Did you know that there are roughly 6,296,000 vehicle traffic crashes every year?
And that’s not including the 10 million car crashes that aren’t reported to the police.
If you were recently the victim of a car accident, please don’t hesitate to ask for help.
If you don’t seek immediate help, your medical bills could start to stack up all while you’re missing work, losing wages, and trying to cover your expenses alone.
Instead of trying to handle everything on your own while you nurse an injury, you should consider contacting a personal injury lawyer in Atlanta.
With an experienced lawyer on your case, you won’t have to fight alone.
If you’re on the fence about hiring a personal injury lawyer after your accident, keep reading.
In the article below, we will discuss eight reasons you should contact your Atlanta personal injury lawyer right away.
When you understand these reasons to call a lawyer, you will protect your legal interests and health in the future.
Don’t wait to call for help.
Read on to discover the reasons you should hire a personal injury lawyer in Atlanta today.
1. Your Injuries are Long-Lasting
Any person that has been involved in a car accident has likely suffered injuries severe enough to result in time off of work.
You may also have a severe, long-lasting injury as well.
And if you do, you’re not alone.
About 4.4 million Americans are seriously injured after motor vehicle accidents and require immediate medical attention.
Another 20 to 50 million suffer non-fatal injuries that result in long-term disabilities.
If those numbers aren’t bad enough, about 38,000 people die every year due to car crashes.
Road crashes are the leading cause of death in the US for people ages 1 to 54.
Pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities continue to rise as well.
More pedestrians and cyclists were killed in 2018 than in any year since 1990.
Maybe you were lucky enough to leave the scene of the accident with just a few scrapes and bruises.
If so, you may not be out of the woods yet.
Many accident victims don’t realize the severity of their injuries until hours, days, or weeks after the accident.
That’s why it’s always important to schedule an appointment with a doctor right away.
Only an accident doctor can assess your physical health.
Their assessment will also help your personal injury attorneys build your lawsuit if your accident was due to someone else’s negligence.
Your personal injury lawyer will use your medical records to prove your injuries are a direct result of the crash.
After seeing a doctor, you need to keep track of:
- Your medical bills
- The doctors and specialists you visit
- The medications you take
- Any treatments you receive
If you are suffering from severe, chronic injuries, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact a personal injury lawyer.
Your lawyer will use this information to calculate the damage you sustained in the accident.
Every personal injury attorney will make sure every person they work with gets the compensation they deserve.
After your initial appointment, you need to keep up with your treatments.
If you don’t, opposing counsel might argue that the damage you sustained isn’t as severe as you claimed.
They’ll argue there was a gap in your treatment plan.
A gap in treatment can occur between the initial car accident and when you first began receiving treatment or after you initially visited a doctor, then waited a few months for a follow-up appointment.
Either way, a gap in treatment could hurt your case.
The first thing you need to do is visit a doctor immediately after the car accident.
Keep in mind that you might not recognize the severity of your injuries right away.
You may also develop a disability that could impact your quality of life.
After your initial treatment, be sure to go to every follow-up appointment.
Follow-up with your doctors, chiropractors, and any other specialists or therapists you visit. Track your symptoms as well.
If anything changes, let your Atlanta personal injury lawyer know.
2. The Medical Bills are Stacking Up
The severity of your injuries after a car or truck accident could impact your case.
Your insurance company will calculate the severity of your injuries based on:
- The doctor’s assessment
- The type of injuries you’ve sustained
- How long it will take for you to recover
- The total cost of your medical bills
Your medical bills will eventually start stacking up.
If you’re out of work because of your injuries, it could become very challenging to pay for your treatments.
You may also reach the policy limit on your driver’s insurance policy.
Your insurance company will likely try to argue that you sustained your injuries another way or that they aren’t as serious as you claim.
Insurance companies are for-profit businesses, so they try to pay as little as possible, forcing you to pay out-of-pocket.
To keep this from happening to you, hire a personal injury lawyer Atlanta residents trust that can handle your personal injury claim.
Your attorney will calculate your losses and ensure you receive proper compensation for your medical bills and property damage.
If you weren’t injured, here’s what to do.
3. Negotiating With the Insurance Company
Remember, the insurance company needs to pay as little as possible after you’re in an accident.
To do this, they might try to blame you for what happened or accuse you of faking or exaggerating your injuries.
Don’t be surprised if they don’t take your claim seriously, either.
The insurance company has their best interests at heart, not yours. They’ll likely try to take advantage of you if you try to argue your case alone.
Instead of letting it reach that point, hire a personal injury lawyer with a track record of winning settlements for their clients.
Look for a personal injury lawyer with years of experience that knows the process of winning cases.
They can leverage their prior experience when negotiating with insurance companies.
They’ll understand the laws and procedures involved when building your case.
And don’t wait too long to contact a personal injury attorney because there are statute of limitation laws that can void your personal injury claim if you wait too long to file.
Don’t try to deal with the insurance company alone.
They’ll try to twist your words and use anything you say against you.
Even an apology can be twisted into an admission of fault.
Speak with a personal injury lawyer that can coach you on what to say.
Or better yet, let them do the talking for you.
With their help, you can fight to cover your medical expenses, lost wages, and any other damages.
4. You Were at Fault
Did you run a red light? Did you fail to yield the right of way?
If so, the insurance company will argue that your negligence led to the accident.
If there’s a chance you were at fault, don’t speak to the insurance company before speaking to an attorney.
Tell them what happened so they can help you determine the best course of action moving forward.
Insurance companies don’t cover the losses of negligent parties.
They have to pay out-of-pocket to cover their medical bills instead.
Look for an attorney with years of experience handling car wrecks in Atlanta.
They’ll understand the complexities of your case and protect your best interests.
5. Liability is Unclear
More than nine people are killed every day due to distracted driving, and more than 1,060 people are injured in crashes due to distracted drivers.
Drivers are 23 times more likely to crash while texting and driving.
Even if the other driver was at fault, it might be hard to prove it.
In many instances of distracted driving, the insurance company of the negligent parties will try to argue that liability is unclear.
They don’t want to admit that their client’s negligence caused the accident because they don’t want to pay for the damage.
If liability seems unclear, search for a “personal injury lawyer near me” right away.
An experienced personal injury lawyer will have a network of experts they can rely on.
They can gather evidence that proves the other driver was negligent for the crash.
They can even call on a medical expert or an accident deconstructionist to prove what caused your injuries if necessary.
Hiring a personal injury lawyer will help strengthen your case.
With their help, you can prove the driver was liable and start fighting for the compensation you deserve.
IF you try to handle a case on your own, it could lead to costly mistakes and lower settlements.
You might struggle to gather the evidence you need to build your personal injury claim.
One small issue with your paperwork could get the case thrown out.
Please don’t risk it. Instead, call a personal injury lawyer with experience in car accidents.
They’ll ensure you receive the compensation you’re due, even if they have to take your case to trial.
6. The Insurance Company Refuses to Pay
Again, your insurance company will want to pay you as little as possible.
They might refuse to pay altogether.
This will leave you struggling to cover your medical bills and recover lost wages.
Call your Atlanta personal injury law firm right away.
They’ll keep the insurance company from stretching out negotiations before the statute of limitations passes.
If you try to do it alone, you could experience delays receiving the compensation you deserve.
7. You Don’t Know What to Do
Many people don’t know what to do after a car accident, and that’s okay.
That’s what an experienced legal team is for.
If you’re not sure what to do after you’re in an accident, speak with a personal injury lawyer.
Many will allow you to schedule a free consultation appointment right away, so there’s no risk to talk to them.
Your personal injury lawyer will ask about your accident and try to learn as much as they can about your case.
That will allow them to help you explore your legal options.
You don’t want to have to navigate this unfamiliar territory alone.
Many accident victims struggle to make the best decision without experience to lean on.
Instead, leverage your lawyer’s experience and expertise, especially if there’s a chance your case could go to trial.
Ask them about similar cases they’ve handled in the past and the outcome of those cases.
With a lawyer at your side, you’ll have peace of mind.
8. You Want to File a Lawsuit
You should always allow a team of accident lawyers to file your lawsuit for you.
Remember, one tiny issue with your paperwork could cause delays and hurt your chances of receiving fair compensation for your medical care.
Don’t try to handle it alone.
Instead, hire an experienced personal injury lawyer in Atlanta.
They’ll help you throughout the entire process with things like gathering evidence, filing your lawsuit, and winning your claim.
With their help, you won’t have to go through it alone.
Contact Mabra Law
Don’t try to handle a personal injury lawsuit on your own. Instead, call an experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyer right away. With their help, you can avoid potential problems with your case.
They’ll ensure you receive the compensation you’re due. Then, you can cover your medical bills and losses without stress.
Want to discuss your case with a team you can trust? Your Atlanta personal injury law firm is here to help.
Schedule a free consultation at our Atlanta office to get started.