It can be hard to make any decisions when you are suffering after a car crash caused by a negligent driver in North Richland Hills. Suddenly, your life is turned upside down as you focus on recovering from your injuries for months or longer and cannot return to work. You may be tempted to wait until you feel better to retain an experienced car crash attorney to pursue your claim for compensation against the at-fault driver. However, this would be a big mistake that could result in you obtaining less than you really deserve in your settlement. The reality is that you need to hire a lawyer as soon as possible after your crash.
Why Retaining an Attorney Immediately After Your North Richland Hills Auto Accident Is Your Best Strategy
While it is true that you have two years following your auto accident to file a lawsuit under the statute of limitations, this does not mean that you should wait to retain an attorney. As soon as you have gotten the immediate medical treatment you need, you want to focus on finding an experienced car crash attorney, who will do the following:
Conduct a thorough investigation.
Your attorney can conduct a much more thorough investigation of your collision if you contact him right after it. Depending on the circumstances of your wreck, he may want to visit the accident scene or retain a reconstruction expert to do this and inspect the damage to the vehicles before they are repaired or replaced. If you wait to retain a lawyer, you limit his ability to take these actions, which could help him build a stronger case of negligence against the other driver.
Preserve evidence.
If you delay retaining an attorney, you may lose helpful evidence to your case. A nearby business surveillance camera may have videotaped your wreck. However, the camera generally tapes over old videos on a thirty-day or less cycle. In addition, third-party witnesses could move or have their memories fade if your attorney does not take their statements soon after your collision.
Represent you in the insurance company investigation.
Once the negligent driver notifies his insurance company of your accident, a file will be opened, and his insurance adjuster will begin an immediate investigation. You do not want to be at a disadvantage by not having an attorney on your side doing this as well.
Help you avoid mistakes.
Retaining an attorney early on can help you avoid common mistakes that crash victims inadvertently make—sometimes without really realizing it. Agreeing to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance adjuster or signing a blanket medical authorization are a few of the mistakes that hiring an attorney can prevent.
Avoid settling too quickly.
One pitfall that you want to avoid is settling your claim too quickly. You need to wait until you fully recovered or reach your maximum medical improvement—the stage where you have recovered as much as you can or can obtain a final prognosis. This ensures that you receive any future medical, wage loss, and other losses in your settlement. You never want to settle your claim before consulting with an attorney who will know the true value of your claim.
Have You Been Injured In A Texas Car Accident?
If you've been hurt in a Texas car accident you need to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Contact us online or call our Colleyville office directly at 817.485.8888 to schedule your free consultation.
We help injured victims throughout Texas including Arlington, North Richland, Grapevine, Bedford, Hurst, Euless, Irving and all points in between.
