Usually, the more severe your injuries and the complexity of the claim will dictate whether you'll need the help of a car accident attorney. The sooner you get in touch with Morgan and Morgan, the quicker we'll be able to work on preserving evidence and building your case. In the following situations, we strongly recommend having an attorney represent your interests:
The accident caused significant injuries to you or another party - When there are severe injuries, substantial medical bills and other expenses will come into play. Insurance companies will work to protect their bottom line when there's a lot of money to be paid out. You must understand that although insurance company adjusters and representatives may sound sympathetic and appear to take your concerns to heart, they have a job to do, which is to keep costs down. Catastrophic injury settlements could run into the millions, which insurance companies will try to avoid paying. It would help if you had someone who works for you and only you. That's how a car accident lawyer could make a considerable difference. When you have legal representation, the insurance companies are put on notice that you will not allow yourself to be pushed around.
The fault of the accident is in question (unless in no-fault states) - Determining fault is a huge factor in car accident claims. In some states, the amount of compensation you can receive could be diminished if the other party's insurance company decides you have some part in the fault. This is called contributory negligence. For example, say you were t-boned by a driver who ran a red light in an intersection, yet you were traveling faster than the speed limit. In that case, they may say you are 30% to blame, and the other driver is 70% to blame. That would reduce your claim by 30%. Our car accident lawyers could work to establish you weren't speeding at the time of the crash through investigatory measures to ensure you get the full value of your claim.
In some states, if you're judged 50% at fault, you may not be able to recover anything at all. This is called a modified comparative fault. In a situation where the other party's insurance company is claiming this, you could benefit immensely from a lawyer. We can work to establish you are below the 50% threshold, which would allow you to recover damages.
Any crash involving other motorists such as cars, trucks, motorcyclists, or pedestrians and bicyclists - When multiple parties are involved, this dramatically increases the complexity of a claim, particularly if you're involved in a collision with a commercial truck. In this case, numerous parties may be liable for your injuries, such as the trucking company, the driver, or even the company responsible for loading the truck's cargo. Depending on the state you live in, such as Florida, motorcyclists are not required to carry personal injury protection, which may call into question who is responsible if they are injured. Furthermore, colliding with bicyclists or pedestrians isn't always the driver's fault. Suppose the pedestrian was jaywalking, or the bicyclists didn't obey traffic signals and caused the accident. In that case, they may be the ones liable for property damage and injuries.
On the other hand, if you were a pedestrian or a bicyclist and were injured by a negligent driver, our personal injury attorneys can work to gather evidence and establish fault to compensate you for your injuries.
Any crash that occurs in a school zone - School zones are safety zones where children should be able to expect drivers will respect the speed limits and keep vigilant. If your child was injured by a driver speeding in a school zone, you might be able to recover damages for their negligence.
Any collision in a road construction zone - Construction zones can be fraught with danger for both crew and drivers. Another driver may ignore posted speed limits or disobey temporary construction signs and signals, endangering other drivers on the road. Late or high-speed lane merging in a construction zone is a common cause of rear-end collisions or worse. Construction zone accidents could be complicated because you may have two or more drivers. Still, you also have to deal with government entities who may have some responsibility if signals and signage are unclear.
The police report has inaccuracies - Although police will generally try to do their best when documenting the factors at the scene of an accident, they are not infallible. Some inaccuracies could be minor such as a transposed number at the address of the accident. Still, others could be substantial, which may impact your claim. It's unlikely that you'll be able to change the mind of a police officer if they find you at fault, but you can submit your own statement and ask to have that included. Be factual, provide evidence, and don't exaggerate. Ultimately, it's up to the police to decide if they'll include it in the police report. We can assist you in crafting your version of the story.
The crash involves an underinsured or uninsured party - If the other party doesn't have sufficient insurance or any insurance at all, you may have to file with your own insurance company. But don't expect them to be overly helpful. Yes, we know that sounds conspiring, but it's a fact that insurance companies are notorious for undervaluing and denying legitimate claims, even for their own clients. Morgan and Morgan car accident lawyers will work to ensure you're treated fairly, whichever party's insurance company we're handling negotiations through.
Any time the insurance company denies liability, low balls settlement offers, or uses bad faith tactics - This may sound repetitive, but when you feel like an insurance company is treating you unreasonably, you may need the help of an attorney to get your claim back on the rails. Insurance is a money-making business, and employees are under tremendous pressure to keep costs down. Some even stoop to misrepresentation of what policies cover or drag out claims to frustrate injured individuals in an attempt for the problem to "go away." There are laws that protect the public from this kind of unscrupulous behavior. If you're experiencing issues with collecting your car accident claim, we can help.