Car accidents happen all the time, but most people don’t give it much thought until they become part of the unfortunate event. A car crash is a serious incident that can cause property damage, injuries, and even death. It’s crucial to have the right legal professional by your side when you or a loved one is involved in a one.
Dealing With A Car Accident
No matter how vigilant or responsible you are on the road, you could still become a victim of a car crash due to other motorists’ negligence. If you find yourself getting caught in a car accident, the immediate things to do are the following:
- Remain calm and stay at the scene: Even if it’s such a huge challenge, it’s crucial to remain calm after a crash. Check if you or anyone is hurt and need urgent medical assistance. Please wait for the authorities to arrive so they can process the scene.
- Call for help: A car crash should be immediately reported to the authorities, who will send officers to create an accident report. Remember to ask for the police personnel’s contact details who responded to the incident since the insurance company and your lawyer may need that information later on.
- Gather information: While waiting for the police to arrive, you should write down crucial details about the car accident such as the make and model of the vehicles involved, the location, the weather condition and time of the collision, the traffic conditions when the crash occurred, and the contact information of all motorists involved, even the witnesses at the scene.
- Call your insurance company: Report the incident to your car insurance firm and ask how you can file a claim.
- Hire a personal injury lawyer: You will need sound legal advice during this time, so hiring a knowledgeable car crash lawyer like Alvine Weidenaar is your best option.
4 Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Car Accident Lawyer
Now that you know how to deal with a car crash scenario, the next thing to do is finding a competent lawyer. But make sure that you’re hiring an attorney who specializes in vehicular accidents instead of just getting any lawyer available. Specialists could assure that you’ll be compensated properly for damages and injuries.
Before hiring one, though, you should prepare basic questions to ask, so you’ll know what to expect. Here are four crucial queries:
1. What type of cases do you handle?
When interviewing a potential lawyer, ask what type of legal cases they handle regularly. As mentioned, there are general practitioner lawyers, and there are those who specifically handle personal injury cases. You will want to hire the latter, especially since the other party involved in the crash would probably be represented by one, too. It would be best to have someone with specific skills and knowledge to represent you throughout the case.
2. Have you handled an injury case similar to mine?
Before hiring someone to represent you in filing a personal injury claim due to a car accident, you must be prepared and know what to expect when meeting a lawyer. Your goal is to find a legal counsel capable of representing your legal interests. In this case, the representation would be for claims against property damage and injury arising from a car accident.
Even if lawyers say that they have handled personal injury cases in the past, it’s best to hire someone who has years of experience working on specific cases similar to yours. Never assume that a legal professional has handled a case like the one you have.
3. Do you have time to prioritize my case?
It’s not unusual for lawyers to take more cases than they can handle, but a good lawyer knows their limitations. Be honest and inform a potential lawyer that you want to get the ball rolling on the case. Your lawyer must be able to provide a timetable on how and when your case can be resolved. Also, be sure to clarify that the car accident attorney will be handling your case personally instead of being handed over to an inexperienced associate later on.
4. Can you take my case to court?
One of the objectives of hiring a car accident attorney is to obtain just compensation for injuries and damages. A trustworthy lawyer will determine what you can realistically obtain by assessing the merits of your case.
While many vehicular accidents settle out of court, your chosen attorney should also be ready to go to trial and win. Be sure to ask a prospective lawyer if they can bring the case to court if needed.
Takeaway
Life is always full of uncertainties, and there are some things beyond anyone’s control. A car crash can happen anytime without anyone wanting it to happen. While some vehicular accidents may not require a court proceeding, an expert attorney can simplify the tasks to be done to ensure you receive just compensation for damages and injuries. An experienced and reliable car accident lawyer offers you peace of mind that your rights are protected all the time.