If you’ve been in a car accident in San Antonio, you might be wondering if it’s worth the time, effort, and money to retain a car accident attorney. Many individuals who’ve been in an accident, particularly when the damage appears to be limited, opt not to contact an attorney, often due to concerns about cost. Read on for our expert take on how working with a personal injury attorney can actually save you time and money.
Is a Car Accident Attorney in San Antonio Worth the Cost?
Attorneys are expert negotiators — they regularly go to bat for their clients against insurance companies. Lawyers who specialize in personal injury cases understand the legal landscape in the jurisdictions where they work. They know the players and the rules of the game — well — giving their clients a leg up when it comes to navigating the legal process after an accident.
This expert knowledge translates into fewer hours spent by victims pouring over dense insurance policies and waiting on hold to speak with the latest insurance adjuster. It means less frustration and fewer potentially costly mistakes. And working with an attorney often translates directly into a faster, more streamlined recovery process.
How an Attorney Can Help with Gathering Evidence
Gathering the right sort of evidence in a timely fashion can make the difference between getting the settlement you deserve and having to accept an unfair payout. Working with a personal injury attorney gives you a simple and effective way to ensure you’re on the path to optimum recovery — accident victims often don’t have the legal experience to appropriately evaluate what information needs to be gathered and when.
But post-accident evidence gathering is essential — it’s the key to obtaining a fair settlement or winning in court. Personal injury attorneys know what evidence convinces insurance companies to settle — quickly. That guidance can prevent you from making costly mistakes like not properly documenting any injuries you might have sustained.
How an Attorney Can Help with Litigation
While most car accident cases resolve with a negotiated settlement, sometimes going to court is the only way to protect your rights and obtain the compensation you deserve — and are entitled to under the law. Statutes governing these sorts of cases vary by jurisdiction — so it’s important to work with a licensed attorney who has experience in the jurisdiction where your case will be heard.
Perhaps an example might help! Suppose a speeding driver hit you on your way home from work. The accident — in which your car was totaled and you sustained a concussion — took place in Bexar County, Texas. You decide to hire an attorney. Since the accident took place in Bexar County, you might consider hiring a car accident attorney in San Antonio to ensure whoever you work with has the requisite local knowledge to adequately represent your interests in court.
What You Need to Know About Fees
Accident victims often worry about the potential cost of working with an attorney. Believe it or not, personal injury attorney fees are often surprisingly affordable. Many civil attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. They’ll take your case, do any required investigation, and enter into negotiations with the insurance company on your behalf — all without you paying a cent. This type of arrangement is called a contingency fee arrangement.
If you enter into one of these payment agreements with an attorney, you won’t pay anything unless you recover. Instead of paying an upfront fee, the attorney will take a percentage of your settlement as their fee. Make sure to review any agreement you sign carefully to ensure you understand what expenses will be deducted from your recovery.
What You Need to Know About Legal Timelines
Accidents are precisely that — unplanned events that don’t happen all that often. As a result, accident victims often don’t know what to expect after all the dust and smoke settles. Everyone knows that after an accident occurs, they need to take certain steps: ensure everyone involved is physically safe, call an ambulance if needed and take pictures of the accident scene and any injuries.
In our experience, many accident victims simply don’t know what documentation insurance companies expect and require. Nor do they know when key evidence is most effectively gathered or what legal timelines apply. An experienced attorney can ensure you don’t end up losing out on deserved compensation because of missed deadlines or inadequate documentation.
Dealing with the legal and financial consequences of an accident can be time-consuming and challenging, even under the best of circumstances. Enlisting the services of a personal injury attorney can help protect your rights and reduce the stress involved in potentially contentious insurance negotiations. An attorney can speed and streamline the process and prevent you from making costly mistakes or concessions. Simply put, working with a personal injury attorney often saves accident victims time, money and grief.
