Do I Have To Pay Money To Hire an Accident Attorney?
When people suffer an injury in an accident, one of the first things they wonder is if they can afford to hire a lawyer to represent them. Personal injury law is complex, and having an experienced car accident attorney on your side can help you seek compensation for your injuries. The good news for most is that personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis. You only pay the lawyer if they win your case. The legal fees come out of your settlement. If your lawyer doesn’t win, you owe them nothing.
When Should You Hire a Lawyer for a Personal Injury Claim?
The sooner you contact an attorney after your accident, the better the opportunity for your lawyer to gather evidence from the accident scene. Time is of the essence when trying to track down relevant evidence for a car accident claim. Debris, skid marks, and nearby property damage, like broken road signs, may disappear in as little as a few hours or a few days after the accident.
Your attorney can help you manage your case by gathering evidence and expert witness testimony, including:
- Security footage from nearby businesses
- Photos of the accident scene and nearby hazards that could have led to the accident
- An investigation by an accident scene reconstructionist
- Dash cam footage from your vehicle or other vehicles nearby
- Your medical records from before and after the accident
By gathering this evidence early, your attorney will have more time with the evidence to build your case and help you assess the value of your claim. However, how do you pay an attorney for the early work they put into your case? Personal injury lawyers work on contingency, meaning they take their fee out of your settlement offer, so you pay nothing out-of-pocket.
How To Seek Compensation for Your Injuries
Your attorney will need to prove the four elements of negligence for your case, including:
- That the defendant owed a duty of care
- That the defendant breached their duty
- That the defendant’s actions led to the accident
- That you suffered injuries and losses due to the accident
Your attorney will seek recovery of your:
- Past and future medical bills (economic damages)
- Past and future lost wages (economic damages), if any
- Past and future pain and suffering / loss of enjoyment of life (non-economic damages)
A majority of cases resolve pre-suit (prior to filing a lawsuit).
If the insurance company denies your claim or makes a low-ball offer, your attorney will file suit against the negligent party.
The negligent party’s insurance company will hire an attorney on their behalf.
When To Accept a Settlement Offer
How do you know when to accept a settlement offer? Your attorney can help you calculate a fair value for your claim. They will tell you what other cases have settled for in the past and discuss the pros/cons of your claim (i.e. risk of accepting / declining the offer). They will also discuss your future expected medical costs.
Contact an Experienced Car Accident Attorney in The Keys
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, contact a car accident attorney at Florida Keys Injury. We work on contingency to help you seek compensation for your injuries. Call us today at 954-833-1178 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation in the Florida Keys.
