If you have been involved in a car accident and you suffered injury and property damage you might wonder if you should engage a car accident attorney in Houston or should you try to settle the claim by dealing directly with the insurance company. When making this decision a great deal depends of the specifics of the accident as well the complexity of the case.
There are a number of things that an attorney can do that you probably can’t:
- Communicate with the other driver’s insurance company
- Gather evidence that will support a case of liability
- Gather evidence supporting your injuries
- Negotiate an equitable settlement
Let’s look at these points in more detail.
Communicate with the other driver’s insurance company: In any accident where there are injuries an attorney will deal with the insurance company of the other party. The insurance company controls the money, a good attorney can get more of it for his client than you could yourself.
Gather evidence that will support a case of liability: The majority of car accidents involve negligence, your attorney can gather evidence that is needed that proves the other driver is liable. Although you or the police may have taken numerous photos of the scene, the attorney will visit the scene personally. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, to a seasoned car accident attorney in Houston a visit to the scene of the accident can be worth a thousand pictures.
Gather evidence supporting your injuries: This is where a good attorney is indispensible, especially when you have suffered serious injuries that may have long term consequences.
It is extremely important that you have all documents that support your injury and care. It is often difficult to gather these documents. The records are yours and there is no doubt that you a right to them but unfortunately, health care providers do not see providing you with the records as their first priority. When you finally do get the records, they are often incomplete.
In many cases the attending physician will not state the cause or the extent of the potential disability in their records. Your attorney will communicate with the doctor, getting his or her opinion that the accident was the direct cause of the injury and, as a result, you will be disadvantaged or hindered in some way for a period of time.
Negotiate an equitable settlement: Communication and evidence gathering is one thing, negotiating an equitable settlement is something else again. Negotiation takes a great deal of skill, an established car accident attorney in Houston will always be better at dealing with insurance companies, they know what the accident is worth and they know how to get it.
