Should I Call a Personal Injury Lawyer If a Semi Blowout Caused Car Damages?

Although they occur less often than other types of motor vehicle accidents, commercial truck collisions typically leave behind devastating damages. Commercial truck accidents are more likely to cause serious injuries and fatalities. In the case of a collision with a truck, victims inside the passenger car are much more vulnerable to sustaining serious injuries than the driver of the commercial truck. However, some passenger car accidents caused by a truck do not produce any serious injuries. Instead, a car accident such as the one caused by a semi blowout leaves behind a long list of property damages.

If a semi blowout caused car damage, should you call a personal injury lawyer? The answer is a resounding yes. Several studies have demonstrated car accident victims that hire a personal injury lawyer receive a settlement up to 3.5 times larger than if they settled a claim on their own.

How Can a Car Accident Lawyer Help Me with a Semi Blowout That Caused Car Damage?

After a car accident of any kind, you must follow several steps that can lead down the road to a settlement. However, you cannot expect to complete every step on your own and receive the compensation that you deserve. Hiring a personal injury lawyer to handle a semi blowout case is the right decision for many reasons.

Conducts a Detailed Investigation

To file a persuasive insurance claim and civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages, you must collect enough compelling evidence to receive just compensation. An experienced car accident lawyer recovers physical evidence, which in the case of a semi blowout, includes photographs of the tread found with the damaged tire. Your attorney captures images of tire tracks, as well as the road condition at the time of the crash. A copy of the official law enforcement report helps determine whether the semi truck driver committed one or more acts of negligence. For support, your personal injury lawyer also interviews witnesses to discover what transpired before, during, and after the truck collision.

Helps File an Insurance Claim

Although filing an insurance claim is a relatively straightforward process, you might encounter one or more obstacles that leave you frustrated and inevitably, much poorer for the experience. Insurance companies prefer that policyholders file claims without the legal support provided by an experienced car accident lawyer. An attorney helps you navigate the fine print, as well as interacts with the insurance adjuster reviewing your claim to ensure it receives the prompt attention that it deserves.

Negotiate a Settlement

The last thing an insurance adjuster wants is to get stuck with a large payout. To minimize the risk of losing an appeal, the insurance adjuster processing your claim might agree to negotiate a settlement. Your car accident attorney calculates a reasonable value for compensation by adding up the tangible costs associated with your case, such as medical bills and car repair receipts. Then, your personal injury lawyer takes into account any non-monetary damages like suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Negotiations start when your car accident lawyer submits an initial offer, which the insurance adjuster either accepts or rejects. If the insurance adjuster rejects the initial offer, several rounds of counteroffers can follow until your car accident lawyer reaches a settlement or the claim goes to the appeals phase of the process.

Schiff & Associates Attorneys at Law Do I Need to Pay a Retainer When I Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?

Be prepared.

It is a saying that applies to just about every type of life circumstance. Although you hear the phrase most often when responding to a natural disaster, it also has relevance when it comes to hiring a car accident lawyer. You might not need a personal injury lawyer who specializes in car accidents to help you today. However, there is a good chance you will need the legal support of a car accident lawyer tomorrow.

Being prepared to address the legal consequences of an automobile collision involves hiring a car accident lawyer on retainer. Although you do not need to pay a retainer to hire a personal injury lawyer, hiring legal counsel on a retainer ensures you receive prompt legal support.

What is a Legal Retainer for a Car Accident Lawyer?

A legal retainer is a legal fee paid upfront to receive future legal support. The legal fee paid upfront does not cover a specific type of service provided by a personal injury lawyer. For example, you do not pay a retainer fee to a car accident lawyer to represent you during a civil trial that seeks monetary damages. Instead, a retainer fee provides you with the right to request legal support in case you get involved in an auto crash. If you sustained injuries as the result of a car accident, having a personal injury lawyer on retainer significantly speeds up the insurance claim process.

Retainer fees differ in value and the types of legal support provided. You have the option to pay a one-time flat retainer fee or an hourly rate that allows you to receive a wide variety of legal services. The key is paying a retainer fee gives you immediate access to a car accident lawyer after a motor vehicle collision.

Why is Paying a Retainer Fee Important to Receive Help With an Insurance Claim?

Not all car accidents require the same types of legal support. However, you can expect to deal with an insurance company in the aftermath of an auto crash. The most common reason to pay a retainer fee to a car accident lawyer concerns getting through the insurance claim process.

A personal injury attorney who specializes in car accident cases acts as an intermediary between you and the insurance adjuster. Insurance companies love it when policyholders do not gain legal representation during the claim process. With a car accident lawyer acting as your intermediary, you can rest assured that your best financial interests are taken care of during the entire insurance claim process. Another benefit of having a personal injury lawyer acting as an intermediary is it allows you to focus on other important issues, such as recovering from the injuries sustained because of a car accident.

Time is critical right after a motor vehicle collision, mostly because you need to gather convincing physical evidence to submit an insurance claim. Hiring a car accident lawyer on retainer provides you with quick access to someone who conducts an immediate investigation. The faster you complete a thorough investigation, the more likely the insurance company processing your claim approves it. In addition, paying a retainer fee to a car accident lawyer helps you negotiate a settlement, which allows you to avoid the costly and time-consuming litigation process.