Should I hire a auto accident lawyer?
Yesterday I was involved in a 5 vehicle auto accident. I was waiting at the stop light to turn left and a truck and a motorcycle collided in the intersection. The motorcycist flew up in the air and landed funny. The truck kept going and I noticed how fast it was going towards me. It hit my car head on and pushed my car back about 1.5 car lengths in a 90 degree angle. The truck bulldozed into a nissian truck and GMC Yukon. Obviously from the photos, it proves that he was going at a fast pace because of the damage and for pushing a still object that far.
The motorcycist may have Cipro passed away and crime scene detectives arrived to photograph the area. The road was closed and traffic was detered. My car suffered extensive frontal damage and my radiator was cracked in half. I suffered no fractures, but I am very sore today. I went to urgent care and the doctor told me to see my PCP to have her review if I should see physical therapy.
My friend suggested a lawyer because the accident could be manslaughter and because one party hit 4 different cars. I believe my car is totaled and I will be sore for a while. To this extent, should I hire a lawyer because of the occurance and because the driver at fault’s insurance might try to ***** me over because they have to pay for 4 parties cars, and maybe a wrongful death suit.
If so, would the lawyer make sure I get compensated well for my totaled car? I know this is going to be a huge inconvenience.
It wasn’t about making a profit, I am worried that I will lose out on a car or not get paid enough to purchase a new one. I just bought it 2 years ago.
i would wait a little bit to see what shakes out the lawyer will get one third for something you may be able to do yourself. you have quite of bit of time before the statue of limitations runs out on a lawsuit
Hiring a lawyer doesn’t guarantee you get more than what they are able to give. Who knows how many other injuries there are and if the family that lost their loved one sues for wrongful death, your civil suit would be petty compared to theirs.
My thoughts right now would not be on how much money I could take away from the family that lost a father, brother or son.
If your concerned about your car, go through your own insurance carrier. Go to the doctor and if necessary go to physical therapy, submit your medical bills to the carrier, consider yourself more fortunate and move on!!
Call a lawyer immediately.(a reputable one) I work as a Legal Nurse Consultant and do many personal injury cases that insurance companies dont want to pay. A few years ago the insurance company came out with the MIST iniative (minor impact soft tissue injury) in order to fight claims. I just had a major insurance company offer a client 3500 and she has two herniated disc’s! Get a copy of your urgent care visit and any paperwork you recieve from doctors. Dont talk to the insurance company and dont settle quickly.
Run, don’t walk to your own insurance company and have them handle the matter. If later, things are not working out to your satisfaction, you can then hire a lawyer. (In the USA)The lawyer will take about 1/3 + expenses of anything he may get for you and it will drag things out for a long time.
The accident just occurred. You do not know the extent of your injuries. You may be sore for awhile, and you do not mention if you need ongoing treatment. Depending on the state where this loss occurred, you may not be entitled to any monetary compensation. The threshold requirements vary from state to state. If you live in a No-Fault state, you likely have PIP coverage. You are required to file a claim against your own PIP to pay for your lost wages and medical expenses. Your insurance company will then subrogate against the at fault parties.
The insurance company will not ***** you over. Insurance is highly regulated. The most all four parties can recover is the amount of the liability coverage divided by 4. If the at fault party only had $20k, then each party will only get $5k.
If you have Collision coverage, file a claim against your own policy. Your insurance will pay for the damage and subrogate against the at fault parties.
An attorney will not get you more. In fact, they will usually take at least 1/3 of any settlement. Your insurance will provide counsel under the terms of your liability coverage should you be sued. They will not provide counsel for manslaughter charges. You would need to hire an attorney on your own. However, you were stationary, and it is doubtful you would be considered liable for the accident.
Contact your insurance company and report the loss asap to protect your interests.