Why It Is Important to Collect Evidence After a Car Accident
While your first priority following a car accident should be your health, it is also important to assess the crash scene and collect evidence. This may include taking photos or contacting witnesses.
Auto Accident Attorney Duluth will represent you in the legal process and negotiate a fair settlement for your expenses. They are experienced in working with insurance companies and have extensive trial experience.
When people experience a car accident, their lives change dramatically. They must cope with severe injuries and mounting medical bills, loss of income from time off work, and emotional distress. In addition, they often have to deal with the insurance company, which is likely attempting to minimize their claim or deny it altogether.
Having an experienced Long Island car accident lawyer by your side after a crash is critical so you can protect your rights and pursue the compensation you deserve. An attorney will conduct a thorough investigation, gather evidence, and negotiate with insurance companies to help you get the money you need to cover your losses.
The car accident lawyers at Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP, are committed to providing comprehensive legal services to auto accident victims. They can help you determine the documentation you need to support your claim and navigate New York’s complex insurance and personal injury laws. They will also help you negotiate with the insurance company and determine whether they offer a fair settlement.
Depending on the circumstances, you can file both a third-party liability claim against the person or entity that caused your accident and a no-fault claim under your own policy for your economic losses. However, the law is complicated and insurance companies have a lot of experience fighting claims. They are adept at stalling and using strategies that undermine your ability to get the compensation you need.
Your injuries can range from lacerations and bruises to debilitating brain damage, broken bones, or even death. In some cases, you can only step outside of the no-fault system and sue the at-fault driver if your injuries meet a severity threshold set by state law. Your lawyer can identify all of your losses and help you seek the full amount of compensation you need to put your life back together. Contact us today to schedule a free, no obligation consultation with our team. We speak both English and Spanish. Hablamos Espanol.
Documentation
While car accidents are often traumatic, there is still time to gather and document evidence that supports your case. This documentation can prove vital to your claim’s success and helps your attorney establish liability and value your damages.
Documentation you can provide to your attorney include police accident reports, contact information for eyewitnesses, photographs of the scene of the accident, medical records and receipts, and other out-of-pocket expenses related to your injuries. You may also need to produce income statements and pay stubs to demonstrate how much you have been impacted by the accident financially.
A skilled car accident lawyer will know what to look for in the documentation you provide and which additional information is necessary to strengthen your case. For example, a lawyer with experience in accident reconstruction can use the information provided by a car’s “black box” to determine how the collision occurred. These devices contain data including throttle position, airbag deployment, and steering angle, among other details.
Your attorney can help you obtain a copy of the police accident report and review it to make sure that all important information is included, such as the names and insurance coverage of involved drivers. In addition, they can ask the officers if any traffic violations were noted on the report, such as speeding, drunk driving, or texting while driving. These violations can be used to support your claim that the other driver was negligent and caused your accident.
In addition, your attorney can get in touch with the insurance adjusters assigned to your case. They can request the property damage adjuster and bodily injury adjuster’s phone numbers so that they can communicate directly with them. This will save you a lot of time and can greatly improve your chances of receiving a higher settlement amount.
Your lawyer can also review your vehicle’s “black box” if it has one, which will have important information on the accident, such as vehicle and engine speeds, brake applications, and steering positions. A lawyer can also consult with medical experts and other professionals to establish the extent of your injuries and how they have impacted your life. This is particularly important in proving pain and suffering damages, which frequently comprise the majority of your settlement.
Negotiation
Car accident lawyers have a deep knowledge of the law and how it applies to your case. They also understand how to build a strong claim with a full array of damages and losses. They use this knowledge to negotiate with insurance companies, often successfully obtaining higher settlement offers than victims could achieve on their own.
The goal of an insurance company is to pay out as little as possible on a car accident claim. This is because they are in business to make profits, and they will do everything they can to minimize their payouts – even when the damage caused by the crash is significant. This is why it is so important to have New York car accident attorneys who are skilled negotiators on your side.
It’s hard to put a value on the losses you have suffered. You need to consider all the ways that the car accident has affected your life – financial losses, such as lost wages and medical bills, and non-financial losses, such as pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. An experienced attorney will include all of these losses in the demand for compensation.
Negotiating with insurance companies can be difficult because they are often trained to minimize the value of your claims and delay the process to get you to accept a low-ball offer. However, an experienced attorney will know how to counter these tactics and push for a high-value settlement.
Your lawyer will gather records to support your expenses and send a demand letter to the insurance company. The insurance company will then review the request and provide a initial offer. Your attorney will discuss the offer with you and address any questions or concerns you may have about it.
A good attorney will have a strong track record and reputation for successful outcomes. This can be advantageous when negotiating settlements and litigating in court, as opposing parties and judges may have a more positive view of an attorney from a well-known firm. They also have a deeper network of professional connections that they can leverage when advocating for their clients and accessing additional resources.
Litigation
Car accident litigation is often complex and requires the skill of a seasoned legal professional. Your attorney will need to review your case, make observations at the scene and in the vehicle(s), gather all available evidence and documentation, and conduct a thorough medical assessment of your injuries. This is in addition to the legal, financial and personal impact that you may experience from your injury.
Depending on your injuries, you may be entitled to compensation for damages such as property damage, current and future medical expenses and lost wages, emotional pain and suffering, mental distress, a reduced quality of life, and the wrongful death of a loved one if applicable. An experienced New York car accident lawyer will consider all of the ways that an accident has negatively impacted your life in order to build an accurate and comprehensive claim.
The vast majority of automobile accident cases result in settlements rather than a trial. However, when necessary, an experienced auto accident attorney is prepared to aggressively fight for your rights in a court of law. A strong trial record can significantly increase your chances of a full and fair settlement from the insurance company.
Many accident victims are unaware of their full legal rights to compensation after an accident. For example, the laws in some states restrict your ability to sue for a serious bodily injury unless you meet specific thresholds, such as significant disfigurement or a permanent limitation of a major body function. Your New York car accident attorney will help you navigate these restrictions and fight for the compensation that you deserve.
It is also not uncommon for multiple parties to be responsible for a single accident. This is why it’s important to partner with an attorney who understands the complexities of shared fault and comparative negligence. An experienced attorney will also know how to negotiate with liable parties that are outside of the standard driver-carrier relationship, such as rideshare companies, public transportation and sanitation vehicles. A knowledgeable New York car accident attorney will work to ensure that all liable parties are brought to the table for settlement negotiations.