rogue insurers will even dare you to go to court if you aren't satisfied with their offer or decision. Half of the time, they do this knowing that you'll most likely calculate the costs of pursuing the case in court and eventually give up. 

But contrary to popular opinion, you can seek expert legal representation without spending any money. For instance, at Morgan & Morgan, we charge our clients contingency fees, meaning they don't owe us anything unless we win. 

Accepting Partial Liability

After an accident, insurance companies love to dictate what they may be responsible for and what they aren't. Unfortunately, their evaluations are not always accurate. You need the help of an experienced Burlington car accident attorney to evaluate all the damages caused by the accident and what you may be entitled to as compensation. In simpler terms, you should trust your attorney more than an insurance company because car accident attorneys fight for your best interests while insurance companies protect their own interests.

Back to the list of things you should do after a car accident, consider contacting an attorney after following the steps discussed above. When you contact Morgan & Morgan for a free case evaluation, our attorneys will review your case and advise you on what to do next.

If the other driver is at fault for your accident, we'll help build a strong case against them, forcing their insurer to compensate you for the damages you've suffered due to their insured's negligence.

Given the high number of car accident cases in Burlington over the past few years, you'll most likely encounter numerous personal injury law firms specializing in car accident cases in this area. But that doesn't mean that any law firm or attorney you come across is capable of handling your case. Here are some important factors to consider when looking for the right car accident attorney in Burlington, VT. 

Experience Handling Car Accident Cases

When you find an attorney or law firm specializing in car accident cases, it's important to consider if they have experience handling such cases. For instance, at Morgan & Morgan, we have been in the industry for more than 30 years, a true testimony of our experience in this field. 

Their Track Record

Don't opt for attorneys who don't have a track record to prove their experience handling car accident claims or lawsuits. For example, at Morgan & Morgan, we've helped our clients recover more than $20 billion as compensation for different types of personal injury cases. As far as car accident cases are concerned, we've helped our clients recover over $120 million. 

Available Legal Resources

You need a law firm or attorney with enough legal resources to pursue your claim. But unfortunately, very few law firms boast of such resources, and Morgan & Morgan is one of them. 

Earlier, we mentioned that insurance companies often use different tactics to jeopardize your claim. For example, if there are conflicting witness statements, the insurance company will most likely dispute your claim. But this doesn't necessarily mean that your claim is invalid.

Instead, you need an expert attorney with powerful legal resources to investigate the accident and collect important facts and evidence to prove your case. This could mean traveling long distances, paying experts to provide their professional opinions, accessing confidential records, etc. So if you work with a law firm that lacks such resources, you may have to settle for less than what you truly deserve as compensation. 

Their Reputation Matters

Before you hire a car accident attorney in Burlington, consider their reputation. It's important to know what their past clients think about their services. 

You'll easily find this information in their reviews. For instance, at Morgan & Morgan, we have over 25,000 5-star reviews on Google, a true testimony of the quality of legal representation to expect when you work with us. On SiteJabber alone, we have more than 1,400 reviews from happy clients. 

The reviews aside, insurance companies know what it means to come up against Morgan & Morgan attorneys in or out of court. More specifically, they know that we don't stop at anything when fighting for our client's right to compensation for injuries caused by the other driver's negligence. When they discover that you've hired our team of attorneys, they won't use the tactics we discussed above. This is because Morgan & Morgan needs no introduction when it comes to personal injury litigation.

Car accidents in Burlington have reached record-breaking levels. Many people are losing their lives due to other drivers' negligence, something that shouldn't be tolerated in the first place. The worst part of it all is that it's possible to prevent such accidents by abiding by traffic rules. But this isn't something many people take seriously until it's too late.

Such accidents have broken families and shattered dreams in many households across the city. To make things even worse, insurance companies keep making billions of dollars every year as profits from their hardworking clients who would rather sleep hungry than skip a payment. But when it comes to compensation for car accident victims, such companies will do everything they can to avoid liability.

A Morgan & Morgan car accident attorney in Burlington,VT is the right person to contact when you need someone to fight for your rights. This allows you to focus on recovery and your day-to-day responsibilities. If you need help pursuing a car accident claim or lawsuit, fill out our free case evaluation form, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.