Why Should I Hire an Attorney After a Car Accident in Florida?

If you have been injured in a car accident in Florida, the decisions you make now could impact your life for years to come. This includes your decision about whether to hire an attorney. While many people are hesitant to speak with an attorney after a car accident, the reality is that there are several important reasons to put an experienced Florida car accident attorney on your side.

7 Reasons to Hire an Attorney After a Car Accident in Florida

Why is it important to hire an attorney after a car accident in Florida? Here are seven reasons why you should schedule a free consultation right away:

1. You Need to Gather Key Evidence Before It Disappears

When you have a car accident claim, gathering evidence of liability is key to recovering just compensation. However, several key forms of evidence can disappear quickly—often weeks, days, or even hours after the accident.

Once you hire an attorney to represent you, your attorney will be able to get to work promptly, preserving as much evidence as possible. Some examples of key evidence your attorney may need to preserve include:

• Tire marks on the roadway
• Debris at the accident scene
• Evidence of traffic and weather conditions at the time of the accident
• Eyewitness testimony
• Traffic or surveillance camera footage

Not only is preserving key evidence critical, but it is also critical to preserve the evidence in such a way that it will be admissible in court. As we discuss below, while going to court won’t be necessary in most cases, it is important that you are prepared to go to court if this is what it takes to win the financial compensation you deserve.

2. You May Also Need to Obtain Evidence Through Formal Legal Means

Along with gathering evidence from the scene of the accident, proving your legal rights after a car accident may also involve obtaining evidence through formal legal means. For example, your attorney may need to issue subpoenas to obtain traffic or surveillance camera footage, the other driver’s cell phone records, or records from the other driver’s employer (if the other driver was working at the time of the collision.

3. You Need to Know How Much You Deserve to Recover

Another key aspect of protecting your legal rights after a car accident in Florida is making sure you know how much you deserve to recover. In cases involving serious car accidents, victims’ recoverable losses are often far greater than they realize. For example, if you suffered serious injuries in your car accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your present and future:

• Medical bills and other out-of-pocket costs
• Lost income, benefits and earning capacity
• Pain, suffering and emotional trauma
• Permanent scarring or disfigurement
• Loss of companionship, consortium, services and support

Proving each of these types of accident-related losses requires extensive documentation. Once you hire an attorney to represent you, your attorney will be able to assist with gathering this documentation, and then your attorney will be able to calculate the full damages you are entitled to recover.

4. You Need to Know What Claim (or Claims) You Can File

In many cases, seeking just compensation after a serious car accident in Florida will involve filing a claim with the other driver’s insurance company. However, this is not always an option. If you are entitled to just compensation for your car accident, it will be critical to ensure that you file the right claim (or claims) with the appropriate insurance company (or insurance companies).

5. You Need to Be Prepared for the Insurance Companies’ Defense Tactics

When it comes to dealing with the insurance companies, determining what claim (or claims) you need to file is just the start of the process. You also need to be prepared for the insurance companies’ defense tactics. Some examples of tactics insurance companies frequently use to fight accident victims’ claims for damages include:

• Asking for medical releases
• Claiming that victims’ injuries are pre-existing
• Blaming victims for their own injuries
• Making lowball settlement offers
• Delaying the process to create financial pressure for victims

Receiving incorrect information about your legal rights or the insurance coverage that is available is a very real concern as well. Here too, your attorney can help protect your legal rights and ensure that you are making informed decisions based on what is best for you.

6. You Need to Be Prepared to Take Your Car Accident Claim to Court

In most cases, if you are entitled to just compensation and you hire an experienced attorney to represent you, there is a good chance that your car accident claim will end with an out-of-court settlement. However, there are no guarantees. As a result, it is important to be prepared to take your claim to court—and showing that you are prepared to go to court if necessary can help convince the insurance companies to offer a fair settlement.

7. Hiring an Attorney Can Significantly Increase Your Financial Recovery

Finally, while there are no guarantees, hiring an attorney can significantly increase your financial recovery. As you can see from everything we discussed above, seeking the financial compensation you deserve after a serious car accident is not easy. If you don’t hire an experienced attorney to represent you:

• You probably won’t have all of the evidence you need.
• You probably won’t know how much you deserve to recover.
• The insurance companies will take advantage of the fact that you aren’t represented.

Even taking your attorney’s contingency fees into account, hiring an experienced attorney to represent you can be well worth it. If an experienced attorney believes he or she can help maximize the amount you recover for your car accident, there is a good chance that you will take home more by hiring the attorney to fight for just compensation on your behalf.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Florida Car Accident Attorney Today

Were you seriously injured in a car accident in Florida? If so, contact us today. Call 800-780-8607 or inquire online to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Florida car accident attorney as soon as possible.