A car accident can leave you feeling shaken, to say the least. This feeling is heightened if you are injured or if any other passengers in the vehicle have suffered fatal or severe injuries.
As traumatic as everything is, you need to immediately consider the legal aspects of what just occurred. This means you may need to call a lawyer.
Here is a look at how you can know if you need legal representation.
Serious Injury
Car accidents are one of the leading causes of serious injuries. If you have suffered a severe injury in a car accident, you should consider speaking to a lawyer immediately.
Severe injuries include lost limbs, extensive burns, whiplash and neck injuries, bone fractures, and internal bleeding to name a few.
These types of injuries can result in permanent disability. If you are permanently disabled in a car accident and do not get the proper compensation, you may not be able to afford your medical fees or even pay your bills. To ensure that you get proper compensation, it is best to contact a lawyer.
Disputed Liability
When car accidents begin to get complicated, you need to hire a lawyer. This is especially true if it looks like both you and the other driver were at fault. When you contact a lawyer they will be able to navigate this complex issue for you.
Often when there is disputed liability the accident may have involved a truck, rideshare vehicle, or even a delivery van.
If your accident occurred because of faulty manufacturing in the vehicle, then you may need to hold the manufacturer liable. In other cases, the government may be at fault if poor road conditions caused an accident to happen.
Call a Lawyer When Handling Difficult Insurance Companies
Depending on the circumstances under which the accident happened, there may be more than one insurance company involved in the claim.
Insurance companies are in the business of trying to save as much money as they can, which means they don’t have a vested interest in paying out claims in the fairest manner.
It is best for them to get you to settle for as little money as possible. When you don’t have a lawyer you are unlikely to know how much your claim is worth. You are more likely to become a victim of the tactics that insurance adjusters use to try to pay as little as possible.
They may start asking leading questions about your health, request statements about the accidents, and even ask you to sign medical releases. All of these can affect your claim in a negative way.
When you hire an experienced lawyer they will already know about all these tactics and will advise you about what you should and should not respond to.
Get Compensated
The best time to call a lawyer when you are in a serious accident is immediately after it occurs. Call a New York City car accident lawyer as soon as you can. There are so many legal repercussions that can follow an accident that it may be impossible for you to understand all of them.
Hiring a lawyer will ensure that you have someone to speak out on your behalf and ensure you are compensated in a fair and timely manner. If you would like legal representation do not hesitate to contact us.
Gary P. Falkowitz is the Managing Partner and Founding Attorney of the Falkowitz Law Firm PLLC‚ one of the premiere personal injury law firms in New York. Gary received his J.D., in 2005 from St. John’s University School of Law and served as an Assistant District Attorney with the Kings County District Attorney’s Office.
