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What Does a Car Accident Lawyer Do?
When you get injured in a car accident, one of the most important decisions you can make is whether to hire a lawyer. While it isn’t necessary to hire a lawyer in all cases, serious injuries can lead to substantial costs, and recovering these costs requires experienced legal representation.
The Orlando car accident lawyers at Colling Gilbert Wright are passionate about helping injury victims move forward after a wreck. We know that after a serious crash, you may be facing high medical bills, severe pain, and time away from work that you can’t afford. We fight diligently on behalf of our clients to help them recover the full and fair compensation to which they are entitled under Florida law.
10 Ways a Car Accident Lawyer Can Help You
If you’ve been injured in a vehicle collision in Florida, here are 10 ways an Orlando car accident lawyer can help you:
1. Maximizing Your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Coverage
If you have auto insurance in Florida, you have personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, and your insurance company should pay up to your coverage limit without regard to fault. Unfortunately, insurance companies regularly make filing for PIP a challenge, and there is a good chance that you will need help to secure maximum coverage for your medical expenses and lost earnings.
2. Determining if You Have an Auto Insurance Claim Outside of PIP
Since most people only have $10,000 in PIP coverage (the minimum amount required under Florida law), if you were seriously injured in your accident, there is a good chance that your PIP coverage won’t be enough. This means that you will need to figure out what other options you have available. A car accident lawyer can determine if you have an auto insurance claim outside of PIP—whether under your own policy or with an at-fault driver’s insurer.
3. Determining if You Have a Claim Outside of Auto Insurance
In addition to examining your options with regard to auto insurance, a car accident lawyer can determine if you have other options as well. For example, if your accident involved a road hazard or vehicle defect, your lawyer may be able to file a “third party” claim to recover additional compensation.
4. Proving the Cause of Your Car Accident
When seeking financial compensation for a car accident outside of PIP, you need proof of the cause of the accident. When you hire a car accident lawyer to represent you, your lawyer will conduct an investigation focused on uncovering the evidence needed to fully recover your losses.
5. Proving Your Financial Losses (Current and Future)
In addition to proving the cause of your car accident, you also need to prove how much you are entitled to recover. You cannot trust the insurance companies to do this for you. Your car accident lawyer will review your medical records, employment records, and other relevant documentation to calculate just compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other out-of-pocket losses.
6. Proving Your Non-Financial Losses (Current and Future)
If you have a claim outside of PIP, you are entitled to just compensation for your non-financial losses as well. This includes losses such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. But, the insurance companies won’t compensate these losses voluntarily, and you will need an experienced car accident lawyer who can accurately calculate the value of these losses on your behalf.
7. Dealing with the Insurance Companies’ Defense Tactics
From ignoring relevant evidence to blaming you for your own injuries, the insurance companies will use a variety of defense tactics to fight your claim. Overcoming these tactics can be difficult—if not impossible—when handling your claim on your own. An experienced car accident lawyer will be able to prevent the insurance companies from deploying these tactics in many cases and overcome them when necessary.
8. Negotiating for a Fair Settlement On Your Behalf
Once your lawyer gathers evidence of fault and calculates your financial and non-financial losses, your lawyer will then be able to negotiate for a fair settlement on your behalf. Again, the insurance companies will not pay what they owe voluntarily, so it is up to you to make sure you seek the full compensation you deserve.
9. Helping You Decide When (and If) To Settle
Let’s say you receive a settlement offer from an insurance company. Should you accept? Answering this question requires a clear and comprehensive understanding of your legal rights, what constitutes a reasonable settlement for your claim, and whether you are likely to collect more if you reject the offer and keep fighting.
10. Fighting for You in Court if Necessary
Even if you want to avoid going to court, you need to show the insurance companies that you are prepared to go to court if necessary. Hiring a car accident lawyer shows that you are serious about recovering just compensation, and it gives you the option to go to court if the insurance companies refuse to offer a fair settlement.
Speak with an Orlando Car Accident Lawyer for Free
Do you have questions about what an Orlando car accident lawyer can do to help you? If so, we encourage you to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
To speak with our Orlando car accident lawyers as soon as possible, call us at (800) 766-1000 or tell us how we can help online today.
