A car accident lawyer is a lawyer who offers legal representation to those who claim to have recently been injured, either physically or emotionally, due to the negligence of someone else, company, government entity or some other entity. Personal injury attorneys primarily practice in the field of civil law referred to as tort law. This area of the law is concerned with ensuring that the rights of individuals are protected against the violation of individual rights by others. Tort law is the body of law that allows an injured person to be compensated for damages he/she has suffered.
In most instances, when a motor vehicle accident occurs, the defendant (the person or organization who caused the injury) is liable to the victim for the damages. Therefore, it is important that the victim is able to secure an adequate compensation from the defendant to cover the injuries he/she may have sustained. Such compensation can be secured through the services of a car accident lawyer.
Most of the time, victims are unable to obtain any financial assistance because they fall short of the required amount by virtue of their employers’ insurance policies. In these cases, a car accident lawyer can play an important role. These lawyers will conduct an investigation and review the insurance records of the defendant to determine the liabilities of the said party. These records may include reports of insurance claims filed against the insured party by someone not associated with the car accident. Such records can help an attorney in assessing the liability of the defendant.
Some of the car accident lawyers work on a contingency basis, meaning that they charge a percentage of any injury claim which is received. This percentage is generally stipulated in the insurance policy itself. The client must therefore request that such information be provided to him in writing so as to avoid any confusion regarding fees should any accident occur.
Other than monetary compensation, a victim of a car accident can also recover lost wages, medical bills and pain and suffering. If a victim has suffered any kind of disability resulting from the crash, he may also be eligible for receiving compensation for this. Again, the client must contact his insurance companies to verify the facts before applying for such benefits. Again, the amount that can be claimed through a car accident lawyer will depend on the nature of the injury sustained and the extent of damage caused to the vehicle involved in the crash. The injured party may also claim damages for the mental stress that resulted from the crash.
An important thing to remember when contacting a car accident lawyer is to ensure that you take along a copy of the insurance report from the accident scene when you go to the attorney’s office. You will need this to prove that the vehicle which was involved in the crash was insured by the insurance company to some extent. Finally, it is important to mention to the attorney that you are in need of such an attorney. This will help speed up the process of getting him registered on your insurance policy.