Question:
The Insurance company of the other driver is asking for a fee for the damaged car. The accident occurred while I was heading down the road with a green light on my side of the road. While heading down on the opposite side of the road a car turned left on their side, resulting in me crashing into them. Police arrived and filed a report stating no one was at fault, and to deal with the situation with the insurance company. At that time I did not have insurance. So now the company wants money for the other driver’s damaged car. Can anyone guide me in a direction where I should find a good attorney? I have been surfing the web but all I see is Injury Attorney and didn’t know if it was the right one.
Best Answer:
You don’t need a lawyer to help with routine car accident claims if you take a little time to educate yourself about the claims system. The key is to figure out which cases you can settle yourself, and which require a lawyer. Before you decide whether to settle your own claim, think about these five things.
1. Is fault contested in your case, or does the other driver and their insurance company admit that the other driver caused the accident?
Where fault for a car accident is contested, if you cannot prove that the other driver caused the accident, you will lose and recover nothing. So, you cannot take a chance on this. If there is going to be a fight over fault, especially if that fight will be waged in a court that applies the technical rules of evidence, then there is too much at stake for you to go it alone, and you need a car accident lawyer’s help.
2. How much are your out-of-pocket expenses for such things as medical bills and lost income?
You might be comfortable settling your own claims if your out-of-pocket expenses are $2,000, $3,000 or $5,000, but you might not want to handle your own claims if these out-of-pocket expenses are $15,000 or $20,000 or more. You have to decide at what level your case is too big to handle yourself, and your personal choking point may be higher or lower than these figures.
3. How seriously were you injured and how long did it take you to recover?
If you had a serious injury such as a broken bone or a herniated disk that affected you for a long time, and especially if you have a permanent injury that will haunt you the rest of your life, you have a potentially large claim and should hire a lawyer to present it professionally.
These last two questions are different ways of saying that the larger your claim and the more that is at stake, the smarter it is to have a professional on your side. As a general rule of thumb, the larger the case, the harder the other side resists the claim. Learn more about car accident claim value.
Here’s another way to think about it. You wouldn’t do surgery on yourself, but you would definitely treat a small cut or a bruise or some other minor injury. The same is true with legal claims. There are many claims that you can handle yourself if you learn how, but it would be foolish to handle large claims yourself.
4. Are you going to court?
If you have to take your case to court, and you cannot use an alternative dispute resolution such as the consumer-friendly small claims court, you need a lawyer who knows the court rules. That way you give yourself a fair chance to win and ensure that your legal rights are protected.
5. Are you willing to invest 5 to 10 hours learning how to settle car accident claims, and then actually presenting your claim?
You can probably learn all you need to know about settling routine claims in about 2 or 3 hours. Then, you will have to spend some time actually handling and settling your claim. The amount of time required varies from case to case, but it would probably be about 5 to 10 hours.
If you simply do not want to spend that much time, hire a lawyer and turn your case over to them early so they will have time to do their thing. But if you want to try to settle your own claim, go for it. You can always change your mind later and hire a lawyer if you get into the process and your feet get a little cold.
Settling your own claim is doable, and it is profitable. Lawyers typically charge a legal fee equal to 1/3 of your recovery (and perhaps even more), so settling your own $10,000 case, for example, can put more than $3,000 extra dollars in your pocket. Not bad for 7 to 10 hours of work. Of course, if your case is too serious or you are not comfortable settling it yourself, turn it over to a lawyer. Two-thirds of something is better than all of nothing!
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DUI Lawyer – You think yourself to be a really good driver? Nonetheless, no one is perfect, and most people have made the mistake of drunk driving. Driving intoxicated doesn’t necessarily mean you are so drunk that you can’t see correctly. It all depends on the amount of alcohol content in your blood and also if the policeman feels you are able to operate your car. If there is ever a time you end up in that quandary and have been charged with a DWI, then you need to employ a defense attorney.
Many individuals simplify a DWI as having a blood-alcohol level more than the legal limit as the primary indicator of your drunk level. But people need to realize that law enforcement doesn’t see it precisely the same way. An officer can also use their own judgment when determining whether or not you can safely drive your car. There is plainly too much gray area from the moment you are pulled over until you make the trip to the jailhouse. For that reason alone, a DUI Lawyer can get you out of a lot of problems. Experienced drinking and driving defense attorney can walk you through the items related to your arrest and tell your side of the story.
In many US states, it seems like drinking and driving has become a cash crop for the police, and they will find any way they can to make sure you pay the price for indulging in a drink or two after work. Without a good DUI Attorney, you will surely be hit with the maximum fines possible. The fines can reach into the thousands of dollars, and you could have your license taken away. How hard will it be to keep your life together if you can’t get to work? You’ll want to encourage your defense attorney to take a look at your position as a whole and find out what they can do to cut down on the damage. You’ll want them to assist you to be able to regain your car license so you can drive to your job and stay able to pay your bills. Spending time in a drunken driving treatment facility would be much more palatable than that! Your defense lawyer can help you with that!
There are many ways to get ahead when you are relegated to retaining an outstanding and effective DUI Attorney. Your friends and relatives will be vocal about what would be the smartest thing for you. It isn’t bad to listen to them but depend on some essential decision-making tools to check that you retain the right lawyer for you. A preferable law firm will have a lot of know-how and have a lot of cases. However, they will make sure to set enough time aside for you to give them what you believe occurred the day of your arrest. If you are dishing out a lot of money, it is essential to at least have open the lines of communication. They should have enough drinking and driving case experience to back you and how to sway the judge when your recorded level was just below or just over the limit.
Just because you made an error driving with assumptions that you are drunk doesn’t mean you merit jail time, especially if you aren’t a problematic criminal. A sympathetic defense attorney understands your plight and will work hard in your favor so that you are able to get back to a normal routine for you, your family, and those around you.
Don’t take it for granted that fighting a drinking and driving sentence will be easy. Engage a good DUI Defense Lawyer and don’t allow the discrepancy of law enforcement to destroy your life.
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