Being in an automobile accident is scary. If you were injured and needed to seek medical attention, things can be even scarier. You may have been taken away from the accident site before the police arrived or before anyone could exchange insurance information. You are not sure what to do or who to turn to. A personal injury attorney is a good start. If you cannot make the call yourself, make sure your family knows to make the call for you. While it is important to call your insurance company, there are some pretty definite reasons to have an attorney look things over for you too, here are just a few of them.
Determine Fault
While different states have different laws regarding fault and who has to pay for damages and injuries in a car accident, it is important to have the fault established by a police officer. Your attorney will not only talk with the police regarding fault, but they will also investigate the crash site, talk to witnesses, and make sure that fault was properly determined. In most crashes, fault is divided between the drivers. How much each driver is blamed can determine how much each insurance company has to pay.
Negotiate with Insurance Companies
Once fault has been established, your lawyer will negotiate with the insurance companies to make sure that they offer a fair settlement. Since you may be receiving compensation from both your own insurance policy as well as the other driver's insurance this can be tricky. Depending on the insurance coverage you have, the expenses may have to be divided between personal injury and property damage. In addition, if one policy does not have enough to pay what it owes, you may need to rely on the other one. Luckily, an experienced auto accident attorney understands the ins and outs of different insurance policies and how to make sure you get what you need and deserve.
Once you have contacted the lawyer, it is best if you let them do all the talking and negotiating. If your insurance company wants to talk with you regarding the incident, be sure to have them meet you at the lawyer's office. This is especially true when dealing with the other driver's insurance company. It can be easy to become confused with all the questions. If you were injured you may have foggy memories of what happened. Your lawyer is there to get you through all the legal and financial stuff so you can just take the time to recover.
For more information, contact a local auto accident lawyer.