The Importance of Getting a Lawyer Involved Early in a Car Accident
After a car accident, you have an important decision to make: lawyer or no lawyer? If you take the advice of the other party’s insurance adjuster, you’ll end up negotiating on your own and hoping for the best. If you end up in over your head, you always have the opportunity to seek legal advice—but in doing so, your claim could lose substantial value.
Find out why it’s important to connect with an attorney as soon as possible after an accident, and to discuss your accident in greater detail, call Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman at 866-565-4949.
You Have Legal Rights—Don’t Let Yourself Get Talked Out of Using Them
Don’t be surprised if the other party’s insurance company reaches out to you quickly after an accident. They have a lot at stake and they want to figure out where you are in the process—if you’re already considering a lawyer, they want to talk you out of it. If you aren’t even sure who’s at fault, they’ll seize that opportunity and make you believe it’s your fault.
Before you have even had time to weigh your options, you are at risk of being talked out of most of them. Insurance companies do not want you to talk to an attorney because they do not want to pay out a penny more than they must. The other party’s insurance adjuster is not on your side, so don’t let them dictate your next move.
Evidence is Time-Sensitive
Another reason to talk to an attorney right away is to protect your evidence. Evidence degrades with time, and as a layperson, you don’t know how to preserve it for use in your personal injury claim. You may even lose evidence entirely if you don’t know how valuable it is.
When you hire a personal injury lawyer right away, they can take possession of your evidence, make necessary copies, and help you gather other pieces of evidence that may be useful in your case. If you wait weeks or even months, your attorney will be forced to build your case with whatever evidence is still available. That often means a weaker case overall.
The Longer You Wait, the More Likely You Are to Harm Your Case
The insurance company is always waiting for you to slip up and sabotage your own personal injury claim. It only helps them when you make a mistake and tells them more than you should.
Ideally, you won’t even talk to the insurance adjuster without having an attorney on your side. If you go this route, your attorney will talk to the insurance company for you—there’s no opportunity for you to tell them something you shouldn’t or otherwise hurt your case. But if you decide to negotiate with them on your own, it is very possible that mistakes could be made that can drive down the settlement amount they are willing to offer.
Give Your Attorney the Time They Need to Build Your Case
Time is limited when a car accident happens. While you legally have two years to file a personal injury claim in Pennsylvania, it’s best to strike while the iron is still hot. This is when the insurance adjuster is under significant pressure to settle and get you to waive your right to sue. If you take action at this point, you have the most leverage.
If you wait too long, your legal team may be put into somewhat of a time crunch putting together your claim. This may result in a lower settlement offer, especially if you have already talked to the insurance company and said some things that could be harmful to your case. Your attorney will still do their best under these circumstances to get you maximum compensation, but just understand that this type of situation is less than ideal.
Find Out How Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman Can Help You
Have you been injured in a car accident? The team at Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman is ready to help you fight for the compensation you are owed. Set up your consultation now and find out what your legal options are. Call us at 866-565-4949 or fill out our online contact form to have someone reach out to you.
