If you have just had a motor vehicle accident you probably already have a lot on your mind, not to mention the fact you will be healing from any injuries you may have suffered. During this time, the thought of making a claim for compensation can be especially daunting, particularly when you will need to come up against an insurance company and their well-versed lawyers.
After a motor vehicle accident, you only have one chance to make a claim for compensation, so it needs to be done correctly, which is why it is important not to attempt it alone but to seek the help of a car accident lawyer instead. By engaging a car accident lawyer to assist you with your compensation claim they can bear the responsibility and remove some of the stress you are feeling. Here’s how.
Knowledge, skills, and experience
It takes a lot of knowledge, skill and experience to run a motor vehicle accident lawsuit and negotiate an insurance settlement.
Fortunately, preparing compensation claims is not something that most people do every day. For car accident lawyers, however, making these claims is a process they undertake on a daily basis and is something that they have perfected.
Compensation claims require a large amount of detail and evidence that you may miss if you have never had to make one before. At a minimum, the types of documents you will need to provide for your claim to be successful include:
- statements from witnesses (if any);
- police reports;
- medical reports; and
- financial records such as medical bills and information regarding lost wages.
Due to the frequency with which car accident lawyers work on these types of matters, they would have also dealt with the insurance companies. This experience usually builds up a good rapport, meaning your lawyer can liaise with the insurance company on your behalf and can usually avoid the claim from ending up in court or causing you any further, undue stress.
Keeping track of deadlines
In Queensland, claims for compensation must be commenced within 3 years of the accident taking place. This isn’t the only deadline that you will need to remember if you choose to run the case alone.
Throughout the process, you must adhere to strict timelines when making a claim for compensation after a motor vehicle accident. A layperson may miss these deadlines, which can damage their case. On the other hand, a car accident lawyer who is experienced in the field will know when the deadlines are and what needs to be done by each one and will keep you informed of progress and milestone.
Advice on the best outcome
A car accident lawyer will be able to advise you on what the best outcome of your case should be.
While they will be unable to give you a definitive figure, due to their experience and having worked on similar cases they will be able to determine the amount of compensation that is fair to help you make a decision about your settlement.
Your lawyer should always act in your best interests so they will provide you with honest, practical advice that will save you time, money and stress and seek to gain the highest amount of compensation possible.
No Win No Fee
When a car accident lawyer works on a ‘no win no fee basis’, you really have nothing to lose by seeking their help. If your claim is unsuccessful, you will not have to pay for their assistance and you can rest assured knowing that if you had attempted to take on the insurance company alone, you would have had the same outcome only with added anxiety from having to run the case on your own.
If you have been in a motor vehicle accident and wish to seek the assistance of a car accident lawyer in making a claim for compensation contact us today.