It may not always be clear when to get a lawyer after being involved in a serious car accident. In fact, since there is no legal requirement that you have a personal injury attorney working on your case, you may be tempted to pursue the compensation you deserve on your own.
However, having a knowledgeable and experienced car accident attorney working for you could make all the difference in your ability to maximize your award. At Mountain States Injury Law, we are committed to holding at-fault parties accountable and getting the most for our clients.
Here are some of the top reasons to hire a car accident attorney in Castle Rock, and what to expect as you move through the personal injury claims process.
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Why It’s Almost Always in Your Best Interests to Hire an Auto Accident Attorney
Having an experienced personal injury attorney working for you could make it possible for you to maximize your financial compensation and protect yourself from being taken advantage of during this difficult time in your life. Here are some of the advantages of working with a respected Colorado car accident lawyer:
A Better Understanding of Your Legal Rights
After being involved in a car crash, you may not fully understand how to recover the compensation you are entitled to. Working with a car accident attorney is the best way to understand what your rights are and how much you should be awarded.
We will help you grasp the true value of your claim and prepare you for any challenges that may arise as we fight to hold the liable party accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
A Personal Investigation into the Accident
You may not know how to prove fault after a car accident, but your attorney will. Mountain States Injury Law has extensive experience establishing negligence and liability for victim’s injuries.
To do this, we will need to thoroughly investigate the cause of the collision and gather valuable supporting evidence along the way. Some examples of the evidence that may prove most useful include:
- Vehicle black box data
- Witness statements
- Personal testimony
- The defendant’s chemical and blood alcohol test results
- The defendant’s driving and criminal records
- Your driving records
- Your medical records
- Photos of your injuries
- Video of the collision
- Safety inspection reports
- Crash data
- Police reports
- Accident reconstructionist analysis
Experienced and Zealous Legal Advocacy
Working with a personal injury lawyer who has devoted their career to car accident cases and injury claims is the way to go. When you work with an attorney who has handled countless cases like yours, you can feel confident in their legal representation. We know how to navigate complex legal procedures, understand the court system’s evidentiary rules, and have crafted legal arguments to win cases for our clients.
Extensive Knowledge of Local and State Personal Injury Law
Car accident laws in Colorado can be complex. When you have a personal injury lawyer working on your car accident case, you will not be overwhelmed or confused. We will ensure you understand how certain laws will impact the outcome of your case.
For example, if you are accused of sharing blame for the accident, your settlement could be significantly reduced under Colorado’s modified comparative negligence laws. Our car accident lawyers will know how to fight back when unfounded shared liability accusations arise.
Protection From the Insurance Company
When you receive an offer from the insurance company, you may be ready to accept so you can get the financial support you need to cover your accident-related expenses. However, insurance companies are profit-motivated and will almost always put their financial needs above yours.
It is not unusual for insurance adjusters to employ unscrupulous tactics to take advantage of car accident victims in their greatest time of need.
The insurance adjuster could manipulate your words if you give them a statement, make a fast offer that is worth far less than your personal injury claim is valued, or even misrepresent the policy terms to reduce your payout
When you have a skilled car accident attorney working on your case, you can protect yourself from being taken advantage of. Your personal injury lawyer will ensure the insurance company knows you mean business.
A Correct Analysis of the Value of Your Car Accident Claim
One of the top benefits of having a car accident attorney on your side is the ability to get the most out of your car accident insurance settlement or trial verdict. You may be surprised to learn that you are entitled to compensation for more than just your medical bills. In fact, when you bring your case to trial, you have the right to be made whole.
What does this mean? Essentially, you should be compensated for every loss you experienced that relates to your car accident.
Insurance only covers certain types of damages based on the policyholder’s terms. For instance, the liable party’s insurance company might offer up to $50,000 for your medical expenses if the driver who hit you carries the minimum amount of bodily injury liability coverage. They might offer $15,000 for your vehicle repair expenses.
However, this may not be enough to cover your medical bills or personal property damages. When this happens, filing a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party may be your best option. In court, you can be reimbursed for every single loss. The damages you are entitled to are economic damages and non-economic damages.
Working with an attorney means every single loss will be accounted for when calculating the value of your claims. Some of the compensatory damages injury victims can collect include:
- Medical expenses and medical treatment
- Future medical costs
- Permanent disability
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of income
- Loss of support and companionship
- Loss of guidance, advice, and society
- Diminished quality of life
- Rental car expenses
- Loss of future potential earnings
- Loss of employee benefits
- Pain and suffering
- Personal and professional reputation damage
- The diminished value of your vehicle
- Personal property damages
- Cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle
- Medical devices and equipment
- Feelings of embarrassment, shame, or indignity
- Feelings of shock, apprehension, or fear
Colorado Car Accident Lawyer FAQ
Working with a car accident attorney in Colorado is a new experience for most injury victims. You may have many questions about how you will afford to hire a lawyer, what responsibilities your attorney will take on, how your lawyer calculates the value of your car accident and insurance claim, and more. We understand how overwhelming and chaotic the aftermath of a car crash can be.
With that in mind, we have crafted a quick FAQ regarding Colorado car accident laws below. If you have additional questions about working with an attorney, we can discuss these during your free consultation.
How do you calculate pain and suffering?
There are several ways your car accident attorney may calculate pain and suffering damages. These are also known as non-economic damages. They do not have a fixed financial value and their impact on each victim’s life is entirely subjective. To ensure you are compensated fairly, there are two types of methods that can be used to calculate pain and suffering:
- The per diem method: With the per diem method, your injuries are assigned a per diem monetary value based on your economic damages. For example, you might be assigned a value of $500 per day. Your attorney then determines how long you are expected to be affected by your injuries from the collision and multiplies the number of days by your per diem value. If we expect your injuries to significantly impact your life for the next five years, we would multiply $500 by five years or 1,825 to get the value of your pain and suffering Damages, which would be $912,500.
- The multiplier method: The multiplier method assigns you a multiplier based on the severity of your injuries. Usually, this is a number between one and five. Then, your attorney takes the value of your economic damages and multiplies them by the multiplier. For example, if your injuries were assigned a multiplier of four and your economic damages were valued at $350,000, we would multiply $350,000 by four to get the value of your pain and suffering damages, which would be $1.4 million.
What are the qualities of the best car accident lawyer?
There are many qualities you should expect from the best car accident attorneys. You want a lawyer who is compassionate and understanding, knowledgeable about the legal system, has relationships with civil court legal officials, and has extensive experience handling cases like yours. You want an attorney who will give your case the time, attention, and resources it deserves. Your attorney should not be taking on as many cases as they can to further their financial goals.
How much will it cost to hire a car accident attorney?
Car accident lawyer fees do not need to be intimidating. We understand how financially draining the aftermath of a motor vehicle wreck can be. For this reason, we never request a retainer before we start working with a client. We use our own resources to build a case against the liable party on your behalf.
We work for you on contingency, so payment for our services is contingent upon us winning your case. When we win, a percentage of your award will cover our attorney’s fees. On the off chance that we lose, you will not be expected to pay for our efforts.
Connect With an Experienced Colorado Car Accident Lawyer Today
You may be tempted to take on your car accident case by yourself. However, when your severe injuries are preventing you from identifying the liable party, collecting valuable supporting evidence, accurately calculating the value of your claim, and protecting yourself from money-hungry insurance companies, having an experienced car accident attorney on your side could make a significant difference in the outcome of your case.
Fill out our online contact form or call Mountain States Injury Law to request a 100% free consultation today.