According to the US Department of Transportation, one-third of car accident injuries are caused by distracted driving. But, with over 100 million drivers and passengers injured in car accidents each year in the United States, car accident injury lawyers need to know what they’re doing when it comes to their practice.
Lawyers know the insurance companies like the back of their hands. So they’ve studied every last move the insurance companies make, down to the tiniest detail. That’s why many times, an accident victim will end up getting more money from their lawyer than what the insurance company offered as a settlement.
It’s also one of the reasons why you need a car accident lawyer. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, you need an experienced lawyer who knows how to fight… and… win… on your behalf. Insurance companies use many tricks to deny claims, and it can be hard to find an attorney who isn’t scared off by the process.
That’s why you need the help of an expert lawyer like Christopher C. Halbert. With over 17 years of experience as a personal injury trial lawyer, he has handled more than 4,000 cases and has recovered over 8 billion dollars for his clients. So if you have a claim, call (602. 997-7707 now for a FREE consultation and find out if he’s willing to take your case.
There is no way to get ready for a car accident without consulting with a car accident lawyer. A car accident lawyer will be able to tell you what you need to know to protect your rights and how you should proceed to make sure you receive the compensation you deserve.
The first step in the process is to send a demand letter to the “defendant” (the person or business responsible for the accident). This is a threatening letter that tells the defendant that if he doesn’t pay a certain amount of money within a certain period, you will take legal action against him. After sending the demand letter, you must wait at least 30 days before filing a lawsuit.
During this waiting period, you can do whatever negotiations you want with the defendant. You can be reasonable and ask for a lot, or you can be unreasonable and ask for little. Whatever the case may be, once you are satisfied that there is no real intention of the defendant to settle out of court, you can file your lawsuit.
If you were involved in an accident, there might be a reason why the other person wasn’t insured. For example, maybe the driver didn’t have insurance because he was not required to. Perhaps he didn’t have insurance because he didn’t know about it. That’s the reason why you need to send him a demand letter. In the letter, you can tell the defendant that he has 30 days to pay you a certain amount of money or face legal action.
You can also say that he can negotiate with you to get a better settlement. It’s your choice whether you want to deal or not. You can be very reasonable and ask for less than what you are entitled to. On the other hand, you can be unreasonable and ask for more.
What To Do If You Have A Claim
Don’t wait until you are desperate before you start looking for a lawyer. It would be best always to choose your lawyer with care and consideration. However, if you absolutely cannot afford a good lawyer, then you need to know what to do when you have a claim. The first step is to determine if your insurer will pay for a lawyer. Even if they won’t, you should still get one anyway.
It will take your mind off your situation and give you some needed “honeymoon” time to get your bearings and formulate a game plan. A good lawyer will tell you to be prepared with as many details as possible about the incident. This will help the lawyer to understand what happened and formulate the most potent argument possible in your favor.
If you ever need a lawyer, I suggest that you do your homework and research the different lawyers in your state. Make sure that you interview each of them and determine which one would be the best fit for you. Ask each of them questions about their experience, background, and ability to evaluate your claim.
You should also check into their ethical standards and how well they handle their injury cases. Also, ask each of them about their fee structure. It is essential to know this information ahead of time to make an intelligent decision.
Who To Contact For More Information
The insurance companies know what to do and communicate with their customers to get the best rate. You may not know what to do, but here’s a list of the top things to do:
- Call your insurance agent and ask who to contact for more information about Car Accident Insurance Lawyer.
- Look at the websites of the various companies and make sure you’re comfortable with the company’s services.
- Call your insurance agent to ask if there is a discount for bundling auto and home insurance.
- Look at the reviews and ratings of the insurance companies on sites like Yelp.
- Go to the insurance companies websites and review their products and services.
If you’re shopping online, look for the “best price” or “lowest price” button on the websites.
Who To Contact For More Information
A car accident lawyer will want to know everything about your case and ask many questions. He won’t assume anything. Be prepared to tell him everything from the make, model, and color of your car to the make, model, and year of your truck, and every detail about your insurance coverage. Don’t leave anything out. If he asks you something, you don’t know the answer to, ask for clarification and don’t guess.
In addition to all this, your lawyer will also want to know the names and contact information of the other drivers and any witnesses to the accident. Your lawyer will also want to see what you were doing, where you were going, what time you were driving, what you were wearing (a simple yes or no question), and what kind of car you were driving.
Don’t lie to your lawyer. If you do, you may not just get in trouble with the law, but you can also hurt your case. A simple truth often says more than a big fat lie. Don’t lie to your lawyer. It just makes things worse for you.
How To Protect Yourself Against Judgment Calls
The second principle is called “protect yourself against judgment calls.” It means you have to provide enough details and specific instructions to your prospect so they can make a good decision.
A wrong decision could lead to a bad result and thus, lead to a bad judgment call. But, if the decision-maker is armed with enough information and detailed instructions, they should be able to make a good decision and thus, make a good judgment call.
Should You Accept A Lowball Offer To Arbitrate Your Case?
Let’s say you’ve been served with a lawsuit, and the defendant has offered to submit your case to binding arbitration. What should you do? The answer is simple: You should always accept a lowball offer to arbitrate! Why? Because it will force the other side to give you a “deal,” they would never provide you if you had the choice of going to court.
It will allow you to win a settlement they are willing to accept without trial. If they don’t offer you a deal, don’t go to trial. It will take years off your life and cost an arm and a leg. Instead, use the savings to pay for the expert witnesses and other litigation costs, and then use the rest to live on while you wait for the outcome of your case.
What You Need To Know About Arbitration Agreements
Even though arbitration agreements are standard in many types of contracts, you should still know what they are and how they can impact your case. For example, an arbitration agreement states that an arbitrator will resolve any disputes instead of a court of law. When you sign one of these agreements, you give up your right to go to trial and have a jury decide the case in your favor.
This is important because juries tend to give people already injured or wronged by a company sympathy. As a result, they often award damages much higher than an arbitrator would likely award. For example, suppose you have the misfortune of being in a car accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. In that case, you may be entitled to file a claim against the other party’s auto insurance policy.
But, if you sign an arbitration agreement with your auto insurance policy, this may prevent you from receiving the full benefits to which you are entitled.
Will My Insurance Company Pay For My Attorney?
Your lawyer will likely ask your insurance company to pay for his fees. This means you need to be prepared for the question to come up. If your lawyer asks for payment of his fees from your insurer, there are two things to keep in mind.
First, if you have coverage under your policy, you should probably ask for it in writing.
Second, don’t take it personally when your attorney doesn’t know what the answer will be.
The best response to your insurer’s inquiry is to politely explain that you do have coverage but that you’re not sure if they’ll cover your attorney’s fee.
What To Do If You Receive A Notice To Appear In Court
The first thing you should do is write a letter to the lawyer (not your insurance company) expressing your regret at having been involved in the accident. Then, you are ready to make arrangements to pay any resulting damages. This will put the onus back on the lawyer to get you to agree to a fair settlement and will take the heat off of you and your insurance company.
Next, you should talk with your insurance agent or company about making a claim. Don’t wait until things get to this point before talking with your insurance company. This will give the insurance company more time to convince you not to file a claim. It would be best if you spoke to your insurance agent before you do this because he will be able to explain the process to you in detail and give you some advice. You should also let your insurance company know that you have retained an attorney.
This will put the ball back in their court. It will take the pressure off you and your attorney to work out a satisfactory settlement. You and your attorney should reach a fair and just compensation by working together. Please don’t talk with your insurance company unless you are prepared to battle with them over the matter. You should never fight your insurance company. They are often correct when they say that you are not worth fighting.
The main thing you should do is express your regret and be ready to make arrangements to pay any resulting damages. This will take the heat off of you and your insurance company. If they don’t respond to this by coming up with a fair and just offer, you should immediately contact your attorney.
How To Find Out If Your Insurance Company Is Giving You The Help You Need
Whether you’re insuring your home, car, or business, finding the right insurance company can be a tricky proposition. You want to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal, but you also don’t want to end up with a company that won’t give you the help you need if things go wrong. The solution? Ask your friends, family, and coworkers for recommendations. Start by asking those people who insurance companies have burned in the past. Many will happily share their horror stories with you and offer suggestions on how to avoid the problems they had with their previous insurer.
You should also ask your current insurance company for recommendations. They might even be willing to share some horror stories about other insurance companies. It would be best to ask your friends, relatives, and coworkers for insurance company recommendations. You should search the phone book under “insurance agents” and “insurance companies.” Read all the ads and make a list of the companies that look like they might be a good fit for you.
Then, contact the companies and ask them a series of questions. It would be best if you were asking questions like:
- What is your experience with customers who have been burned?
- Do you offer a lot of different policies?
- Do you have a lot of varying levels of coverage?
- How much do you charge for an annual or multi-year renewal?
- Will you give me a break on the first $500,000 in claims I make with you?
If you give a good, honest, no-nonsense answer to these types of questions, you should get some good recommendations.
Conclusion
Car accidents are traumatic events, and a lawyer can help you through the process. There is so much insurance companies do not tell you about when it comes to car accident claims, and you don’t need to take chances on how your case is handled. When you have a car accident, you should speak to an attorney immediately.
They are required by law to represent your interests in the case, and they will handle the details of the case for you. If you are injured in a car accident, contact a car accident lawyer in Seattle to find out if you have a claim.
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860890
