If a car crash in Providence has left you or your loved ones with severe injuries, you likely have many things on your mind. Speaking with an attorney about your accident may not seem like a high priority; instead, you might be more concerned with physically recovering from your injuries and returning to work.
Yet there are many reasons you should make an appointment with a trusted car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Four of those reasons are explained here.
1. Negotiating Auto Claims Is Stressful and Challenging
Following a car accident, you will generally file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. But this insurance company will try to minimize its losses by paying you as little on your claim as possible.
The adjuster handling your claim may try to dispute the facts of the crash, downplay your injuries, or threaten lengthy and contested litigation.
These negotiations, which can take place shortly after you file your claim with the insurer, can be stressful. When you retain an attorney quickly after your crash, your attorney will handle negotiations and difficult talks with insurance companies.
2. The Rights You Have Might Surprise You
You might avoid speaking with an attorney after a wreck because you believe you have no right to compensation beyond those of the applicable insurance policy. Even if you sustained severe injuries, you might assume that any difference between the cost of your treatment and what you receive through the insurance claim is your responsibility.
Speaking with an experienced attorney can give you a more informed understanding of your legal rights, including the compensation you might receive through a lawsuit. Without this information, you cannot know whether filing a lawsuit is in your and your family’s best interests.
3. Evidence Necessary to Support Any Claim Can Be Lost
Witness statements, police reports, and photographs are crucial pieces of evidence in many car accident cases. But these items may not be all the evidence available to support your compensation claim. For example, in a truck accident, electronically stored information and videos from the truck can be robust evidence of liability.
Some of these items of evidence can become lost if too much time passes without you making efforts to locate and preserve them. But doing this while recovering from injuries is difficult. Instead, you can leave these tasks to a car accident lawyer, who will better safeguard this evidence for later use.
4. You Only Have a Limited Amount of Time to File a Claim
If you think there will be time to speak with an attorney about a claim for damages once your life settles down, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise. The law gives you just three years from the date of your crash to file a lawsuit. Once this time expires, you cannot pursue your claim for compensation.
Three years may seem like a sufficient amount of time, but fully recovering from your injuries and regaining a sense of normalcy in your life can easily take longer than this. In addition, negotiations with the other party can move slowly as the deadline draws nearer and nearer.
Speaking with an attorney quickly after a crash can allow your lawyer to begin preparing your claim while you focus on your health and recovery.
Contact a Rhode Island Car Accident Lawyer Today
The Law Offices of William M. Kolb, LLC and our Providence, RI, personal injury lawyers are prepared to go to work for you following a car accident. Contact us today and enlist our help in obtaining the compensation your injuries deserve.