The aftermath of a wreck causes a great deal of stress for injured victims. Those victims often need to hire a personal injury lawyer to help them with the process of pursuing compensation. Knowing what they need to tell their lawyer will help victims prepare for the consultation appointment.
Does an Injured Victim Really Need to Hire a Lawyer?
When someone is involved in a wreck, they have the option of pursuing compensation alone or with the help of a lawyer. If the wreck is a minor one, a person may not need to worry about hiring a lawyer because the damages will be minimal. Those who have been involved in a serious accident often suffer major injuries. Serious injuries typically require legal help.
Even if a victim believes the process will progress smoothly, they should at least consider meeting with a personal injury lawyer for a consultation. Getting help from a lawyer will help injured victims protect their rights and ensure they get the fairest outcome possible.
What Should Victims Tell Their Lawyers?
It is important to note that the lawyer/client relationship is essential for the outcome of any case. Transparency in providing information allows lawyers to provide quality, effective legal services for their clients. The following are some of the details injured accident victims should share with their lawyers.
- If the victim has ever been injured in a previous car accident, they must share this information with their lawyer. The insurance adjuster is going to learn this information and may try to blame injuries on previous accidents. Hiding this information from the lawyer will prevent effective legal representation.
- Injured victims also need to make sure they share any past driving infractions. The insurance company is going to perform a thorough background check. This information will come out in court. The lawyer needs to know this information right away so they can prepare.
- If the accident victim has filed for bankruptcy, they need to tell their personal injury lawyer. Any settlement winnings could go to the estate. If the lawyer knows before the case goes to court, they may prevent the settlement from being seized.
- Lawyers also need to know if the injured victim has filed for divorce. While this may seem inconsequential, it can have a big impact on a person’s case. If the spouse helped provide care for the victim, for example, they could be entitled to part of the settlement.
- If the accident victim has suffered any injuries since the accident, they must inform their lawyer right away. This is not something that should remain hidden from the lawyer because these new injuries could negatively impact the case. The insurance company could argue the victim is trying to get money for injuries that did not occur in the wreck.
How to Get Started
Getting started on the process involves first scheduling a consultation appointment with a lawyer. Getting help from a lawyer makes the process much easier and less stressful for injured victims. Although accident victims undoubtedly have the right to pursue compensation without any legal help, this is not wise.
By scheduling a consultation appointment, injured victims will learn about their rights and legal options. Once the lawyer takes the case, injured victims will rest assured they will receive legal guidance every step of the way.
Because of the statute of limitations, individuals should act quickly and schedule a consultation appointment right away. Now is the time to get started.
