Guardian Accident & Injury Lawyers | August 19, 2024 | Car Accident
Not all car accidents in Atlanta are life-altering events. Some crashes may cause nothing greater than inconvenience and annoyance. When your car has sustained some damage, or you feel a little stiff after your wreck, you might wonder, “Should I get a lawyer for a minor car accident?” Even after a minor crash, there are many good reasons to retain a car accident lawyer.
6 Reasons To Hire A Car Crash Attorney After Minor Accidents
Popular misconceptions can lead you to believe that Atlanta minor injury lawyers are too expensive or needlessly complicate matters after a wreck. Not only are these beliefs wrong, but they can also prevent you from seeking legal counsel at a time when you might need it most. No matter the severity of your crash, an attorney can help you:
1. Determine Who Is At Fault
If you suffered any injury or property damage and intend to seek compensation for those losses, you need to know who caused the accident. You need this crucial piece of information to decide whether to file a claim for compensation. You might feel differently about filing a claim if you are primarily to blame for the crash, as you would have to file the claim with your insurer.
Your attorney should do more than tell you who is responsible for the crash, though. A skilled and experienced lawyer can collect evidence and preserve witness statements that can be used to prove fault and liability. This ability is crucial if you do decide to file a claim against the at-fault driver and they deny responsibility for your injuries.
2. Address Calls From Other Insurers And Law Enforcement
Even if you believe the accident was minor, others involved may see it differently. Additionally, law enforcement may still investigate the crash and determine whether to file criminal charges against you. As a result, you may have to field telephone calls from various parties who want information about the accident following a minor crash.
If you hire an attorney to represent you, these calls and requests will go to your attorney instead of you. Your lawyer would respond on your behalf, often without troubling you. Moreover, you can trust your experienced car accident lawyer to respond in a way that protects your legal interests and does not expose you to liability unnecessarily.
3. Discover How Seriously You Have Been Injured
You might ask, “Should I hire a lawyer for a minor car accident?” after noticing that you do not have any obvious injuries and your car still runs. These are poor indicators of the true cost of your car accident. Repair bills can exceed thousands of dollars following even a minor accident, and you might not know this until after repairs commence.
Similarly, you may be seriously injured but not notice symptoms immediately after the crash. Some injuries, like internal organ trauma (an example being a ruptured spleen), can become life-threatening if medical personnel do not diagnose and treat them quickly. The costs of addressing these injuries can also dramatically increase as the condition worsens.
4. Appeal Your Claim If Your Insurer Denies It
Suppose that you decide to file a claim with your insurer because you are not certain how much compensation you would get otherwise. Just because you file a claim with your own insurer does not mean you will automatically get compensation. If your insurer believes your policy does not cover your claim, it will deny it.
When this happens, you do have a right to appeal this adverse decision. However, you need to follow your insurer’s procedures and timeline. Failing to do so can lead to your appeal being denied despite your claim’s merits. A knowledgeable attorney can ensure your claim and any necessary appeal are presented and pursued appropriately.
5. Defend You If Another Person Sues You
Any other party that believes they have a compensation claim against you can file a lawsuit. Having an attorney representing your interests in the aftermath of your crash will allow that lawyer to respond quickly should any other party attempt to file a claim. The same efforts that your lawyer employs to investigate fault can be used to defend yourself against a lawsuit.
A lawyer’s assistance can prove helpful even if you believe you were primarily responsible for the wreck. Georgia’s modified comparative negligence statute reduces the amount of compensation a victim receives in proportion to that victim’s responsibility and fault. The more fault attributable to the victim, the less compensation they receive.
Your car accident lawyer’s research and advocacy can point out errors and lapses in judgment the person suing you committed. This can lead the court to reduce the amount of compensation the victim receives and you or your insurer would have to pay.
If your attorney can successfully show the victim was the primary responsible party, the victim would not receive any compensation.
6. Provide Representation To You On A Contingency-Fee Basis
Finally, for minor car accident victims asking, “Should I get a lawyer for a car accident?” consider many car crash lawyers offer their services on a contingency-fee-basis. This means you do not have to put money down to retain the attorney’s services to pursue your claim. Your attorney would receive a portion of the compensation award they obtain for you.
If your attorney cannot obtain compensation for you, you would not owe that lawyer any fees for their services. The lawyer’s ability to collect fees is “contingent” upon their ability to recover compensation for you.
A Minor Car Accident Lawyer Can Be Helpful And Affordable
Speaking with an attorney after a minor car accident has numerous benefits and only a few drawbacks. Doing so is affordable and is crucial to ensuring you receive all the compensation you are due. The sooner you speak with an attorney about your crash, the quicker you can be assured your rights are protected. Call our experienced personal injury attorneys at the Guardian Law Group in Atlanta, GA, today to get started on your case.
Contact the Georgia Guardian Accident & Injury Lawyers Today
For more information, please contact an experienced car accident lawyer at Guardian Accident & Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation today. We have three convenient locations in Georgia, including Atlanta, Sandy Springs, and Jonesboro, GA.
We proudly serve Fulton County and Clayton County, GA, and its surrounding areas:
Guardian Accident & Injury Lawyers – Atlanta
139 Ralph McGill Blvd NE, Suite 301, Atlanta, GA 30308
(404) 255-9000
Guardian Accident & Injury Lawyers – Sandy Springs
200 Sandy Springs Place NE, Atlanta, GA 30328
(404) 255-9000
Guardian Accident & Injury Lawyers – Jonesboro
6909 Tara Blvd, Ste 200, Jonesboro, GA 30236
(404) 255-9000