What Does a Car Accident Lawyer Do?

You might have heard that you should hire an attorney following a car accident, but what will a car accident lawyer actually do to help your case? While not every car wreck situation requires an attorney to step in to assist, the following are some ways an attorney can assist you and protect your rights. To discuss your specific options, Contact Wandres Law, a Tulsa car accident attorney right away. 

How a Car Accident Lawyer Can Help with Your Claim

A car accident lawyer can be valuable in many ways in assisting with your claim,, and the right lawyer should handle all of the following – and more – throughout your claim:

Identifying Liable Parties

You need to know who can be held legally liable for your injuries and losses. These, of course, are usually the parties who caused the collision, but may also be those that are vicariously liable for the actions of others. Multiple parties might be liable for your accident, and your lawyer will identify all of them to explore all possible avenues of obtaining compensation for your injuries.

Calculating Losses

Without a lawyer, many injury victims grossly under-document their damages. Losses include not only the medical bills you received and the income you already lost, but also can include future financial losses and intangible losses like past and future pain and suffering, permanent disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and more. A competent injury lawyer will know how to appropriately document these losses to make sure you present the full picture of how the collision affected you to the negligent party or their insurance carrier.

Gathering Evidence

You cannot just point fingers and expect to receive compensation. Instead, you will need to present evidence of both liability and your losses. Your lawyer can use their resources to investigate your case and gather all evidence possible to support your claim. An experienced injury attorney will have numerous resources at their disposal to appropriately investigate the claim in a timely manner, as well as gather documentation of your injuries and other damages.

Handling the Claims Process

Your attorney files insurance claims communicates with adjusters and takes care of every step of the bodily injury claims process. Following preparing and presenting a settlement demand, when the insurer makes a settlement offer, your lawyer will advise whether it is a favorable offer compared to your losses. If not, your attorney will attempt to negotiate a higher amount using various tactics. You want a lawyer who knows how to stand up to insurance companies on your behalf, and who has a proven track record of obtaining favorable settlements without a lawsuit being necessary..

If Pre-Suit Negotiations Fail, Filing a Lawsuit

However, if you do not receive a fair settlement offer, an experienced injury lawyer will file a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf in civil court. Litigation for injury claims can often be complicated, and an attorney who doesn’t regularly focus on this area of practice may not know the proper steps to take to best protect your rights. A competent injury attorney will be able to handle discovery, pretrial motions, any pretrial settlement negotiations, and if necessary, a trial if your case does not settle.

Relieving Your Stress

Overall, your car accident attorney should significantly reduce your stress after car accident injuries.  A competent injury law firm should be able to take the burden off of your shoulders while you do your best to heal and resume your life like it was before you were injured. Your attorney should be able to handle every step of the process so you can focus on your medical treatment and physical recovery.

Should I get a Lawyer for a Car Accident that Wasn’t my Fault?

It’s always in your best interest to at least consult with a car accident attorney after an accident that was someone else’s fault. This is true even if the other party’s insurance company has accepted liability and you weren’t really hurt. At Wandres Law, we are regularly contacted by potential clients whom, depending on the circumstances, we advise that they are better off handling their claim on their own; sometimes a lawyer just isn’t necessary. However, with injury claims, insurance companies will generally do everything they can to try to settle a claim for as little as possible, which means that their initial offers (often made days or even hours following a car wreck) will likely be far less than you deserve.

Experienced car accident lawyers are familiar with how insurance companies operate and know how to get them to pay victims for all of their losses – including harder-to-quantify losses like damages for pain and suffering.

You should contact an attorney as soon as you can after an accident, and be mindful of what you say to an insurance adjuster in the interim. While you are not represented, there is a risk that you could say something that could later greatly reduce your financial recovery. In addition, the sooner a lawyer is on your case, the sooner they can start to use their process to obtain evidence needed to establish liability and prove your damages.

Speak with a Tulsa Car Accident Attorney to Learn More

If you have suffered injuries in an accident caused by another driver, you should contact Wandres Law today. Our skilled attorneys will review the facts of your case for free, and let you know whether you have a claim that warrants retaining an attorney. If you do, and you choose to retain our team, we are compensated only if we successfully bring your claim to a conclusion, so there is no risk in retaining us. Contact us or call our office today to schedule a free case evaluation with an auto accident lawyer in Tulsa.