The following post is written by Ladenburg Law Injury Attorneys, which has offices in Tacoma and Olympia. If you’d like to see if we can assist you with your claim, please call us. Consultations are always free, and we only charge a fee if we win you a settlement.
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A car accident disrupts your life in many ways. On top of the pain you may be in, there’s the car to fix, insurance claim to file, and missed time from work and other activities. Maybe you’re on the fence if an attorney could help you. Would it be worth it?
In this post, we’ll tackle a few common questions:
- Types of accidents an attorney could help with
- How injury attorney fees work
- Benefits of working with an attorney
Remember, this post is intended to provide you with some basic information only. If you need targeted legal advice, reach out to an Olympia injury attorney.
Types of Accidents an Attorney Can Handle
In general, an attorney can assist if you were injured in a car accident due to no fault of your own. Unfortunately, the insurance claims process isn’t always fair to victims. As your representative, an attorney can make sure your best interests are protected and work to negotiate compensation on your behalf.
However, there are certain accident scenarios where it may be even more important to involve an attorney. Let’s look at a few:
- Serious injuries or fatalities. If you’re facing steep medical bills, permanent disability, or even the loss of a loved one, call an attorney. Insurance companies may be eager to offer you a low settlement early in the process, before you realize the true value of your claim.
- Complex insurance scenarios. Suppose you were hit by a commercial truck driver. Did you know that it’s possible you could pursue claims against multiple policies? A seasoned attorney will explore all sources of funds to restore you.
- Partial fault collisions. The State of Washington is a comparative fault state. This means that a judge or jury can review what happened and assign a fault percentage to each driver involved in the crash. Your total settlement will be reduced by the percentage you’re found to be at fault. If you were partly responsible for your injuries in a collision, an experienced attorney can work to lower your fault percentage.
In other words, there are many situations where an attorney can step in and take the legal burden off your plate.
How Injury Attorney Fees Work
You might be surprised to learn that most injury attorneys do not charge upfront for their services. Here’s how it works: they’ll offer a free consultation about what happened. If they choose to take on your case, you’ll only pay a fee if they win you a settlement. There’s no monthly bill, retainer, nothing.
This means there’s no risk or obligation to contact a local injury attorney to see if they can help you out. No matter what, you’ll learn about the legal options you have.
Benefits of Working with an Attorney
Sometimes, victims may feel they should be able to manage the insurance claim on their own. So why have an attorney help?
Here are a few reasons:
- Less stress. An attorney will manage the entire process for you. No more having to answer phone calls from insurance agents, filling out paperwork, or dealing with the other driver.
- Truer picture of your case’s value. An attorney may catalog ways you’ve been harmed that you hadn’t fully comprehended. Plus, he or she will know what’s fair when comparing your situation to cases like yours. An insurance settlement should properly compensate you for your medical bills, lost wages, pain, and suffering.
- A better settlement. Studies show that just having an attorney on your side increases the value of your claim. (Yes, even after accounting for the attorney’s fee after settlement.)
- Legal options. In the event the insurance company fails to make a fair offer, an attorney can file a lawsuit and take your case to court.
Knowing the legal stuff is being taken care of, you can fully focus on your recovery. Perhaps this includes chiropractic care for whiplash, neck pain, and headaches you’ve suffered.
Chiropractic Care and Your Attorney
Perhaps you’ve sought chiropractic care for whiplash, neck pain, and headaches you’ve suffered after your crash. Chiropractors such as Dr. Warwick frequently work with injury attorneys to help their patients get the care they need.
Typically, you’ll sign a form to notify your chiropractor that you’re having an injury attorney help with your claim. Once your treatment is completed, the attorney will reach out to the chiropractor for medical bills to submit to the insurance company.
This process is straightforward and best of all, nothing further is required from you! However, at any time you can contact your chiropractor or attorney with any questions you might have.
Call an Attorney Today about Your Accident
Maybe this post has put the question in your mind: could an attorney help me? If so, we encourage you to make a call with a well-rated attorney near you.
