Amazing Benefits of Hiring a Florida Car Accident Lawyer
Every year, six million road accidents occur across the United States. In 2019 alone, 36,120 people died due to road accidents.
While a car accident happens in a split of a second, its impacts can echo in your life for years to come. When dealing with the aftermath of a car accident, you can represent yourself or work with an attorney.
Here’s a closer look at six crucial reasons why hiring a Florida car accident lawyer is the wiser thing to do.
1. A Lawyer Understands the Time Limits
Every state has a law on how long you have to report a car accident. Similarly, there’s a statute of limitations on when you should file a claim arising from a motor vehicle accident.
In Florida, you have ten days to report a car accident. If you or any of the people involved do get injured, the Florida personal injury protection (PIP) rule gives an injured person in a car accident fourteen days to seek medical care. If you take longer than fourteen days, your PIP claim may be turned down.
When it comes to filing a car accident claim in Florida, the statute of limitations is four years after the accidents occurred. When you hire a lawyer, they are well-positioned to determine if you are within the time limits for a valid claim.
2. A Lawyer Is Better Experienced at Negotiating With Insurers
Anyone who chooses to represent themselves in a car accident claim has to contend with three issues.
One, insurance companies are highly motivated to pay you as little as possible. Two, insurers run claims negotiations for a living. Three, every insurance provider hires an army of experienced lawyers to help them pay as little compensation as legally possible.
Unless you have in-depth experience in car accident claims and the law around it, it’s foolish to go up against such odds alone. Hiring a lawyer helps even the playing field for you as they do spend every workday negotiating deals.
Similar to the insurer, a well-experienced car accident lawyer knows the tricks of the trade and can negotiate with the best of them in getting you the best deal.
3. A Lawyer Knows How to Negotiate With Lien Holders
If you receive any workers’ compensation, health, or disability benefits, then the issuing insurer has a lien on your claim. That, in effect, means that such an insurer gets to be first in line in getting paid before you.
When you hire a reliable lawyer, they have the skills necessary to negotiate with the lien holder to reduce their lien. Essentially, such an insurer can accept to take less money off the top from your compensation, which means more money in your pocket.
4. A Lawyer Knows How to Get the Evidence Your Case Requires
Evidence is one of the most critical issues that your claim will hang on, and you can’t bluff your way through it. Not without risking the compensation, you stand to receive. A good lawyer can make all the difference in gathering the right evidence to make your case.
When it comes to gathering medical evidence to support your claim, you need to get the right documentation. Many hospitals don’t see this as a priority, and if you’re not careful, that can derail your case.
A good lawyer is one who’s built relationships with medical workers within their area of operation. They stand a better chance of helping you access the records you need for your claim promptly.
If you’re dealing with bigger hospitals, you must go through specific procedures to get your records. A car accident lawyer is familiar with these processes and can help you navigate them to get to your documents.
Once you have your records, you still need to check that the right language has been used for a successful claim. You must show through medical evidence what injury, disability, or physical damage you suffered. Additionally, you’ll need to show that the defendant’s negligence was the direct cause of the damage.
An experienced car accident lawyer becomes very critical here in helping you request the doctor to give their medical opinion that the accident did cause your injury. Also, the lawyer will help the doctor attest to the fact that because of the result of the accident, you’ll be disabled or otherwise hindered for a particular period.
5. A Lawyer Can Represent You in Trial
A vast number of car accident claims do indeed result in out-of-court settlements. For most insurers, it’s in their best interest to wrap up a claims process as quickly as possible. Moreover, going to trial exposes an insurance provider to the unpredictability of the result, and that’s worth avoiding.
But what if your claim ends up going to trial?
You will need a lawyer who has experience handling cases similar to yours to represent you in court. Such an attorney understands the case law necessary to make your case.
Working with a lawyer is especially critical if your case goes to trial because they know how to navigate jury selection. A lawyer will know just the right questions to ask to eliminate jurors that may pose a threat to your case.
Working with a lawyer during a trial is essential as they know how to present the evidence you’ve collected properly. If you don’t follow the right judicial procedure in presenting critical evidence, it can get tossed out. Hiring an experienced accident lawyer ensures that every piece of evidence will work for you during the trial.
6. A Lawyer Knows How to Select Expert Witnesses
Many personal injury cases end up needing an expert witness to help clarify matters. An exceptional car accident lawyer knows how to source and prepare the most qualified expert witnesses your case needs to improve your success odds.
Hire the Right Florida Car Accident Lawyer
Motor vehicle accidents happen instantly, and when they do, your life can change in that instant. When handling such an accident, it’s best to hire a lawyer to best represent you and your case. Retaining a Florida car accident lawyer is wise as they can help you navigate the myriad legal loopholes that impact the success of your claim.
LaBovick Law Group is a consumer plaintiff’s firm experienced in representing car accident clients in million-dollar cases. Reach out to us today for a free initial consultation to learn how you can get the justice you deserve.
