Whether or not you need to hire a car accident attorney to help you with a claim in Pennsylvania depends on your circumstances. However, there are undeniable benefits and advantages that come with having legal representation. This includes the ability to more easily maximize your car insurance settlement or case result.
Protecting Your Rights
Regardless of what car insurance companies promise policyholders, their intention is always to save themselves money by minimizing client payouts. If it’s between you or them, insurance companies will choose themselves every time. Our Pittsburgh car accident attorney, on the other hand, works for you and only you, and is incentivized to get you the highest possible financial recovery.
You can trust your attorney to protect your rights and best interests every step of the way. This includes giving you advice on how to maximize your settlement, such as not admitting fault, getting medical care right away, avoiding posting on social media, not giving an insurance company a recorded statement and saying no to the first settlement offer.
Evaluating Your Losses
To protect its profits, a car insurance company is likely to undervalue your claim. They may underestimate the severity of your injuries, claim that you have pre-existing injuries that reduce the value of your case or use other strategies to diminish your payout as much as possible.
A personal injury attorney can help you understand the true value of your claim to determine if a settlement offer from an insurer is fair. This includes compensation you may need in the future for a serious, long-term or permanent injury.
Collecting Evidence
The strength of your car accident claim will depend on the quality of your evidence. While you will not need to prove fault to receive no-fault benefits from your own insurance provider, if you wish to pursue greater financial compensation through a third-party claim, you will need to provide evidence that proves fault. You will also need to show proof of your injuries and losses.
A car accident attorney can revisit the scene of your collision to search for evidence such as video footage, road markings and eyewitnesses. A lawyer can collect copies of police reports, official crash scene photographs, surveillance or traffic camera footage, and medical records. In addition, an attorney can hire medical experts and crash reconstructionists, as needed.
Negotiating a Settlement
You have the right to hire a personal injury attorney in Pittsburgh, PA to take over car insurance settlement negotiations on your behalf. An attorney will know how to deal with car insurance providers and claims adjusters, such as when to be aggressive. Your lawyer can submit counteroffers and take over communications with the insurance provider to increase a settlement offer until it is a reasonable value.
Representing You in Court
The majority of car accident cases in Pennsylvania reach settlements, meaning they are resolved outside of court. However, if you have a complex case or an insurance company is not treating you fairly, an attorney can help you seek justice by filing a lawsuit on your behalf.
A car accident trial could lead to a judgment award that exceeds insurance policy limits. In some cases, hiring an attorney is enough to increase settlement offers just so the insurance company can avoid a trial. A lawyer can leverage the threat of litigation to promote higher offers.
Keep in mind that all of these benefits can come at $0 out of your own pocket if you find a car accident attorney who operates on a contingency fee basis. This payment arrangement makes hiring a lawyer rewarding, with no financial risk to the claimant.
For more information about how an attorney can help you maximize your car accident insurance claim, contact Dallas W. Hartman P.C. for a free consultation.