A negligent driver who causes you to suffer serious injuries should be held accountable for your losses. Without an attorney, the insurer and its legal team will do everything they can to reduce your settlement, potentially leaving you with nothing.
Delaying hiring a car accident lawyer is something that many car accident victims tend to do. Unfortunately, the process of car accident claims is complicated without a car accident attorney. Hiring an experienced attorney helps you protect your best interests; your attorney serves as your advocate, fighting for you to ensure you get a fair settlement.
When is it too late to get a lawyer for a car accident? While it is best to take legal action as soon as possible, in most cases, it isn’t too late unless the statute of limitations has already passed.
Azizi Law Firm provides legal representation for victims, including late legal help for car accidents. In this blog post, we explain the best time to hire a car accident attorney and why you’ll want to start your personal injury claim as soon as possible.
California’s Statute of Limitations for Car Accidents
The statute of limitations is the time limit set by the state of California for filing a personal injury lawsuit. It is two years from the date of your car accident; however, California’s statute of limitations is different from the time allowed to file personal injury claims with the insurance company.
After a car crash, you should notify your insurer that an accident happened, even if it wasn’t your fault. You will also need to contact the other driver’s insurance company as close to the accident date as possible. The sooner you take these steps, the sooner you can work on getting a fair settlement.
The statute of limitations for taking legal action through a car accident lawsuit is set by the state. You will want immediate legal representation from a personal injury lawyer because the insurance company may impose unnecessary delays, offer a low settlement, or even reject your claim.
When you only have two years to file a car accident case, time is ticking away. If negotiations on your claim are not successful and you have significant crash injuries, you won’t have very much time left to file a car accident case before this deadline.
Two years seems like a long time until you’ve spent the entire duration trying to get the insurance company to pay out your insurance claim. Since insurance company issues commonly arise that either result in a denial or reduction of your compensation, it is vital that every accident victim obtains representation from a personal injury attorney immediately following a car accident.
Why You Should Take Quick Legal Action after a Car Accident
In addition to not missing the time limits on the legal process for filing a personal injury case, there are other reasons why you should act fast. As the injured party, the insurance company needs proof that you have sustained severe injuries and that the other driver was at fault, or you may be deemed partially responsible.
Under personal injury law, you have the burden of proof, and evidence tends to fade quickly from the accident scene. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that the evidence you need won’t be preserved. If you delay getting medical treatment, you may be denied compensation for your medical bills and future medical expenses. Insurance companies will look at when you received medical attention and your medical records. If there is a delay in getting this treatment, they will argue that your injuries aren’t as serious as you claim or that they occurred after the accident.
Additionally, critical evidence from the accident scene may be gone by this point. You may not have taken photos of your property damage or injuries, and without physical evidence, it makes it harder to seek compensation. Hiring an experienced attorney helps because, even if you did not gather evidence, they can take the police report, pay stubs proving lost wages, hire experts to reconstruct the accident, obtain traffic camera footage, and look for other evidence to establish liability.
When Can You Hire a Car Accident Attorney?
When is it too late to get a lawyer for a car accident? In personal injury cases, you have until the legal deadline has passed. After a car accident, you have only two years to hire an attorney.
Delayed diagnosis of a catastrophic injury or permanently disabling injuries may also extend your time limit. If your case involves a minor under the age of 18, there are also extensions.
Many victims think that after an insurance company closes the claim, it is too late to recover compensation. This is merely a myth, and whatever the insurer decides does not mean you can’t pursue legal action. When seeking compensation from the responsible party, you can recover both the economic and non-economic damages that they caused you to incur.
Ultimately, there is always time to have a legal consultation with experienced attorneys who can share their knowledge and wisdom about your accident. You’ll learn more about your legal rights, wildly if there is disputed liability or multiple parties involved, and be able to make a sound decision on the following steps to take. Most will offer a free consultation, which means there is no cost to you to get this valuable information.
What to Do after a Car Accident to Secure Fair Compensation
When you have been involved in an accident, the steps you take afterward can have a significant impact on your ability to recover maximum compensation. Here are the proper steps to take after a car accident.
Call the Police to Report the Accident
Calling the police ensures that you have a report of the accident on file. When officers respond to the scene, they include essential details in this report that can serve as a form of physical evidence in your case. It won’t be the deciding factor, but if the officers issued a citation to the at-fault driver, it can certainly help.
Get Medical Care Immediately
Getting into a car accident is certainly not on anyone’s agenda. In the aftermath, the adrenaline running through you can mask the symptoms of your injuries. You may think you’re okay, and if you don’t have gaping wounds, it may seem silly to visit the emergency room.
However, even in the absence of life-threatening injuries, make sure that you get immediate medical care to rule out more severe conditions.
Contact Your Insurer
You’ll need to report your accident to your insurer, and if you sustain injuries, you’ll want to go through the insurer for the at-fault party. Keep in mind that insurance adjusters use tactics to twist your words and try to assign you some of the blame to lower their settlements. You should understand your policy in the event of underinsured motorist accidents and seek personal injury protection through Med Pay to help you cover the expenses.
Preserve Evidence from the Accident
Whether there is one other party or more than two parties involved, a thorough investigation will be needed using the evidence from the crash. Do your best to take photos and videos and capture evidence in other ways. In the event you were severely injured and were promptly taken to the hospital, an experienced lawyer can recover the evidence you were unable to gather.
Consult with a Personal Injury Lawyer
You can significantly benefit from having a free consultation with a car accident lawyer in Los Angeles as soon as possible following your accident. A car accident lawyer can help you make important legal decisions and guide you to the treatments you may need to help you recover, such as physical therapy.
Additionally, a car accident lawyer will be instrumental during settlement negotiations. They will take on the investigation, evidence gathering, and calculate the full extent of your damages to get you what is fair. They will also navigate the legal landscape and advocate for you to uphold your rights.
Hiring a Lawyer after Your Car Accident Is Essential
When you are involved in a car accident, it can shake up your entire world. You likely want nothing more than to forget it ever happened, but it’s important to make a plan for the bills for your medical care and loss of income from being unable to work.
You should immediately contact an attorney who can begin taking over all of the required steps in this process. You’ll be less stressed since you won’t have to try to figure everything out on your own, which will give you a better chance to heal and recover.
Don’t make the mistake of running around in circles trying to get the insurer to pay what you deserve or, worse, settling for an insufficient amount that leaves you sinking further into debt. Instead, contact Azizi Law Firm and set up a no-obligation consultation at no cost and get someone committed to fighting for justice on your behalf.
