Hiring a lawyer is the last thing anyone wants to be doing, but if you’ve been in an accident in Kansas City, you should know how an accident lawyer can protect your rights. You don’t have to go through the process of negotiating a settlement or filing a court case on your own when you have the assistance of a trusted, experienced, and respected accident attorney.

10 Ways an Accident Lawyer Can Protect Your Rights

Communication With Insurance Companies

You may already know this, but the insurance companies involved in your accident case are not on your side. They don’t want to pay out claims, and if they have to, they want to pay as little as possible. When you speak with their representatives, they may sound like they’re helping you, but their goals are very different from yours. They’re going to try to get you to accept a settlement that’s likely less than your case is worth.

When you hire an accident attorney, you won’t have to communicate with the insurance companies at all because your attorney will handle that aspect of your case. They will not let you settle for a settlement that is unfair or that won’t cover your medical expenses, wage losses, and pain and suffering tolls. You want someone who is experienced in dealing with insurance companies and their tactics to represent your interests in all communications with them.

Medical Care and Treatment

If you’ve been in an accident, you may be holding off on getting treatment until you get a settlement, especially if you currently don’t have the money to get medical care. When you retain an attorney, they’ll make sure you get all the medical care and treatment you need without worrying about the bills. This is because most accident attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means you don’t pay anything until you get a settlement or an award.

With an attorney in your corner, you’ll be able to get your injuries treated while the negotiation process is ongoing. You need to get medical attention in a timely manner so that your injuries don’t get worse. This can be hard when you don’t have a lot of money, but if you have legal representation on a contingency basis, you get the medical care you need, and your settlement will pay for the bills later.

Obtain Medical Records

If you have received medical care for your injuries, you’ll need to obtain the medical records that pertain to the accident to prove your injuries were a result of the accident. While you can request your own medical records, it can sometimes be difficult for you to actually get them. Small doctors’ offices may not have the staffing available to get them to you in a timely manner, while larger offices may have specific procedures for you to follow.

You don’t need to have the added stress of trying to obtain your medical records. Your attorney has made these requests many times before and knows exactly what has to be done to get them. You will simply sign an authorization for your medical records to be released to your attorney and they’ll take care of the rest. You can focus on your recovery rather than on dealing with the numerous medical record requests that will support your case.

Deadlines

One of the most complicated parts of any legal situation is knowing when to file documents so that your case doesn’t get thrown out. Accident attorneys have experience in filing everything related to your case in a timely manner to maintain the statute of limitations and allow your claim to progress on an appropriate timeline. Deadlines are critical to accident cases, and missing one could put your settlement in jeopardy. Let your attorney handle these technicalities on your behalf.

Investigation

In an accidental injury case, one little detail can affect your settlement to either your benefit or detriment. You can’t afford to leave any part of the case out of your claim. Unfortunately, it can also be very expensive to investigate a case to ensure all facts are found and all witnesses are interviewed. As with your medical bills, your attorney will provide you with resources to investigate your case and will hire experts to protect the evidence.

For example, you may need someone to reconstruct the accident to determine what exactly happened and in what order. Additionally, you might night someone to track down witnesses who didn’t initially provide a statement to the police. These are activities you probably don’t have the tools to do yourself, but your attorney will have access to a variety of witnesses to help present your case and will pay for these services until you receive a settlement or award.

Lien Reduction

An insurance company can put a lien on your claim if you received benefits from them in relation to your accident. The lien means that the insurance company will receive payment from your settlement before you receive payment. Your attorney will work with the insurance company to reduce the lien on your claim. This is an important part of your attorney’s job because when an insurer reduces its lien, you receive more money out of the settlement.

Sound Advice

There’s a reason why attorneys are often referred to as counselors. It’s because they are experts at giving their clients sound legal advice. The legal system can be extremely complex, especially if you have no experience with it. You need to know which path is best to take, and your attorney will provide guidance to help you make the right decisions to get you the most compensation possible. If they think you should settle, they’ll tell you that, too.

Advice is especially valuable when you’re the one who’s been injured because your emotions and stress can cloud your decisions. By hiring an accident lawyer, you won’t have to worry about your emotions getting in the way of presenting a solid case, particularly if your claim ends up going to trial. Instead, your attorney, whose only goal is to represent your interests, will counsel you through every decision and choice that needs to be made throughout your case.

Trial

Hopefully, your case won’t end up in the courtroom, but even experienced attorneys can’t predict when one might go to trial. This is why your attorney will prepare your case as if it’ll be tried in front of a judge and jury, even if they expect a settlement well before it gets to that stage. You don’t want to depend on a settlement because if that falls through, you’ll have to go to court without adequate preparation.

Your attorney will do everything possible to avoid a trial, but in some cases, it’s the only way to make sure you get the compensation you deserve. The courtroom is where you’ll really see the importance of hiring an accident attorney because there are so many procedures and policies that you have to be familiar with when you try a case. If you attempt to do this without an attorney, you are taking a huge risk.

There is so much that could go wrong with an accidental injury claim, especially if it ends up going to court. Don’t let your rights slip away. Contact Yonke Law LLC today to schedule your initial consultation and learn how we can protect your rights.