Do I Need a Lawyer After a Car Accident
It depends. If you are going to hire an attorney to represent you with your car accident claim, we always recommend finding a law firm that is local with an ACTIVE and staffed office in Greenville. This is important because sometimes it is very difficult to get in touch with lawyers who are out of the area or who only have satellite offices in Greenville that are staffed very infrequently.
Corrective Chiropractic has worked with a few good lawyers in and out of the Greenville, NC area. It has been our experience that our patients are able to settle their claims easily on their own and be able to pay all of their chiropractic expenses and additional compensation without the need for an attorney. This is true for smaller cases where the injuries are not severe and necessitates care beyond three months and the damage to the vehicle is obvious indicative that they could have been injured.
Common situations we have seen where patients did not receive enough money to pay their chiropractic fees typically involve an attorney in smaller cases. When a smaller settlement (<$10,000) has to be split between a third party, (the lawyer) it often doesn’t leave enough to pay for the patients personal compensation, vehicle repairs, the lawyer’s fees and the necessary chiropractic care which is who spends the most time with the patient and thus is often the most expensive cost.
This is also true for smaller cases where the injuries are not severe and necessitate care beyond three months and the damage to the vehicle is obvious indicative that they could have been injured. Common situations we have seen where patients did not receive enough money to pay their chiropractic fees typically involve an attorney in smaller cases. When a smaller settlement (<$10,000) has to be split between a third party, (the lawyer) it often doesn’t leave enough to pay for the patients personal compensation, vehicle repairs, the lawyer’s fees and the necessary chiropractic care which is who spends the most time with the patient and thus is often the most expensive cost.
Reasons for a Lawyer
- At fault car insurance company refuses to accept liability.
- At fault car insurance company refuses to pay for necessary medical and chiropractic testing and care that resulted from the car accident.
- If you have a severe car accident injury like a disc bulge, spinal ligament damage or broken bone that can have a debilitating effect on your health.
- It can be time-consuming to keep calling the at-fault car insurance company adjusters.
- Car insurance company adjusters are not always honest and may not pay for healthcare costs even if they say they will.
Pros for Hiring a Lawyer for Your Car Accident
- You have someone working to get you the compensation you need to pay for the cost of your chiropractic care, medical care, vehicle repair and lost wages.
- You don’t have to talk with an insurance adjuster
- You have representation if the at-fault car insurance company ignores or denies the injuries diagnosed by your chiropractor or medical doctor.
- You are able to talk directly to the at-fault car insurance company claim adjuster.
- At fault car insurance company adjusters may be MORE likely to offer a smaller settlement because you don’t have representation.
- At fault car insurance company adjusters may be more likely to offer a BIGGER settlement because your lawyer is known for taking low offers to court and winning.
Con for Hiring a Lawyer for Your Car Accident
- The lawyer gets up to one-third of your entire settlement and often puts in the least amount of time.
- i.e. If the at-fault car insurance company agrees to pay you $9,000 and you have $3000 in chiropractic care, your attorney gets $3000, your chiropractor gets $3000 and you get $3000.
- If there isn’t enough money to pay all of your healthcare costs you may have outstanding bills that you still have to pay after your car accident claim is settled.
- i.e. If the at-fault car insurance company agrees to pay you $9,000 and you have $3000 in chiropractic care AND $3000 in medical costs (Emergency Room), your attorney gets $3000, your chiropractor and the hospital have to split the $3000 and you get $3000. Therefore, you still have $1500 owed to your chiropractor and $1500 owed to the hospital. Essentially you get nothing in order to pay your lawyer and your chiropractor and the hospital.
- You don’t always get up to date information on the state of the claim. Some lawyers or their paralegals are not easy to get a hold of or don’t return calls quickly.
- At fault car insurance company adjusters may be more likely to offer a SMALLER settlement because your lawyer is known for accepting smaller settlements.
Potential downfalls when hiring a lawyer to represent you with your car accident claim.
- Smaller cases may get overlooked and not prioritized
- Lawyers who represent a high volume of cases or who have less trial experience are less likely to be able to represent you effectively in court if you and the at-fault car insurance company cannot agree on a settlement amount.
Whatever you decide Corrective Chiropractic is able to help you get the care you need.