People do not always think of everything from a legal perspective after being in a major car accident. It isn’t uncommon for people to consider searching for a car accident lawyer of course, but not enough people follow through with it. So, what might go wrong if you decide not to consult with an automobile accident lawyer after being in a serious accident? Let’s take a look at some of the most likely scenarios next.
You Will Never Know If You Had a Valid Case
If you were involved in a serious car accident, it means that people were injured. If you and/or your family members were injured in the accident without fault, then you could be entitled to hefty compensation. If you never consult with an automobile accident lawyer and discuss the details of your case, you will never know. You might be paying in more ways than one for someone else’s mistakes, and yet, you will never even know whether you had a fair chance of being compensated by them.
Avoid living in the confusion of never knowing for sure by acting in time. We do not charge for consultations at Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys, so you will get to discuss your case for free with our best car accident attorneys. In other words, it won’t cost you anything if you do seek legal consultation and it turns out that you don’t have a winning case. On the other hand, you could lose out on a lot if you decide never to even consult with a vehicle accident attorney before the statute of limitation runs out.
You Might be Too Late to Seek Compensation
Every state has a statute of limitation on personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. The statute of limitation is a legal time limit that states how long someone has to file a claim for compensation. The starting date for your statute of limitations will be the same as the day of the accident. For example, the statute of limitations in the state of California is two years for personal injury claims and three years for property damage claims. It varies quite a bit from state to state, but the core idea remains the same.
If you don’t even consult with a car accident injury lawyer before the statute of limitation runs out, you will not be able to claim anything later. Even if you realize many years later that you suffered and paid a lot more than you had expected at that point, it will be too late to take legal action against the party at fault. There are certain exceptions that may allow a car accident lawyer to file claims under special circumstances, but such situations are quite rare.
It should be noted that the longer you wait, the more your case’s merit and potential will suffer. This is applicable even if you file a case within the time limit, but much later than would be legally advisable. When personal injury cases are filed after a significant time has passed, it lowers the compensation estimates, and removes some of the initial impact that an earlier case could have had on the final outcome. Passage of time also makes it more difficult to find all essential documents and build a case.
You Could be Sued Instead
If you were at fault, then you should seek legal assistance as soon as possible to prepare a defensible case or at least initiate negotiations with the other party. However, that is a scenario where the party is expecting to be sued for personal injury and property damage compensation. Unfortunately for a lot of victims of the accident, they themselves might be sued by the party at fault.
In most cases the faulty party may reach out for a negotiation through their own legal representatives, but the reverse may also happen. When it does, the victim becomes the defendant as a result, which may weaken your case. If that happens, then it’s an indication that the other party is doing it to weaken any future claims that you may bring against them. The problem is that the strategy works better than it should at times. Your legal inaction can potentially make you seem guilty simply because you did not act quickly enough.
Being both victimized and sued for it is a very unfair and stressing situation to be in for anyone, so don’t take that chance. Turn on the location of your phone and Google something like “auto accident attorneys near me” or “vehicle accident attorneys near me” to find your own legal representative. Our top car accident attorneys will not only be able to tell you whether you have a case, they will also know how the opposition may act. As long as you have reputed legal counsel and representation, rest assured that your lawyers will work on your defense and countersuit strategy simultaneously.
Your Insurance Claim Might be Delayed
It would be unfair to stat that all insurance claims are automatically delayed or denied by insurers if the claimant does not have legal representation. That simply is not what happens. However, it’s a statistical reality that claimants who process their insurance claims through personal injury attorneys get better results. The claims have a significantly higher rate of being quickly accepted and processed faster.
Insurers have their own lawyers who advise their clients to not hold up or deny any claims that they know will ultimately go through, if taken to court. If there is no legal representation behind a claim, insurers are known to delay and sometimes, even deny certain claims. Filing your claim through an experienced personal injury lawyer also ensures that there are no technical mistakes which the insurer may use to deny the claim temporarily. Work with your personal injury and auto accident attorneys right from the start to avoid unnecessary delays from your insurance provider’s end.
