Most people often overlook minor car accidents because there are numerous assumptions that a simple conversation will help resolve the dispute. And, since the accident may not be severe, people tend to overlook the importance of hiring a lawyer. It’s important to note that it’s still crucial to hire an attorney in spite of the severity of the car accident. It doesn’t matter if the accident was minor; having a lawyer present can help prevent the case from escalating. Furthermore, you may not know the severity of your bruises as sometimes internal injuries may manifest later.
However, it’s vital to hire a competent lawyer like from https://localaccidentreports.com/our-attorneys/ who specializes in handling car accidents, as they can help ensure you don’t get in more trouble. Other than keeping you out of trouble, a lawyer can also help:
Converse With the Other Party
It’s essential to carefully answer questions during a police report, even if the car accident is minor. There have been several cases where people had to pay a large sum of money for a minor auto accident. They had to pay a considerable amount because the answers they gave to the opposing party seemed like they wanted to avoid the situation. The wrong answers made the issue escalate even further.
A lawyer can help you converse with the other party. They have the knowledge, skills, and expertise to deal with such situations. With their help, you can avoid unnecessary processes and payments.
Deal with Late Injuries or Unknown
Most minor accidents rarely result in injuries. However, some people often end up experiencing pain from injuries caused by minor accidents a week after. A lawyer with experience handling minor car accidents will ensure you have your bruises and injuries checked immediately after the accident. If there are no injuries, they will inquire about the part of your body hit during the accident and document them for proof. If injuries and bruises appear after a week, they can ask the opposing party for compensation.
Protect You from Court Summons
Every minor accident case turns out differently. At times, you and the other party can solve the disagreement immediately. Other times the other party may summon you to court. Hiring a lawyer for a minor accident can help prevent court summons from happening. Your lawyer can offer evidence proving you weren’t at fault or that the two parties agreed before the court summon.
Determine Fault
While the car accident may be minor, it’s still important to determine fault, especially if you want an insurance claim. Your lawyer will help gather and document the evidence to prove that you weren’t at fault. The evidence they collect includes:
- Police reports
- Witness statements
- Video footage
- Pictures of the damage to your car
However, if you’re 100% responsible for the accident, a lawyer will help determine if you are entirely responsible for the accident. Once they determine if you’re partially responsible, they can then draft a compensation offer for the other party to help cater for their emotional trauma or medical bills.
Other ways your lawyer can assist you to include:
- Analyzing evidence
- Keeping you up-to-date on the progress of your case
- Offering legal guidance
- Filing all paperwork within statutes of limitations and the imposed timelines
- Evaluate your damages
What to Not to Do After a Minor Car Accident
Here are three things you should avoid after a minor car accident.
Leaving Car Accident Scene: Never leave a car accident scene without talking to the police, as this will be a mistake. It would be best to talk to the police, as a judge will use the police report to decide whether to award the plaintiff for the damages.
Admitting Fault: Ensure you never acknowledge fault, even though you think that the car accident is 100% your fault. The truth is, sometimes it can be hard to tell if the car accident was your fault, especially if you’re trying to understand what happened using your perspective.
Failing to Acquire Sufficient Evidence: Ask for different accounts, take plenty of pictures, and collect plenty of eyewitness phone numbers. Your attorney will sort through all the evidence you collect and determine what’s valuable for your case.
Remember, your lawyer is your line of defense. And, it’s important to have them present from the very first stage. With an attorney’s help, you can ensure that the situation doesn’t escalate even further.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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