If the Atlanta car accident settlement lawyer declines to take your case, that does not mean it is a weak one. Attorneys may turn down cases for a variety of reasons. Call us now at (470) 268-5802 If you have been injured in a car accident caused by someone else.
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Atlanta Car Accident Settlement Lawyer
Atlanta Car Accident Settlement Lawyer: What to Expect When Meeting With a Car Accident Attorney.
Make the most out of your first meeting with an Atlanta car accident settlement lawyer to make sure he or she is the best choice for you and your case.
After a car accident, once you have decided to hire an attorney, you are probably wondering what the first meeting will entail. There are two main reasons for this meeting. The first is for the attorney to review your case. The second is for you to make sure you are comfortable having this attorney represent you.
Case Assessment
Even if an initial consultation has taken place online or over the telephone, the attorney will not have a full picture of the facts and circumstances surrounding your car accident case until the two of you can sit down and talk.
The first step will involve you explaining the facts of the accident, and the damages you have sustained. This conversation will probably be with the attorney, and/or one of the attorney’s representatives, such as a legal secretary or paralegal.
After you have provided your story about the accident, you will answer follow-up questions, such as:
- Have you spoken to any insurance company representatives about the accident? If so, which representatives, and what did you tell them?
- Have you spoken to anyone else about the accident? This can include friends, family members, first responders, and anyone else involved in the accident.
- What car insurance coverage and/or health insurance coverage do you have?
- Were there any witnesses to the car accident, and if so, do you have their contact information?
You will also need to provide any documents you have relating to the accident, such as medical bills, car repair estimates/invoices, police reports, photographs, e-mails, and letters from insurance companies (and copies of any insurance claims you have filed related to the accident).
Share Everything
Don’t hold back any relevant information about the accident, even if you are worried that it is embarrassing or will hurt your case. Even if you have not hired the attorney, your first meeting is protected by the attorney-client privilege. Not to mention that if you withhold information that hurts your case, it will come back to haunt you.
For instance, your attorney may agree to represent you based on the information you have provided, but if that information is incomplete, sooner or later the truth will come out, possibly after you and the attorney have spent hundreds of hours preparing the case (and thousands of dollars on expert witnesses and court costs).
If the Attorney Doesn’t Take Your Case
If the Atlanta car accident settlement lawyer declines to take your case, that does not mean it is a weak one. Attorneys may turn down cases for a variety of reasons, including:
- the attorney’s workload
- potential conflicts of interest
- the scope of the lawsuit goes beyond the attorney’s skills and experience, and
- the attorney’s firm may not have the financial resources to try your case, even though it has potential.
If the Attorney Offers to Take Your Case
If the attorney agrees to represent you, ask about potential outcomes. But keep in mind that the attorney won’t be able to accurately predict your chances of success and what type of damages award you can expect. There are so many variables and unknowns, including the overall unpredictability of personal injury lawsuits in general.
Deciding to Hire an Attorney
Whether the attorney represents you is your decision as much as it’s the attorney’s. You need to find a lawyer that you feel comfortable with, and who you can trust. You also want to ensure your attorney will effectively and capably represent your interests.
Here are a few questions to consider:
- Does this attorney have experience handling car accident cases like yours?
- How much trial experience does the attorney have? Most car accident cases settle out of court. But to obtain the best outcome possible, your attorney must have the ability to take your case to trial and win.
- Who will actually handle your case? Some attorneys may give the impression that they will handle every aspect of your case, but many have inexperienced associates handle most of the work surrounding the case, with your attorney stepping in only when there is a trial or during settlement negotiations.
- What is the attorney’s legal fee and who pays for litigation costs? Most car accident settlement attorneys work on a contingency fee basis.
If you decide to hire an attorney, you will need to sign a representation agreement, fee agreement, or some other document formally establishing the attorney as your legal representative. You may also need to sign other documents, such as medical releases, which will allow your attorney to access your treatment records on your behalf.
What Should I Tell My Car Accident Lawyer About the Accident?
You should tell your Atlanta car accident settlement lawyer anything and everything applicable to your case. Provide your attorney with all the facts surrounding your case, from details about how the accident occurred to how your injuries are impacting your life.
There is a lot to consider when discussing your accident with a car accident attorney, and it might be beneficial to write down a list of everything you want to say when you schedule a consultation.
The three topics of discussion that you will want to focus on include:
- Facts regarding the accident itself
- Your injuries and prognosis
- Any communication you have had with the insurance companies
Sharing Facts and Evidence from the Accident
Your attorney will want all the details about your accident as he or she puts together your case. Accident evidence can prove the other party’s negligence, minimize your fault, and help your attorney better relay car accident details to the judge, jury, or insurance companies.
Some of the things you will want to collect to share with your car accident lawyer include:
- A play-by-play of what you remember from the accident
- The police report
- When and where the accident took place
- Pictures or video(s) you took at the scene
- Any witness statements and contact info you collected
- Any factors that contributed to the accident, such as weather or road construction
Detailing Your Medical Condition and Prognosis
Proving the extent of your injuries is crucial to obtaining adequate and fair compensation after a car accident. Any manner that your injury has affected your life—in your relationships, career, financial well-being, mental health—applies to your case and you should share the information with your lawyer.
Some of the things you will want to share with your Atlanta car accident settlement lawyer to effectively demonstrate your injuries include:
- Medical records and bills
- Your doctors’ prognoses
- List of your recommended treatments and prescriptions
- Injury journal detailing your progress, pain levels, and the impact of your injury on your day-to-day life
- Future treatments that you might need
- Doctors’ and mental health practitioners’ statements regarding your condition
- Photos of your injury
Telling Your Attorney about Communications with Insurance Agents
Another thing you will want to discuss with your car accident lawyer is any phone calls, letters, or settlement offers you have received from your or the other party’s insurance company.
Your attorney can advise you on:
- What to say and what not to say during interviews with adjusters
- Whether or not the settlement offer is fair
- How to handle matters if the insurance company is acting unscrupulously
It is important to talk with your lawyer about these conversations because insurance adjusters are trained to lower their company’s overall payout. They may try to use shady tactics to get you to agree to a smaller settlement than what you are entitled to.
Therefore, share anything the insurance company tells you with your attorney so he/she can ensure everything is handled fairly and appropriately and then fight back if it is not.
Ready for Your Initial Consultation/Case Review?
If you have been injured in a car accident caused by someone else, contact Bobe & Snell Law Office LLC as soon as possible so that we can file your claim on time. Remember there are statutes of limitations that you must meet to get the compensation that you deserve.
Atlanta Car Accident Settlement Lawyer
So, call us now at (470) 268-5802 or contact us online to schedule your FREE, no-obligation consultation so that our experienced, professional, reputable, and dedicated Atlanta car accident settlement lawyer can review your case and advise you accordingly on the appropriate legal option you should take.
Atlanta Car Accident Settlement Lawyer
The amount of compensation you will collect will depend on the amount of insurance of the liable party, and/or the number of assets that the party owns. Call Bobe & Snell Law Office LLC now at (470) 268-5802 to let our attorney handle all interactions with the insurance company of the liable party to protect your rights and negotiate a level playing field.
Always consult your car accident settlement lawyer Atlanta about your priorities for settling your claim so that he or she can come up with a legal strategy that suits your goals and needs. Call Bobe & Snell Law Office LLC now at (470) 268-5802 we can help you secure maximum compensation for your injuries.
Our experienced car accident injury attorneys will conduct a thorough investigation to identify each party that may be responsible for the crash. Victims who hire experienced and knowledgeable attorneys to represent them often discover (to their surprise) that they can file claims against more parties than they imagined. Call us now at (470) 268-5802 we can help you secure maximum compensation for your injuries.
The number of parties responsible for your car accident injuries – There is only one party at fault in some car accidents. Others have multiple parties at fault for causing the crash because of their dangerous decisions and actions. Contact Bobe & Snell Law Office LLC now at (470) 268-5802 we can help you secure maximum compensation for your injuries.
Car Accident Settlement Lawyer
Car Accident Settlement Lawyer: Realistic Expectations for Settlement Value
A car accident victim can realistically expect to collect the full amount of monetary damages if he or she has the legal right to recover those damages from a party responsible for the accident that led to his/her injuries. However, you will be in a better position to secure the maximum compensation possible if you have an experienced and reputable car accident settlement lawyer Atlanta by your side.
The following factors can determine whether you will obtain full settlement payment:
- The number of parties responsible for your car accident injuries – There is only one party at fault in some car accidents. Others have multiple parties at fault for causing the crash because of their dangerous decisions and actions. Generally, the victim has a higher chance of recovering full damages if more parties are liable for his or her car accident injuries.
- The available financial resources to pay the victim’s damages – The party or parties at fault for the accident typically use their liability insurance or set aside an amount out of their own pockets to pay damages to the victim(s).
Compensation
The amount of compensation you will collect will depend on the amount of insurance of the liable party, and/or the number of assets that the party owns. Obviously, you are more likely to recover full damages from a corporate party with insurance coverage worth millions of dollars than from a single motorist carrying the bare minimum insurance coverage.
- The number of victims who may be entitled to recover damages – Multiple victims can suffer injuries in a car accident, and all of them may seek damages from the party or parties legally liable for the accident.
If the at-fault party has limited financial resources, then it will be quite difficult for the car accident victims who sustained injuries to recover full damages.
- The degree of dispute on damages and liability – You will have an easy time recovering the full value of your damages if the at-fault party or parties accept responsibility for the car crash and agree to pay a fair amount of money after negotiating with your Atlanta car accident settlement lawyer.
Victims may have to settle for less to resolve their claims when parties dispute the legal liability for the accident or the evidence gathered and submitted doesn’t prove them strongly enough.
- The personal priorities of the victim – The victims who insist on settling claims to recover damages very quickly often tend to get less compensation than those who remain patient and let their lawyers navigate the legal process diligently to obtain a more favorable settlement.
Experienced car accident injury attorneys
Our experienced car accident injury attorneys will conduct a thorough investigation to identify each party that may be responsible for the crash. Victims who hire experienced and knowledgeable attorneys to represent them often discover (to their surprise) that they can file claims against more parties than they imagined.
You may be entitled to seek damages from not only the other motorist but also from corporations and government agencies that have larger insurance coverage.
Always consult your car accident settlement lawyer Atlanta about your priorities for settling your claim so that he or she can come up with a legal strategy that suits your goals and needs.
Go for A Top-Dollar Settlement and Hire A Lawyer to Give Yourself the Best Shot!
Car accident victims who want to recover the full value of their claims should consult an attorney to guide them on how to navigate the legal process and improve their chances of getting a fair and adequate settlement.
Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for maximizing a settlement amount because every case is different. However, we are going to share some tips, which you should follow to increase your chances of getting a fair settlement and recovering full damages.
Seek medical care immediately, and follow your doctor’s instructions to the letter.
We can’t emphasize this enough. You should take good care of yourself if you want to secure a top-dollar settlement amount. Ensure that you don’t leave the scene of the accident before an EMT checks you and writes a report.
If the EMT recommends that you take an ambulance ride to the hospital, then do so. If possible, always go for a full check-up at your primary care physician’s office or an emergency care center within 24 hours of your car crash. Follow your doctor’s instructions/advice to the letter.
Why Is It So Important to Seek Immediate Medical Care?
- First, your top priority should always be to protect your health. Some injuries might develop into major health complications even though they may seem minor at first.
- Second, when you visit a doctor immediately, it shows that you took your injuries seriously, did your best to get better, and most importantly, you create records to show the connection between your car crash and injuries.
Proper medical records will protect you against accusations that your refusal to seek immediate treatment worsened your injuries or someone disputing the seriousness of your injuries and therefore, these records will prove vital when seeking a fair and adequate settlement.
Be Wary of Insurance Company Tactics to Avoid Falling for Them
Remain vigilant knowing that the insurance company of the at-fault party may try to contact you any time after the accident. They may try to offer you quick payment for your injuries or get you to discuss the accident. That is a trap! Don’t take that bait!
An insurance company wants to minimize its financial exposure to your car crash and injuries and therefore, they will contact you and try to convince you to accept their first payment.
Insurance adjusters may approach you with hidden agenda and act friendly, but their goal is to trick you into accepting a settlement offer for far less money than you deserve or get you to say something that will give them a reason to deny your claim.
In almost all circumstances, avoid all interactions with the insurance company of the at-fault party. This is your best course of action if you don’t want to make mistakes that could jeopardize your claim.
Avoid talking with an insurance adjuster. Don’t – ever – accept any payment without consulting your car accident settlement lawyer Atlanta. Instead, let your attorney handle all interactions with the insurance company of the liable party to protect your rights and negotiate a level playing field.
Car Accident Settlement Lawyer
Car accident settlement lawyer at Bobe & Snell Law Office LLC can help you secure maximum compensation for your injuries. Call us now at (470) 268-5802 or contact us online to schedule a free case review.
Car Accident Settlement Lawyer