Many car crash victims decide not to call an attorney to help them seek compensation for the damages they suffered. There are a variety of reasons why crash victims make this decision, but they may not be aware of the risks of going it alone.
Our experienced attorneys discuss these risks below. While it is understandable that you may be unsure about what to do after an auto accident, you should still give serious thought to contacting a licensed attorney.
When you call our firm, we can determine if we may be able to assist you and schedule a free consultation with an experienced attorney. Even if we determine you have a case, you are under no obligation to hire our firm. If you do hire us, there will be no fees to pay up front or even while we work on your case.
Schmidt Kramer is here to help at no upfront cost. (717) 727-1403
Recovering Full Compensation May Be More Difficult
Your number one goal when seeking compensation after a car crash is to obtain all the compensation you need to cover medical bills and other damages. The problem with handling a claim alone is that you may be less likely to reach that goal – studies have shown that injured victims who hire Harrisburg vehicle crash lawyers often recover more compensation compared to those who do not hire a lawyer.
There may be many reasons why handling a claim alone often results in recovering less compensation, and they are discussed in more detail below.
In short, an experienced attorney has dealt with many car accident cases. That means he or she has detailed knowledge of the law, the legal process and the issues that can arise when seeking compensation. Crash victims may be more likely to make mistakes, simply because they are not as familiar with the process.
Crash victims often do not know the full value of their claim. They might not account for the cost of ongoing damages, or the effect of an injury on their earning capacity. Victims may agree to a settlement much too quickly, only to later realize they need more compensation for medical treatment or other expenses.
You May Be More Likely to Make Mistakes
Crash victims who go it alone often make many mistakes when pursuing a claim. For example, crash victims might discuss the crash and/or their injuries on social media. They may be much too open with the insurance company about their recovery and their injury symptoms. Injured victims may be more likely to accept a lowball settlement offer early in the process.
Mistakes like these could result in a denied claim or the insurance company offering far less compensation than your claim may be worth. Talking to the insurance company about the crash or your injuries can be risky because you may say something that seems to imply you are at fault. You may say something that the insurance company can use to devalue your claim.
The things you say to the insurance company could cause permanent damage to your claim for compensation.
Some of the other mistakes victims could make include failing to file a claim on time or failing to provide documents the insurance company needs to process the claim.
Insurance Companies Know How to Take Advantage of Victims
One of the benefits of hiring an experienced attorney is that he or she has vast experience with these cases.
It is also important to remember the insurance company has just as much, if not more experience with auto accident claims. That means they have dealt with many crash victims, and they know how to manipulate crash victims. The insurance company wants to trick you into saying something that can be used against you to either deny your claim or underpay it.
Insurance adjusters have a lot of experience acting like a friend to crash victims and getting them to downplay their injuries or even admit fault.
Crash victims may want to speed up the process, so they may agree to provide the insurance company with all the medical records they are requesting. However, you may be providing medical records that are unrelated to the crash. The insurance company will be looking for evidence of a preexisting medical issue to cite as the reason for your medical treatment.
There May Be Questions You Cannot Answer
There are many questions that need to be answered when seeking injury compensation, including:
- Do you know how to determine the full cost of your medical treatment?
- Do you know how to determine the cost of ongoing treatment you may need after your claim has concluded?
- Do you know what to do if your claim is denied?
- Do you understand Pennsylvania’s no-fault auto insurance system?
- Do you know how to calculate the value of non-economic damages?
- Do you know how to gather strong evidence to support your claim?
- What if the value of your claim exceeds the value of the insurance policy you are seeking compensation from?
Injured victims are often unable to answer questions like these, and they may not even know they should be asking these questions.
Not Knowing What To Do if Your Claim is Denied
You may still have a valid claim, even though the insurance company denied it. An experienced attorney can evaluate your situation to determine if compensation may still be available. An attorney can also file a lawsuit if necessary. The filing of a lawsuit can motivate the insurance company to negotiate a settlement.
Unfortunately, when victims go it alone, they may be more likely to give up after the insurance company denies their claim.
Subjecting Yourself to Additional Stress
Dealing with a serious injury is stressful enough. You do not need to add to that stress by dealing with the insurance company and the complicated legal process.
At Schmidt Kramer, we are prepared to deal with the entire legal process on your behalf. That means you can focus on going to the doctor to get treatment and being with your family. Our experienced attorneys can deal with the insurance company and aggressively negotiate for the compensation you need.
Additional stress during your recovery could be a detriment to healing. You may have trouble sleeping – sleep can be invaluable as you are trying to recover from an injury. Stress could push victims to simply accept the offer being made by the insurance company with few questions asked. If you do this, you could be leaving significant compensation on the table.
Give Our Firm a Call for Legal Assistance
Car crash injuries can be devastating, and not just to your physical health. The cost of treating these injuries could be a lot higher than you realize, and most people do not have anywhere near enough money to pay these costs on their own. Serious injuries can also take an emotional toll, and these damages can be included in a claim for compensation.
The attorneys at Schmidt Kramer are ready to help you take on the insurance company and obtain the compensation you need to move forward with your life.
Free consultation to discuss legal options. Call (717) 727-1403.