If you have been hurt in a vehicle accident through no fault of your own, you probably already know how an accident can upset your life. It all happens at once — a wrecked vehicle, painful injuries, missed work, dealing with insurers, and more. At some point, it may occur to you that the help of a personal injury attorney would come in handy. Read on for some certain signs that you need that extra help after an accident.
- You don't have rental car coverage on your own policy, and you don't have a vehicle to get around. The other driver's insurance company should be offering you a rental vehicle until your own vehicle is fixed or deemed a total loss. However, many insurers drag their heels until you get a personal injury lawyer on the case.
- You did not notice any injuries at the time of the accident but now you are noticing some soft tissue issues like aches, pulled muscles, whiplash, and more. Other injury situations that may not appear until a day or so after an accident include brain and internal injuries. Go to a doctor as soon as you notice any physical symptoms. Your lawyer can help explain why your injury was not seen by a medical professional immediately.
- The other driver's insurer is ignoring your needs. They may fail to return phone calls, make promises they don't keep, and even wrongly deny claims. You need a lawyer to intervene on your behalf. Your lawyer will inform the insurer that you are now represented by legal counsel and that is often enough to make things happen with your claims.
- You are missing time from work but there's more to it than that. You also suspect that, given your injuries, you won't be able to work in your chosen career again. You may be entitled to economic losses associated with lost career opportunities. You must be able to show that the accident injuries you sustained caused a permanent inability to perform the tasks of your job. This is not a common form of damage, but you may be entitled to it, nevertheless.
- You have been informed by the at-fault driver's insurer that your medical expenses won't be paid because of a preexisting injury. If you have been in another car accident or have preexisting medical conditions, the other insurer may try to use those medical situations as a reason to deny you compensation. Your personal injury lawyer won't allow that to happen. They will gather evidence to prove that your current injuries are the result of the recent accident and nothing else.
If you encounter problems with the other insurance company, speak to a car accident lawyer.
