Today, American roads go everywhere and allow any private or commercial driver to get wherever they need to go, whether across long interstate highways or inner city roads, but the unfortunate truth is that sometimes, accidents will happen on these roads and people may get injured or worse. When this happens, whether a car or truck hits another vehicle or a pedestrian or a bicyclist, a lawsuit or litigation will be undertaken to get settlement money from the at-fault’s insurance company. A car accident lawyer can help a client find this settlement money after a car crash, and these lawyers can lend great legal expertise that a victim cannot provide for him or herself.
Statistics of the Road
There are many car accidents and other incidents on American roads today. In fact, some six million car accidents in total take place in the United States annually, and similarly, around three million people are injured in such incidents per year. Distracted driving (such as looking at a cell phone or the car’s radio features), drunk driving (where blood alcohol content is above a certain percentage) and speeding (going far above the posted speed limit) are the three main causes of car accidents in the United States today, although less common causes such as falling asleep behind the wheel or having a stroke may also occur. Victims are often people in other cars sharing the road, but many victims are bicycle riders as well. For example, bike riders made up 2.2% of all traffic deaths in the year 2016, and in that same year, it was determined that many bicyclists were killed on the road between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM in rural settings (20%) and urban environments (71%). No matter whether a victim was driving another car or truck, or was a pedestrian or riding a bicycle, a car accident lawyer or other kind of personal injury lawyer may be called upon to settle the case.
Getting a Car Accident Lawyer
After a car wreck or similar incident, a victim will probably be injured, and this means incurring medical bills, among other inconveniences and problems. Not long after a car crash, as soon as physically fit, most victims are urged to look around and research local law firms to find a suitable car accident lawyer and enlist his or her aid. One reason to get a lawyer’s assistance is because if the victim’s injuries are permanent and can affect the person’s ability to work in the future, this can have complicated, far-reaching effects on the victim’s finances. Calculating all this can be difficult for the average car accident victim, but a car accident lawyer will have the skills to handle it properly.
What is more, after an accident, the victim will probably be very upset and possibly disoriented, and this subjective, irrational thinking may seriously impair their ability to take a case to court and get settlement money. However, a car accident lawyer is an objective, calm outside party who can see things in terms of paperwork and money rather than personal vengeance, allowing them to handle matters more effectively.
During the case, a victim’s attorney will negotiate with the at-fault party’s insurance company for settlement money, and sometimes, the opposing insurance company may refuse to cooperate or give the requested amount of money, and if a victim tries this without legal assistance, they can find themselves totally stonewalled. However, a layer can handle it much more effectively. Another complication may be if multiple parties were involved in the traffic incident, and this can complicate the assigning of blame and distribution of settlement money, something a client may not be able to handle, but a lawyer could.
To find a suitable car accident lawyer, a victim can look up local law firms, especially those where the attorneys specialize in car accident cases. There, the potential client can get consultations with local lawyers to see what they are like (this may or may not cost a small fee). The client can ask about a lawyer’s educational background, experience with law, and personal methods and skills. This allows the client to find a lawyer whose fees, experience, methods, and personality are compatible with theirs to build an effective case together.