How quickly should I contact an attorney?

As a general rule, if you are involved in an accident, you should seek help with a lawyer as soon as you can. By seeking help with an attorney as quickly as possible, you are setting yourself up for success should you or the other party involved bring the case to court. Moreover, you are allying yourself with knowledgeable representatives who will work on your behalf to ensure that you are not swindled by insurance companies or the person or company who is at fault in the incident.

Being involved in any type of accident is extremely stressful, and you will certainly have many things to think about once the dust has cleared. But accidents are made even more stressful when you begin to consider what the financial obligations may be when medical bills, lost wages and other damages are assessed. Many people have their financial lives ruined just because of one accident that they didn’t seek appropriate legal help for.

What to Do Immediately Following an Accident

You already know that contacting an attorney as quickly as possible after an accident is the right idea, but it’s also important to note here that your safety always comes first. No matter what type of personal injury accident you have been involved in, seeking medical attention should be your most immediate and important concern. In other words, if you have serious injuries, don’t call an attorney before contacting emergency services. Likewise, if someone else who has been involved in the accident has serious or life-threatening injuries, you should again contact emergency services as soon as possible.

After this and after and ensuring the safety of everyone involved as well as speaking with police or other necessary authorities, calling an attorney should be your first action. To help you understand why it’s so important to seek help with an attorney as soon as possible, here are the top helpful reasons.

Reasons to Contact an Attorney as Soon as Possible

1. They can help you preserve evidence for your case.

You’d be surprised how easy it is for personal injury case evidence to disappear after the incident. An attorney can help you preserve photos, witness information and more so that you have the best possible case for court.

2. They can negotiate with insurance companies for you.

If you don’t seek help with an attorney right away, insurance companies for the other party involved may leap in and try to wrap up a settlement with you. In many cases, you’re entitled to much more damages that an insurance company would like you to know. An attorney can negotiate these issues for you and make sure that you get the best deal.

3. They’ll help you in your legal proceedings from the get-go.

Finally, if you are fairly sure that you would like to take your personal injury case to court, having an attorney on your side from the very beginning will be extremely beneficial. Even initial court proceedings and paperwork can be challenging if you don’t fully understand the legal system. An experienced attorney can walk you through every stage of this process, and in those initial court proceedings, they may even be able to attend for you so that you don’t have to go.

Getting a Free Consultation

When it comes to speaking with a lawyer about a personal injury case, it’s important to note that personal injury law is different than many other types of law. Most importantly, most personal injury cases, the potential plaintiff can get a free consultation about their case from an attorney.

At this consultation, no upfront fees or fees at the end of the meeting are required. This is a time when a lawyer can assess your case and situation and let you know if you have one that can be brought to court. They will help you decide whether or not to seek damages. Because this first appointment is free, it’s a good idea to take advantage of it if you have recently been involved in an accident. If it’s a case that your attorney tells you that you should bring to court and seek damages for, your attorney will let you know, and you can proceed in the appropriate manner. If not, your attorney will let you know in kind, and you won’t have to pay anything for the consultation.