If you recently got into a car accident in Utah, or you know a family member who was in a car crash, it is important to know about the benefits of hiring an attorney. It may seem overly dramatic to hire a lawyer if you get into a car accident, but a Utah Car Accident Lawyer can really help get you a favorable settlement. This does not mean you should hire a lawyer after each car accident you get into. There is a right and wrong time to hire a car accident attorney.
When to Hire a Lawyer?
You should always try to proceed with one round of negotiations without an attorney. File your claim with the other party or their insurance company and wait for their response. If you do not hear from them for a few days, or they are completely dismissive of your claims, you should hire an attorney. But many insurance companies will not have a problem settling cut-and-dried cases. If they offer you a fair settlement, you should take it.
The purpose of a lawyer in these cases is to represent your interests if the other party is behaving in an unfair manner. If the insurance company responds with an absurdly low settlement offer, or it does not offer anything at all, you must hire an experienced attorney.
By hiring a personal injury or car accident attorney, you will have an ally who knows how this system works. Your attorney will have dealt with insurance companies before. He knows all the tricks these companies use to lower the settlement amounts they pay. Without a lawyer, you will have a very hard time negotiating when the insurance company is attempting to low-ball the settlement.
Another time you might want to hire an attorney is when the other party does not have adequate insurance. There are cases where your insurance may provide coverage for these circumstances, but it is not always the case. If you are not getting compensated by your insurance provider, and the other party has no insurance, you need a lawyer to figure out how you can get compensated. Your attorney might suggest filing a lawsuit against the other party, or settling with them out of court.
Lawyers Obey Your Orders –
Your lawyer will never act independently and without your authority. Your attorney’s job is to fight for you and your best interests, whether in settlement negotiations or in court if that becomes necessary. If you want to settle quickly, your lawyer will advise you on what you can expect and whether a quick settlement is in your interest. However, even if your attorney advises you against accepting a settlement offer, he must accept it if you tell him to do so.
The best attorneys operate as extensions of their clients. If you believe the insurance company is attempting to threaten or intimidate you into accepting a cheap settlement, hire an attorney and have him or her take over. It will be much harder for the insurance company to bully an experienced attorney. This is why so many people hire attorneys in order to get good settlements after car accidents.
This article was submitted by Christensen & Hymas in Utah. For more information, please visit their website.