Best car accident lawyer near me
Who is an accident lawyer and what does he do?
Many car owners have a poor idea of how to communicate with traffic police or insurers, which leads to significant financial losses. Lack of competence can lead to more serious consequences – the imposition of blame for the accident even in its absence. Therefore, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the legislation on traffic in the most careful way.
An alternative to self-protection of your rights is the help of a car lawyer. An accident lawyer is always ready to advise at a professional level on any cases. If necessary, he will go to court and defend your interests there.
In communicating with the traffic police and the prosecutor’s office, his knowledge and skills will also come in handy. The services of a lawyer (read about their variety in our separate article) help car owners get everything that is due under the contract from the insurance company.
A constructive dialogue with officials from state bodies, with representatives of public organizations allows the auto lawyer to make the best informed decision. After all, he knows not only federal legislation, but also departmental regulations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, psychological tricks and gaps in the regulatory framework that help achieve a positive result for the client.
When Do You Need an Accident Attorney?
In these and other cases, a car lawyer will provide you with qualified assistance, which will protect you from unnecessary expenses and other problems.
How an auto lawyer works – 5 main stages
The work of an auto lawyer can be divided into 5 stages. Let’s consider them in more detail.
Stage 1. Issuance of a power of attorney
In order for your interests in various instances, including in court, to be represented by an accident lawyer, you need to write a power of attorney in his name. It should reflect the right of claim, which he will use when maintaining a claim or writing a claim to the insurance company. Such a power of attorney must be certified by a notary, which you will visit together with a car lawyer.
Stage 2. Analysis of the situation
At this stage, the lawyer analyzes the collected data, on the basis of which he draws conclusions about the damage caused to your property or health.
What information does a lawyer need to obtain an objective picture of a perfect accident:
Having received all the necessary information, the auto lawyer compares the cost of repairs indicated by the insurance company with the amount reflected in an independent assessment. With significant discrepancies, he has a legal basis to file a claim with the insurance company.
Stage 3 . Filing a claim
In the event that the cost of repairs indicated in the document of the insurance company is not true, the lawyer submits a claim to the insurer and awaits a response to it. Often, the insurance company agrees with the claim and pays the entire cost of repairs based on the conclusion of an independent expert. However, some insurers are in no hurry to part with the money and send a refusal.
Stage 4. Drawing up a statement of claim in court
If, despite obvious discrepancies with an independent assessment, the insurer refuses to pay the agreed amount, then there is no other way out than to go to court.
The accident lawyer draws up a statement of claim, to which he attaches all the obtained evidence of your innocence. The same independent expertise will be of particular value here. Please note that the court itself may order an additional assessment if it deems it necessary.
I advise you not to be limited to hiring a lawyer only for the first 4 stages. Know that insurance companies have excellent lawyers who are able to smash all your arguments to smithereens. Therefore, you should also order legal representation in court.
Stage 5. Payment of money to the client of the insurance company
If your lawyer did a good job, then the insurance company will pay every penny. This can happen as part of the satisfaction of a claim, but more often by a court decision.
Sometimes insurers delay payment in every possible way. In such cases, the auto lawyer will again help. He will collect the necessary documents to initiate enforcement proceedings in the bailiff service, who will collect the debt forcibly.