Benefits of Hiring an Oklahoma City Car Accident Attorney

As the winter approaches and the weather begins to change the roads typically become more hazardous. And this often leads to an increase in car accidents. In fact, according to statistics more than 100,000 people are injured in car accidents each year due to icy or snowy conditions. While the injuries may be relatively small, the difficult part is handling the legal matters after the accident.

Drivers often find themselves dealing with lost wages due to their missing work, expensive medical bills, and significant damage to their vehicles. The good news is that by working with a car accident attorney you can relieve some of the stress that comes with the aftermath. Let’s take a moment to discuss the importance of hiring an injury attorney and how they can help you.

Injury Claim Evaluation

If you’re not familiar with the laws in your particular state it can be hard to determine the amount of compensation that you’re entitled to. One of the benefits of working with an attorney is that they can review your claim and give you an accurate estimate of what it’s actually worth. This will ensure that your negotiations with the insurance company are always in your favor. It can also ensure that you don’t have unreasonable expectations.

Your attorney will take several factors into account when evaluating your claim. They’ll consider your medical expenses. They’ll factor in the wages that you lost as a result of missing work. They’ll calculate the amount of income that you could lose in the future if you’re unable to work within the next few days, weeks, or months. They’ll consider the cost of your vehicle repair as well as any property that was lost or damaged at the time of the accident. Your case may be worth several thousand or even millions. Regardless of the amount, you can rest assured that the attorney has done all that they can do in order to come up with a number that is fair to you.

Evidence Gathering

When you’re dealing with injuries, it can be difficult to focus on gathering the documents that you need for your case. It can be hard to determine which piece of evidence is signficant or the most valuable. This is where lawyers tend to shine. They know what questions to ask you and are familiar with what evidence will best support your claim.

In many instances, they’ll acquire the video footage of the accident. They’ll speak to all of the witnesses that were present at that time. They’ll get copies of the accident reports. They’ll also get copies of your medical records that document the injury and its progress.

Liability Proof

It’s not enough to prove that someone was at fault. You need to prove that the other individual was negligent. Specifically, it needs to be demonstrated that their negligence is what led to your injuries. Proving negligence tends to be the most complicated part of the process.

Luckily, the best lawyers have experience with this. While the other party may try to shift blame and make it hard to understand who was at fault, an experienced attorney will use all of the evidence that they’ve gathered to boost their argument. This will ensure that you get the maximum amount of compensation.

Insurance Company Go-Between

After an accident, the driver tends to get a call from the other party’s insurance company. They may ask to record the call so that they can get more information about the accident and speed the claim along. What many don’t realize is that insurance companies and adjusters are always working in their own best interest. Their sole purpose is to save the company as much money as possible.

Unfortunately, once they speak with the company, they can sometimes end up saying something that hurts their case. And inevitably, the insurance company reduces the amount of compensation or denies it altogether. That’s why it’s so important to work with an experienced personal injury attorney.

They’ll communicate with the insurance company for you. They understand how they work and know all of their tactics. They also know how to answer their questions and negotiate. When you instruct the company to speak with your lawyer they’re more likely to give you fair compensation. Even if you must speak directly with the other party’s insurer, your personal injury attorney will advise you about what you should and shouldn’t say.

Education About the Law

Perhaps one of the best things about working with a personal injury attorney is that they can educate you about the law–specifically as it pertains to your case. You see, insurance policies are contracts. And these contracts outline every detail of what each party is responsible for. However, they tend to contain a lot of legal jargon which can seem complicated to someone who doesn’t have a legal background.

Your lawyer is trained to read documents like these. They can go over the details with you so that you can understand whether or not the insurer is upholding their end of the agreement and acting in good faith. If they aren’t they can explain what options you have and how you can hold them accountable. They’ll also outline specific laws in your state and how they’ll affect you.

Conclusion

When it comes to car accidents people typically underestimate the power of having a personal injury attorney on their side. These are individuals who don’t succeed unless you do, so they’re actions are always calculated and in your best interest. Ultimately, their goal is to get you the maximum amount of compensation and as quickly as possible.

If they feel that you’re not getting what you deserve then they’ll be more than willing to fight for you in court. And the most convenient part is that most work on a contingency basis which means that they’re only compensated if you are. The key to finding a quality car accident attorney is doing your research on the front-end.