Question:
I was injured in a car accident. Do I need to hire an attorney right away? Or can I wait?
Answer:
It is not necessary to hire a car accident lawyer immediately after an accident, but it is important that you TALK to an attorney as soon as possible after an accident. And you should speak to an attorney who specializes in personal injury cases. An experienced accident attorney will give you advice that you need to know now so that you don’t do anything early on to prejudice your claim.
In general, after a car accident, these are some of the things that may need to be handled right away so that you don’t prejudice your claim:
- Deal with your car that is at an impound yard, incurring daily impound charges
- See a medical provider as soon as possible so that your injuries can be documented by a doctor
- Take photos of visible injuries to document them
- If there were witnesses to the accident – lock in their statements
- Do NOT give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company
- Do NOT sign a medical authorization for the other driver’s insurance company
If you were injured in a car accident, call our office for a free consultation. We’ll listen to your story. We’ll ask questions. And then you’ll get our honest opinion on whether you should hire a lawyer right away, or whether it’s ok to wait. Some law firms use scare tactics to get you to hire them right away. That’s not our firm. We will never rush you. We will give you free advice, regardless of whether you hire us. We want you to be comfortable with your decision and we want to make sure that all of your questions are answered so that you have a full understanding of the process.
It can be scary and stressful after a car accident. You are forced to suddenly to deal with things you have no experience with, for example:
- How do you pay for medical treatment?
- Can you get a rental car?
- What type of doctor should you see?
- Which insurance company should you go through to repair your car?
- Should you take time off work?
- What if the police report won’t be ready for weeks?
Get Started On Your Case Today With An Experienced Team
If you were injured in a car accident, call the attorneys at McGee, Lerer & Associates. We have the experience to guide you through an accident’s aftermath. Let us take some of the stress off your plate.