Why Hiring an Attorney After an Auto Accident Is a Smart Move – Even When You’re Not at Fault

Auto accidents can be traumatic. Aside from the physical injuries you endure, you may be dealing with insurance claims, vehicle repairs, and needing time off from work. If someone else hit you, you might think that letting your insurance company deal with the issue is the best court of action. After all, you’re the one who was hit by another driver and injured: the path forward should be simple.

However, this isn’t always the case. Auto accident cases involve a variety of laws, regulations, and procedures – laws we’re intimately familiar with, but which you likely do not know. Hiring a Charlotte personal injury attorney to represent you after an auto accident – regardless of fault – can be a wise decision. The attorneys at Price Petho & Associates thoroughly understand car accident cases and how they work, and have the knowledge and skills you want on your side.

1. We know how to build a case

You may know that you were not at fault for your accident, but proving it can be a challenge. Our attorneys will access and analyze any evidence that can help prove your case, like accident reports, police reports, witness statements, surveillance footage, and expert opinions.  From this evidence, we can determine not only who is at-fault and therefore liable in the case, but also how extensive your losses are.

For example, say you sustain a blow to the head in the crash. You feel “okay” in the moments afterwards, but within a few days you’re experiencing headaches, light sensitivity, and nausea. These signs all point to a brain injury, and brain injuries can take a very long time to heal. To understand the extent of the damage, you’ll need to undergo testing and medical treatments, and you’ll likely need follow-up care. As injury lawyers, we have years of experience working with brain trauma victims. We understand what this care is likely to be, how long it may last, and how much it could cost. This means we can calculate more effectively what your overall medical costs may be, and ensure that we include these costs in our assessment of your case.

Once we have all the information, we put it together in a demand letter to the insurance company – which brings us to point #2.

2. We’ll deal with the insurance companies

Insurance companies, no matter what they say in their ads, are not your friends or your neighbors: they’re businesses focused on making and keeping their money. As such, they’re likely to offer the least amount of money possible (if they offer anything at all) in their initial settlement offer, relying on you, the injury victim, not to know any better. They also know that you’re likely facing some financial struggles, which means you might be more willing to take anything they offer, if the alternative is nothing at all.

Our attorneys act as your advocate and protect you from known tactics that insurers often employ to reduce settlements. We handle all communication with the insurance company, and negotiate on your behalf. These negotiations can take time, but we have the resources to handle it.

3. We can accurately assess liability

One of the most important parts of any case is determining who is liable, or financially accountable, for your injuries. Sometimes there are multiple liable parties, like in truck accident claims, so we want to make sure we understand whose actions caused which part of the crash.

In some cases, the insurance company may bring up something called “contributory negligence.” This means that a plaintiff cannot collect damages if they are partially at fault, even if as little as one percent. Our job is to show that no matter what the insurance company says, your actions and behaviors did not contribute to the accident nor to your injuries, and therefore you should not be barred from collecting compensation.

4. We’re focused on maximizing your compensation

Even if you’re the innocent party in an accident, insurance companies may try to minimize the compensation they offer. Our experienced attorneys know how to evaluate the true worth of your claim, factoring in not only your immediate medical bills and property damage but also long-term costs, such as ongoing medical treatment, rehabilitation, and lost wages.

This is important, because the insurance company has lawyers of its own. Their goal is to keep your money. Our goal is to get your claim paid. And sometimes, that means moving out of settlement talks and into a courtroom. If that happens, we’ll be prepared. When we handle your case from the beginning, it gives us more time to get to know you and your needs. It also means we’ll be intimately familiar with every aspect of your case, and therefore even better prepared to represent you.

5. You’ll have access to resources you won’t have on your own

Whether your case progresses past settlement talks and into trial or not, our Charlotte injury lawyers have resources that the average person doesn’t. If you’ve suffered injuries in the accident, our network of physicians and medical experts can provide a comprehensive assessment, document your injuries, and offer expert testimony if necessary. Expert testimony is not free, but you won’t have to front any costs for it: we take care of that for you. In fact, we front the costs for everything, from filing the relevant paperwork to deposing witnesses to hiring financial planners and life care planners to create a path forward for your family.

On top of that, you get access to our entire legal team. When you have questions, there’s someone who can answer them. When you need help with medical forms or insurance requests, we take care of it. If we need to go to trial to get you the best outcome possible, we prepare you for it.

We handle the paperwork, negotiations, and legal proceedings, allowing you to focus on your recovery and daily life.

6. It costs you nothing out-of-pocket

Our firm operates on contingency. This means that we only get paid when you get paid. There are no upfront fees to you (the initial consultation is free, too), and we collect our fees only after we’ve successfully settled or won your case.

Auto accident claims create a lot of stress on victims. When faced with the aftermath of a serious auto accident, having a skilled attorney like one at Price Petho & Associates by your side is a wise choice that can make all the difference in your journey to recovery.

If you’ve been involved in a car accident, you need an experienced attorney by your side to protect your rights and help you navigate the legal process. The team of dedicated Charlotte car accident attorneys at Price Petho & Associates is here to fight for the compensation you deserve. Call or contact us today. We maintain additional offices in Rockingham and Rutherfordton.