Injury victims are often unsure about contacting a lawyer, especially if they feel they may be able to manage the insurance claim on their own. Sometimes victims may simply feel that hiring a lawyer will only make their situation more complicated.
Another common reason a crash victim may hesitate to call a lawyer is if the insurance company has already made a settlement offer. Perhaps the crash happened weeks or months ago and the victim may think the window for contacting a lawyer has closed.
While it is better to contact a lawyer right away, an attorney may still be able to help you if you have already filed a claim. However, making assumptions about working with a lawyer could cause you to accept a lowball settlement offer.
When Should You Call a Lawyer?
After suffering a serious injury in a car crash, we strongly recommend that you consider calling a lawyer as soon as possible. Severe injuries can be very expensive to treat and affect every aspect of your life. You may need significant compensation to begin rebuilding your life. Insurance companies are unlikely to offer the compensation you need unless you are represented by an attorney.
You may be thinking you do not need an attorney if you only suffered a minor injury. However, are you sure your injuries are minor? Did a qualified doctor tell you that? Sometimes injury victims assume they have minor injuries. Then, instead of seeking treatment right after the crash, they wait to see if their symptoms worsen.
The problem with waiting to seek treatment is the insurance company may make you an offer for compensation before you go to the doctor. This means you have an offer, but no diagnosis to help show what types of treatment you may need to recover. Unfortunately, many injury victims accept these lowball settlements because they think that first offer is all they will get and/or all they will need.
Even if you do not accept a lowball offer, you may hurt your claim in other ways. For instance, say you talk to the insurance company and downplay the severity of your injuries, as victims often do. If your injuries worsen and you try to claim they are more severe, the insurance company could use your earlier statements to hurt your credibility.
If you do not talk to a lawyer, you may make decisions based on what the insurance company tells you. This tends to be a bad idea because despite what their advertisements say, insurance companies are primarily concerned with profit.
There is no risk in calling a lawyer to discuss your situation, since initial consultations are completely free. The attorneys at Phillips Law Group are dedicated to pursuing full compensation.
Hiring a lawyer does not mean you are being overly litigious or making things more difficult. It is important to remember most car crashes are not the fault of the victim. You have a right to pursue fair compensation for your damages.
Is There Ever a Point When It May Be too Late?
There is no set period during which you must retain a lawyer. While some people call a lawyer immediately, others wait a little while. If you think a lawyer could help, you should call to set up a consultation. Most personal injury firms, including Phillips Law Group, offer a free consultation.
However, there is certainly a point when there is little a lawyer can do. For example, if the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit has already passed, it is unlikely a lawyer would be successful in petitioning the court for an extension. The same may be true if the deadline for filing an insurance claim has passed.
The statute of limitations for car crash lawsuits in Arizona is two years from the date of the crash. However, it is important to remember lawyers need time to investigate, gather evidence and take other steps to build a strong case. If you call a lawyer a week or two before the statute of limitations ends, he or she may be unable to help.
Attorneys typically only take cases when they think there is a good chance of success, and they are unlikely to think they have a good chance if they do not have much time to build a case.
That said, injury victims often make assumptions about when an attorney can help them. This is often a bad idea, particularly because many assumptions victims make about hiring a lawyer are based on things the insurance company told them.
Even if weeks or months have passed since the crash, and you have already filed a claim, a lawyer may be able to assist you. In fact, crash victims often call our Phoenix-based vehicle accident lawyers after they have already filed a claim. There are also even those who call after their claim has already been denied.
It is important to remember there is no financial commitment if you call our firm. The initial consultation is free of charge, and you are not obligated to hire us if we determine we may be able to help. There is no risk in contacting us.
It is important to learn more about your potential options from people who are committed to your best interests. Our firm has decades of experience advocating for injury victims, recovering millions on their behalf.
We know insurance companies often tell victims that attorneys are going to take a big chunk of their settlement. However, we can review our fees in detail in a free consultation. Keep in mind, we do not charge upfront fees.
Phillips Law Group is Here To Answer Your Questions. Call Today
Your injuries could affect you for a long time, which is why you may need compensation to cover past and future damages caused by those injuries. While the insurance company may make you a quick offer, it is unlikely to be anywhere near the amount of compensation you may need to secure your future.
Phillips Law Group has a proven track record of negotiating with insurance companies for favorable compensation for victims. Unlike the insurance company, our goal is the same as yours ”“ recovering maximum compensation for your damages.
The initial consultation is free, and there are no upfront fees with our services.
Call us today at 602-222-222 to learn more.
