Many individuals wonder whether hiring a lawyer is necessary after a minor car accident. Typically, a minor car accident involves minimal property damage and seemingly minor injuries. However, these initial impressions can be misleading. In some cases, what appears to be a minor incident can lead to unexpected complications, including delayed injuries or issues with insurance claims. Below are some scenarios where a seemingly minor accident may warrant legal assistance to protect your rights and ensure fair compensation.
In the following exemplary situations, you would benefit greatly from hiring a lawyer, even after a minor car accident.
The Other Driver Exaggerates Their Damages
The at-fault driver might come across as friendly and honest at the time of the accident. Later, however, they might inflate their claim to make it look like you were the one at fault and that they suffered heavy damages. There are many ways to do this. The term “whiplash,” for example, has almost become a synonym for fraud, even though most whiplash claims are genuine.
You Experience Delayed Symptoms
Certain kinds of injuries, such as head injuries and neck injuries, might not have symptoms until days later. The accident might seem minor at first. However, if you failed to seek immediate medical treatment because you didn’t realize you’d been hurt, you could end up with heavy damages but no way to prove you deserve compensation. The sooner you get a car accident lawyer involved, the better.
You Experience Delayed Psychological Effects
Psychological injuries can be as impactful as physical ones. Conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or vehophobia (fear of driving or riding in a car) may arise following an accident. These injuries, while significant, can be challenging to substantiate legally. Enlisting the help of an experienced attorney is essential to effectively demonstrate and seek compensation for these types of harm.
The Insurance Company Acts in Bad Faith
If an insurance company acts in bad faith, such as unreasonably denying or delaying your claim, underpaying, or failing to investigate properly, it may be necessary to seek legal assistance. An attorney can help you file a bad-faith insurance claim or use the threat of such a claim to strengthen your position in settlement negotiations. If successful, you may recover compensation for both your personal injury claim and damages resulting from the insurance company’s bad faith actions.
There are Errors in the Police Report
The police report might falsely accuse you of negligence, for example. Even if not, minor inaccuracies can negatively affect your driving record. In the long run, the most expensive consequence might be an increase in your car insurance rates.
Although police reports are typically inadmissible in court (because they are hearsay), the opposing party can always call the officer who wrote the report to the witness stand. If the police report contains inaccuracies, you might need a lawyer to help prevent a miscarriage of justice.
Your Garage Underestimates the Damage to Your Vehicle
A garage has an interest in either quoting the damage accurately or inflating their estimate. Nevertheless, sometimes, they underestimate the damage, typically due to inadequate inspection of the vehicle. If this inaccurate estimate causes you to underestimate the value of your claim, you might need a lawyer to help you straighten things out. You might even need to sue the garage.
You Were Driving a Rental Car
If your accident occurred while you were driving a rental car, the rental company might demand excessive compensation including not only damage to the vehicle, the loss of rental income, and administrative fees. The at-fault driver’s insurance might not cover all of these expenses, and the rental company might be inflating its claim anyway.
Schedule a Free Initial Consultation to Get a Better Idea of the True Value of Your Claim
A personal injury lawyer is likely to be in a better position than you are to determine the value of your claim, at least after you share the details of your accident. An Austin, TX attorney from McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers will start preparing your claim as soon as you hire them. Since evidence becomes stale, and so do personal injury claims, it’s important that you act quickly. Don’t wait until the statute of limitations deadline is looming.
Since McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers works on a contingency fee basis, you only pay attorney’s fees if you win. Attorney’s fees amount to a percentage of your compensation, so you risk nothing by scheduling a free initial consultation.
Contact our Car Accident Lawyers at McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers for Legal Help With Your Case
If you’ve been injured, contact your nearest McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers location to schedule a free consultation today.
We serve in Austin, TX and Salt Lake City, UT.
McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers – Austin, TX Office
502 W 14th St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 474-0222
McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers – Salt Lake City, UT Office
650 S 500, Suite 290, Salt Lake City, UT 84104
(512) 474-0222
