7 Important Things To Keep In Mind When You Have A Car Accident Lawsuit Case

No matter how hard you try, things can go wrong at any time. It’s not always your fault when you are involved in an accident. Sometimes the careless of the other driver leads you to an accident. Such an accident may result in severe or minor damages to your property i.e. the car, and your body. Since the accident is caused by the careless attitude of the other driver you should not hesitate from asking for a compensation for the damage and loss. This damage can be in many forms. You might want the other driver to pay for the expense of fixing your damaged car or pay your medical bills.

You can incur a loss in many forms when you are involved in an accident. However, most people aren't aware of what they are entitled to in such a situation. Mostly, they will only look at the damage done to their car and to their bodies but that's not where the story ends. You suffer in many different ways due to a serious accident but only a personal injury lawyer who handles traffic accident cases can throw some light on the unknown areas. If you are involved in an accident or someone you know has just had a similar situation, here are the 7 most important things to remember.

1. There Are No Fault States Too

Via Insurance Information Institute

There are no fault states where the case of an accident is not the same as it is in other states. Kansas, Hawaii, Florida and New Jersey are some of those states where you might not be sued for becoming the cause of an accident unless the situation was extremely worse. In most cases, the person who received the damage because of you will be covered by their insurance company. His physical injuries and damages to the vehicle are compensated by the insurance companies. However, if you are proven to be completely careless of the rules and ruthless while driving, there will be consequences.

2. Your Insurance Company Isn't Your Biggest Well Wisher

If you are thinking that your insurance company is going to see the claims made by the person who you injured in an accident and then compensate the losses, you might be thinking a little differently from your insurance company. Insurance companies are there to cover you for any damages that you have done during the accident. However, the major goal for them is to keep their costs down and earn as much as possible from your insurance. The company will do its best to keep the costs low and this practice from your insurance company might not be in your best interest.

3. Your Emotions Do Count

If you are talking to an attorney about a car accident and the damages done to you, don't talk about the damages from a materialistic point of view only. Instead, you should mention the emotional pain and distress you have gone through and are going through due to the accident. What if some injury caused one of your limbs look a little crooked? This could be extremely embarrassing for you. Any emotional pain and mental distress you have encountered due to the accident must be mentioned before your attorney.

4. Your Companionship Plays A Role Too

You might not have thought about it but the impact of an accident on your marital relationship is another point you must mention to your attorney and bring forward to the jury if the case has reached the court. An accident might have caused negative effects in your marital relationship. You might have faced difficulties in your sexual relationship with your spouse. Michael P. Ehline, a reputed Los Angeles personal injury lawyer from Ehline Law Firm PC, suggests "Comfort and affection are also areas of debate when a spouse is injured in an accident. However, when you make such a claim you have to show the attorney how good your marital relationship was before the accident took place. The strength of the relationship before the accident decides the magnitude of loss of companionship".

5. It Is Best To Ask Upfront

The process of hiring an attorney for your case can be a difficult one if you are not familiar with how this industry works. You might go to a law firm after seeing the big names on the website and boards only to find out later on that these people will not be working on your case. Big law firms have internees and newly hired associates doing work on most of the cases, especially those that are not considered big. Ask upfront about the person who will be directly involved in your case and take care of the matters. Only proceed if the person who will be working on your case seems satisfactory.

6. Ask The Important Questions First

Don't hesitate from asking the right questions from the attorney you are about to hire. There are many things that indicate whether or not an attorney is fit for your case. First, check if the lawyer is specifically dealing in the type of injury you have received in the accident. Never hesitate from asking about the past performance of the lawyer. You want to know how successful your lawyer or attorney has been in his past cases. Look for cases similar to you and see the percentage of wins and losses. Some attorneys are perfect at keeping the cases out of the court and reaching settlements for the parties. This is a good thing to know but not when your case has already been sent to court. According to Michael Ehline, one must ask how many times the attorney they are hiring has actually entered the court and fought a case.

7. Negotiate The Offer Intelligently

If you are looking for a settlement, make sure you know the right tricks and methods of getting the best settlement of your case. You can't possibly think that the adjuster is going to make the best offer to you straight away or that the insurance company of the person who injured you in the accident will ask him to make a big offer to you right away. Their major goal is to keep their costs low and convince you for as low a settlement as possible. However, there are ways to confirm whether the amount you are being offered is the best you can be offered.

Always confirm whether the adjustor has made a take-it-or-leave-it offer to you. Your adjustor will try to give you an equivocal answer when you ask the question about his/her offer being take-it-or-leave-it offer straight forwardly. Any answer other than a straight one means you have a chance to get a better settlement for your case. In the same way, your adjustor might say that the best offer he can make to you at that time is the best. This only means that the offer can get better at another time. This is another opportunity to get a better settlement. Make sure you ask such questions from your adjustor so you can know the best settlement offer you can get.

Lastly, always make sure to research thoroughly online, in your colleagues and friends before you hire an attorney for such an important matter.