Alina Bradford

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Why you should talk to a lawyer following an accident

If you have been injured in a car accident of any kind that wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to accident compensation. Examples of accidents include collisions with other road users, cyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians and even larger vehicles, like trucks (see this Lafayette lawyer handling truck accident cases for more info). The question is whether or not to contact a lawyer. In this article, we’re going to look at how you can work through the aftermath of a car accident, with a lawyer. 

Gathering evidence in support of your personal injury claim

If you have been involved in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you may not have had the presence of mind (or the physical ability) to gather evidence at the scene of the incident. For example, where possible, if you are able to take photos of the crash, showing the damage to the vehicles, the location of the crash, the time of day, the weather conditions, etc., these photos can help to support your claim. However, where such evidence is not available, you could struggle to put together a case if you were to try to begin the claims process without speaking to a lawyer, like one found here  www.coinjurylaw.com

A lawyer can provide your claim with multiple avenues of attack in terms of gathering evidence. Depending on your claim, this could include gaining access to CCTV footage or methods of tracking down eye witnesses (lawyers are trained to expedite the gathering of relevant evidence, so that your case may be made as soon as possible).  

Filing all documentation on time

Once your lawyer has spoken to you about your claim and started to gather the supporting evidence, documentation must be completed and filed in the appropriate way, adhering to strict deadlines. This is a failing of many people who attempt to handle their own claim for personal injury compensation - if you do not understand the claims process, and if you do not follow the guidelines for completing and filing all legal documentation, your claim could stutter and be thrown out by the courts. This presents a strong argument for speaking to a lawyer about your claim. 

Ensuring your claim covers all bases 

Depending on the extent of your injury, you may be entitled to a range of different types of financial compensation. For example, you may be able to cover the repair of your vehicle, the cost of your immediate medical care, any lost earnings, any expenses relating to the regular costs of supporting any dependents, and any future costs in terms of rehabilitation or home renovations relating to your long term return to health. 

If you were to attempt to direct your claim on your own, without speaking to a lawyer, it is unlikely that you will achieve the desired outcome to your case that the training and experience of a lawyer can help to provide. For all of these reasons, speaking to a lawyer following a car accident is a sensible choice, so as to ensure that your case is handled in the appropriate manner and the outcome accurately reflects your eligibility for compensation.