What should you do if you’ve been in a car accident? Do you need to speak to an attorney?
If you’re in an accident and the only thing that’s been damaged is the car, you probably don’t need an attorney. It’s likely something your insurance company or the insurance company of the party at fault will handle for you.
If you are injured, however, it’s a completely different situation, and we highly recommend speaking with an attorney before dealing with the insurance company. The reason why is insurance companies are trained to take advantage of people who’ve been injured in an accident in order to get them to settle their case for as little money as possible.
If you think about it, it makes sense. These insurance companies don’t owe you anything. They’re a business, and they want to settle the case and get it off their books. So what do they do? They play tricks and manipulate the situation to make it look like either they don’t hold any liability or you’re not as injured as you are.
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They do this in a few ways. They’ll call you and ask you for a recorded statement and then try to pull information out of you that they can use and manipulate to make it sound like you’re not as injured as you are. They’ll also send you a health authorization form that allows them to pull your entire medical history. They can then use your medical past as an excuse to claim that’s why you’re hurt instead of your accident.
No matter how nice they are on the phone, their job is to get you to settle your case for as little money as possible.
If you’re ever injured in an accident and you need ongoing care, talk with an attorney before you do anything. We invite you to come to our office so we can sit down with you and help you understand your situation so you can make an informed decision. It’s important that you know how to pursue your claim without being taken advantage of so you can move on with your life with respect and dignity.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here to help.