By now, you have probably realized that working with a car accident attorney can be advantageous to your case. However, too many people assume that the insurance company will resolve their claim in their favor, that their damages are not significant enough, or that an attorney is too expensive. All of these beliefs may be fallacious; an attorney is almost always a valuable asset.

In the initial days following your accident, an attorney will get to work – the sooner that you hire an attorney, the sooner that the process can begin. One of the most important initial steps in any car accident case is to gather evidence. Unfortunately, waiting weeks or months after a car accident to call an attorney can mean that evidence has been destroyed.

What Does a Car Accident Attorney Do?

When you hire an attorney, one of the first things that they may do (depending upon how long ago the accident happened) is to travel to the accident scene and try to piece together the details of how your accident occurred. Your attorney may also immediately hire an accident reconstruction expert, whose job is to determine how and why an accident happened. These two components are essential to all car accident claims.

But evidence at the scene at the accident is not the only evidence type that is important. As discussed above, medical evidence can also be essential to your claim. While seeking medical care is entirely your responsibility, your attorney can recruit medical experts that can testify on your behalf, organize your medical evidence, and present medical evidence in a compelling manner.

Proving fault and negligence is the crux of all car accident claims and lawsuits; if you cannot prove that the other driver or party was at fault, you cannot recover compensation (beyond medical payments coverage and your own health insurance). While fault is sometimes clear, it is often disputed. If you do not know what evidence to look for and how to negotiate, you may be out of luck. Attorneys are trained in proving fault and demonstrating the negligence of another party, and can do so on your behalf.

Another way that an attorney can help you is in the event that you do not have health insurance or do not have adequate health insurance, and therefore cannot seek treatment for a medical ailment. Attorneys often have experience and history with local medical professionals, and can work out a system where the doctor will treat you based on an IOU (I owe you) basis, where you will not owe the doctor anything until after your claim is settled.

Finally, an attorney can reject a settlement offer and negotiate for a higher one on your behalf, and litigate in court if necessary. An attorney can halso guide you through everything you need to know about car accident and personal injury law, including things such as a statute of limitations, and what to do if you are in an accident with an uninsured driver.