The sooner you retain legal counsel after a car accident in Indianapolis, the better. After an accident, things tend to move pretty fast. You’ll want to open an insurance claim as soon as possible to get your car fixed and your medical bills paid.
But even an initial and short conversation with an insurance company could lead to issues with your lawsuit if you say the wrong things or sign the wrong paperwork.
And the sooner you get a lawyer, the fresher the accident details will be in your mind and the easier it will be for your attorney to collect relevant evidence.
However, if time has passed since your accident, it’s not too late to get a lawyer. Lawyers are skilled at jumping into a case at various phases.
Here’s a look at some of the important roles that an attorney plays in your case to help you seek financial compensation for your injuries.
1. Gathering Evidence
Even if your case never goes to court, having evidence can help in providing leverage during negotiations with the insurance company. The greater the evidence, the more pressure the insurance company might feel to settle since its representatives will know they don’t stand a good chance at winning the lawsuit.
Lawyers collect witness accounts, expert testimony, police reports, medical expertise, and more. The information helps tell the story of what happened during an accident to show who was at fault for the incident. Without evidence, you’ll struggle to prove your case, and the other party involved might even try to prove you were at fault in the accident.
2. Negotiating With Insurance Companies
One of the most important roles of a lawyer in a car accident case is negotiating with the insurance company. While you might think going to court is the only way to resolve a car accident claim, you should know that most settle outside of court.
Ideally, you won’t even have to file a formal lawsuit because your attorney and the insurance company will be able to come to a fair settlement through negotiations outside of court.
Negotiations go much faster than court proceedings do. And, you won’t have to pay associated court fees, which is another great benefit of settlement negotiations.
3. Working With Doctors and Medical Professionals
The scope of an injury can be challenging to fully ascertain from medical records. The long-term prognosis for injuries and the healing timelines are not always evident from medical records.
Attorneys know the questions to ask medical professionals and the medical evidence necessary to negotiate a car accident settlement. Understanding the impacts on the victim’s livelihood and quality of life can also help prove pain and suffering and lost wage amounts.
And if the insurance company requests a second opinion or a defense medical exam, attorneys know how to deal with these requests as well to protect the victim and their medical privacy.
4. Filing a Lawsuit and Meeting Court Deadlines
Ultimately, if your attorney and the insurance company can’t come to a fair agreement for settlement without involving the courts, you’ll need to file a formal lawsuit with the courts.
Doing this without an attorney is quite challenging, so you’ll be glad your attorney is familiar with your case and prepared to complete the necessary paperwork and adhere to the court’s deadlines for filing such documentation.
Getting a lawyer involved in your court case as soon as possible is wise. The team at Stewart & Stewart will provide support for your case from opening an insurance claim to presenting your case in court. Schedule a free consultation now to ensure the best outcome for your case.