When Should I Call a Lawyer After My Accident?

You have a car accident – what now? You have a slip and fall accident – what should you do? These events are often the first time they were involved in any type of accident. No one wants to have their lives disrupted and nobody wants to be injured. Dealing with insurance companies is the last thing most folks want to do. Sooner or later, they will ask themselves – when should I call a lawyer? The answer is simple – you should call as soon as possible because the best Fort Myers personal injury accident lawyers will provide you with free consultations. Additionally, these attorneys will never charge you a fee unless they make a financial recovery for you. So, to speak with a lawyer after an accident will not cost you anything except time. In return, you will get the answers that you need.

What happens if you don’t call a personal injury attorney after your accident? Medical care providers want to be paid. You will need to figure out if your PIP or car insurance will pay. Maybe it is your health insurance. If you don’t have either, then you need to find a doctor who will treat you and wait for payment until your case is resolved.

Maybe your car needs to be fixed – but who pays? The other driver’s insurance? What if they deny payment? Do you have the right type of insurance to pay for your repairs? In the meantime, your car may be sitting in a tow yard accruing daily storage charges. If you don’t move your car from the towing company property quickly, then the storage fees accumulate until the total exceeds the value of your car. Typically, the tow yard will offer you a chance to avoid the fees in exchange for you signing over the title. Then they either fix and sell your car or sell it for salvage leaving you with nothing. Now if your car was financed, your property damage issues have multiplied because you may end up owing the financed amount even after your car has been sold.

Probably worst of all you can expect to hear from insurance adjusters – both yours and the ones for the at-fault party. Your insurance companies may include your health insurance carrier and your automobile insurance carrier. Your health insurance may have subrogation rights meaning that they are entitled to reimbursement from other insurance, the at-fault party or even your settlement for the amounts they pay out on your behalf. Those payments are protected by a lien which needs to be resolved and satisfied before you get any money from your accident.

Your insurance adjuster will probably want a statement from you and pursuant to your policy of insurance, you need to cooperate and provide that recorded statement. Otherwise you might give them a reason to claim you are not cooperating and therefore, your coverage and protection is denied.

The auto insurance adjusters will want to talk to you too and it can be more than one or two. Start with the other driver’s insurance. Their property damage adjuster will want to ask you about the accident and your car. They may offer you money too – less than you deserve but more than you have. They are counting on you being desperate and taking less than full value. Keep in mind, they are evaluated in their job by how little they pay on claims. If you have a personal injury lawyer, they can guide you through the property damage portion of your claim. In addition, the presence of a lawyer may deter the PD adjuster from taking liberties in the handling of your claim.

If the other driver had bodily injury coverage you will likely here from another insurance adjuster who is handling the injury part of your claim. They will want a recorded statement from you, and you should likely decline because they are only trying to find reasons not to pay you. In addition, they are experienced in the personal injury field and you are not. If you give your permission to be recorded, then the transcript of that recorded statement may be used against you in negotiations or in court. This adjuster may also try to play on your desperateness and offer you a low-ball amount to resolve your case. Make no mistake – these

All these scenarios are likely to occur within 30 days. You of course are free to handle it by yourself. There is no legal reason why you cannot. But when do you get the medical care and physical therapy you need? How do you focus on your recovery? How do you avoid the pitfalls and traps set by the insurance companies? How do you achieve a full and fair reasonable settlement for all your losses by yourself?

If you were injured in any kind of accident in the Fort Myers area, you should call (239) 777-9954 to speak with the personal injury lawyers at Wolfson & Leon in Fort Myers. They will always provide you with a free consultation. They serve the entire SW Florida community including North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, Cape Coral, Estero, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Naples, Marco Island and Captiva.

Call the Fort Myers accident lawyers at Wolfson & Leon with your questions now. They are standing by to help you right now.