A car accident lawyer is essential after a crash. If you’ve ever been in a car accident, you know how frustrating it can be. Dealing with the insurance company sometimes feels like you’re playing the “hurry up and wait” game.
Part of this has to do with the bureaucracy that exists within the insurance industry. Another part has to do with the fact that insurance companies don’t take people seriously if they don’t have a car accident lawyer. This is why we recommend that accident victims call an experienced Marietta car accident lawyer as soon as possible after their car accident.
You may be asking yourself why you need to hire one of the best auto accident lawyers in Marietta. The answer is – you don’t. You have every right to handle your car accident claim all by yourself. However, most people aren’t familiar with the way the civil courts work in Georgia.
They have very strict rules when it comes to filing your claim. They also have rigid fee requirements. If you miss a deadline or don’t pay the right fee, your case will be dismissed. If you file your complaint and the defendant files a motion, will you know how to respond?
These are questions you need to ask yourself before you decide to forego an attorney. If you want the best chances of collecting damages, you should hire a lawyer. There’s just too much at stake to leave things to chance.
Your Marietta Car Accident Lawyer Will Make Sure Your Insurance Claim Is Filed Properly
Before you should even think about taking legal action, you need to file your insurance claim. There is a good chance that your claim will be paid. It depends on a few factors. First, if your claim is small, it will probably be paid. The insurance company doesn’t want to spend thousands of dollars to fight a small claim.
The second factor depends on your history of filing claims. If you’re the kind of person who’s filing an insurance claim every other year, it won’t look good for you. Finally, one other factor that can hurt your chances of having your claim approved has to do with your injuries. If it appears that you’ve exaggerated your injuries, they’re not going to pay your claim.
In any of these cases, your Marietta car accident lawyer is going to try to get your claim paid. They’ll reach out to the insurance adjuster and find out why your claim was denied. Then they’ll negotiate with the insurance adjuster to see if they’ll settle your claim. If you can get a lump sum right off the bat, it’s a lot easier than filing a lawsuit. However, since every case is different, there’s no way to know upfront how your case will play out.
It Can Be Very Hard to Represent Yourself in a Car Accident Lawsuit
If your car accident lawyer isn’t able to get your claim paid, you’ll have no choice but to file a personal injury lawsuit against the insurance company and the other driver. You only have a certain amount of time to do this. According to the Georgia statute of limitations, you have 2 years to file your car accident lawsuit. If you miss this deadline, your case will be dismissed. You will not be able to file it again.
What this means is that if you drag your feet, you won’t collect a dime from the defendant. Sometimes, it’s easier to have one of the best auto accident lawyers in Marietta do this for you. They are very familiar with the laws and won’t miss a filing deadline. Nor will they file the wrong forms or pay the wrong fee.
If you choose to represent yourself, the judge isn’t going to cut you any slack. The court rules are in place for a reason. If you miss a court date or file the wrong paper, the court won’t pull you aside and show you how to fix it. The way they see things, you chose to represent yourself. Therefore, you’ll be held to the same standard as the defendant and their attorney. This is just one of the many reasons you should consider retaining a Marietta injury lawyer to handle the legal side of things for you.
Your Marietta Car Accident Lawyer Is Going to File Suit on Your Behalf
If your claim isn’t paid, you’ll have no choice but to file suit. This is going to require that your attorney prepare your case as well. They’re going to have to gather evidence to prove the defendant was at fault. They’ll also need to consult whatever experts they need. If there were eyewitnesses listed on the police report, they’ll reach out to them and try to get a statement.
This is the kind of stuff you wouldn’t want to do on your own. For example, eyewitnesses are much more likely to talk to a lawyer than they will you. Most people don’t want to get involved in other people’s business. They don’t look at lawyers the same way they do a virtual stranger.
The other thing your attorney will have to do is negotiate with the defendant in order to settle your case. This takes some serious negotiating skills. Our associates spend years learning how to do this. If you think you can step in and do the same thing, you have that right. However, if you want to maximize your chances of recovery, you’ll leave the negotiating to the professionals.
Contact an Experienced Marietta Injury Lawyer Right Away
The more time that goes by before you hire a lawyer, the harder it will be for them to catch up. You have to assume that the other driver hired a lawyer right away. You need to do the same thing. You can easily call and speak with one of our experienced Marietta injury lawyers. Schedule your free, initial consultation. You can meet with one of our lawyers and it won’t cost you anything at all.
If you decide to retain our services, you won’t have to worry about going up against the insurance company alone. You’ll have a seasoned attorney by your side the whole way through. Not only will this make you more comfortable, but it will also increase your chances of winning. At the end of the day, it’s better to have 2/3 of something than all of nothing. And, when you consider that you don’t have to pay anything upfront, it’s really in your best interests to hire an attorney.
