What Does a Car Accident Lawyer Do and Why You Should Hire One

What does a car accident lawyer do? When you’ve been in a car accident, you may be asking this question — and it’s an important one to answer. You need to know whether you need one or not. If you or someone you know has been harmed in a car accident, keep reading to find answers to common questions you may have.

When a Car Accidents Happens

Mia was on the highway traveling around 60 mph. Just ahead, cars started stopping suddenly, their taillights turning red. Mia braked in time to avoid hitting the car in front of her — at least at first. However, the person behind Mia slammed into her at a pretty high rate of speed. Mia’s car then smashed into the car in front of her — right after she was hit from behind. The airbag was deployed, but Mia was knocked unconscious and suffered severe injuries.

An event like this is traumatizing, not only physically — but also emotionally and psychologically. Mia can’t talk to the police or medics or doctors. All anyone can do is rush her to the emergency room (ER) and treat her injuries in the best way possible.

You Need a Car Accident Attorney for Serious Accidents

Why hire a car accident lawyer? Because Mia has been severely injured, and she can’t help herself. Her family didn’t witness the accident. All they know is that she needs immediate surgery.

They desperately hope she survives, despite her injuries. But the doctors don’t even know yet if she can. Her family members can’t begin to comprehend all of the information doctors are providing. They don’t know how to help the police. Too much is happening too fast — and they have no idea what to do.

Mia needs a car accident attorney who knows exactly what to do. Lawyers who know because they’ve been suing over car accident cases for years. They’ll know how to be Mia’s advocate, to coordinate with the police, to answer questions from the insurance company, and to help family members with the decisions they are likely to face.

Car Attorneys Handle All Your Legal Matters

Your family is too busy navigating the hospital system, doctors, surgeries, medications, and their own fears and heartbreak. You can’t handle the legal system if you’re unconscious.

And if you hire an experienced car accident lawyer, you don’t have to.

The Role of a Car Accident Lawyer

A good personal injury attorney gets you the help you need — and the financial compensation you deserve.

Defining Legal Representation

A car accident lawyer files lawsuits in personal injury cases involving vehicle crashes. These are civil cases where one person sues another, or a company. Your attorney is there to represent you and your interests.

Case Evaluation and Consultation

Most personal injury lawyers provide an initial consultation free of charge. They ask you about your situation, details about the accident, and details about your injuries. If you have been seriously injured due to someone else doing something wrong, you likely have a case.

In a fender bender where no one sustained an injury, you may not need an attorney. Insurance companies make an evaluation about who pays for what. However, when there is a conflict with your insurance company, a car accident attorney may be helpful.

Investigation and Evidence Gathering

A car accident lawyer investigates details of the crash, looks into police reports, consults medical records, and collects witness statements. This process is called discovery.

Legal Advice and Formulating Strategy

Once your car accident lawyers collect all of the available evidence, they offer strategic advice. Our experienced team has succeeded for many clients with car accident case lawsuits before. This helps us come up with the best strategy for winning your case.

Ideally, your case is settled out of court. But your attorney is also ready to go to trial, if necessary.

12 Reasons to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer

When thinking about whether to hire a car accident attorney, consider the answers to these questions.

Do I Need to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?

Absolutely, yes, if you suffered significant injuries of any kind. For example, if your injuries were severe enough that you needed to go to the emergency room, travel by ambulance, or be flown by helicopter.

If you required hospitalization, surgery, multiple medical treatments and doctor visits, physical therapy, or home health care after your injury. If you needed to take time off of work, required a wheelchair, or needed to enter a rehabilitation facility.

Medical expenses have a way of adding up. You could deserve hundreds of thousands of dollars to help with all of these costs. And, typically, having a good lawyer is the only way to get the money you need.

Is It Worth It to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer If My Accident Was Minor?

Yes, it could be. The good news is many car accident attorneys do not charge you an initial consultation fee. That means it is best to go ahead and speak to an attorney.

1. Help determine whether or not you have a case — You might think your car accident was a minor fender bender, for example. But if you were rear-ended by a drunk driver and badly hurt, your case could be more complex than you think. Your attorney knows what your case needs to win.

2. Assess damages — If you are damaged by a car, an attorney can help you get the compensation you deserve. In car accident cases, insurance companies look at photos and read reports. Mostly, they hope they don’t have to pay out. The fender bender you thought would just cost a couple hundred dollars to repair might turn out to be tens of thousands of dollars due to the unexpected serious injuries you suffered.

On top of the injuries themselves, you probably will miss work when someone crashes into you and you are badly injured. You might need to take time off work or make other scheduling arrangements while you are healing. You also might need to rent a car, while your car is being repaired.

3. Provide and collect evidence — In addition to the documents you provide, your attorney can dig deeper and ask questions. Evidence is often the key to a successful lawsuit.

4. Case building and navigation — A skilled car accident attorney can strategically build your case and present the findings to the defendant’s attorney. This may lead to a settlement and you can avoid having to go to trial. A lawsuit that looks straightforward at first could be something way more complicated than you imagined. Extenuating circumstances often play a role:

• You were involved in a hit-and-run.
• The car that hit you was uninsured.
• The driver had stolen the car or was driving without a license.
• The driver was texting and driving.
• The driver was driving for a business at the time of the accident.

5. Managing Legal Documentation — Your car accident attorney knows how to manage all of the legal documentation necessary to prepare for a settlement agreement or trial.

6. Court Representation — If you need to appear before a judge or jury, your car accident attorney represents you in court and at the trial.

7. Stress reduction and support — A car accident is traumatizing in and of itself. Your car accident attorney is there for you every step of the way as your counselor, your advocate, and your legal professional seeking the best outcome possible.

8. Maximizing compensation — Your car accident attorney looks at all of the factors in your case and uses every tool in the legal arsenal to maximize your compensation.

9. Collaborate with insurance and medical professionals — Your attorney collaborates with your insurance and medical professionals as a kind of go-between. A good car accident attorney acts as a mediator and translator of sorts, making sure you get the help you need.

10. Negotiations — Your attorney presents your evidence to the defendant and aims to achieve a speedy and fair settlement.

11. Speeds along and simplifies the claims process — Dealing with insurance companies can be a hassle. Your car accident attorney knows how to speed the process along.

12. Contingency fee basis — Your car accident attorney gets paid only if we win your case and you receive compensation. If not, you don’t pay anything to the law firm.

Choosing the Right Car Accident Lawyer

Choosing the right car accident lawyer can make all the difference. You definitely don’t want to hire someone who only deals with car accidents every once in a while. You want a pro. You need an attorney who fights for clients with these cases on a regular basis.

Evaluating Experience and Expertise

If you are involved in a car accident, evaluate your attorney’s expertise and experience. Make sure your attorney specifically has a history of winning car accident cases.

The car accident attorneys at Weitz & Luxenberg have been fighting on behalf of our clients for nearly four decades. We fight hard so our clients who have been injured in car accidents receive all the insurance benefits you are entitled to.

This includes the different types of financial compensation you are eligible for. Filing a personal injury lawsuit lets you receive all the additional compensation you deserve.

Reading Testimonials and Reviews

Also, read testimonials and reviews about the attorney you are considering hiring. Testimonials are incredibly important. They’re the next best thing to having a friend or family member tell you how much their attorney helped them. Our client reviews are from real people, using their own words to share their experiences.

Building a Personal Connection

And, it’s important to build a personal connection. An attorney you can connect with is your strongest advocate. Good lawyers give everything they’ve got to present your case in the best way possible.

Getting Started with a Car Accident Lawyer

Before you contact a potential car accident attorney to pursue your lawsuit with, collect the information you have available as evidence. This sets the stage for a productive first meeting.

Preparing for the Initial Consultation

Before speaking with your car accident attorney for the first time, make a checklist of all the documents and information you have to share. For example:

✔ Police reports.

✔ Details about your injuries.

✔ Photos of your injuries.

✔ Information about the treatments you received.

✔ All the medical records you can round up.

✔ Estimates for future care and medical treatment.

✔ Estimates of missed wages.

✔ Copies of any traffic citations.

✔ Photos of the car accident from different angles.

✔ Any witness statements about the accident.

✔ Diagrams of the accident.

✔ Proof of car insurance.

✔ Correspondence from your insurance company.

✔ Repair estimates for the damage to your vehicle.

✔ Rental car expenses.

Essential Questions to Ask

When speaking with your attorney, come up with a possible list of essential questions to ask, such as:

• Do you have a history of representing victims of car accidents?
• Do you litigate specific kinds of car accident cases?
• Do you have success winning cases?
• Could you tell me about some of the cases you’ve handled?
• Do you generally aim for settlement?
• How long does it take from start to finish?
• What kind of settlement am I likely to get?

Weitz & Luxenberg

After reading this, we hope you gained an understanding to answer this question: What does a car accident lawyer do? The bottom line is we are there for you. Your attorney supports you from start to finish. A good attorney aims to get you the best settlement or trial result possible.

Weitz & Luxenberg, based right in New York City, has been dealing with legal cases in the state of New York for almost 40 years. We have secured more than $19 billion on behalf of our clients. For more information, we encourage you to contact us by calling (833) 977-3437 or filling out the form to get started.