Is It Worth Hiring A Car Accident Lawyer?

There is an average of 6 million car accidents every year in the United States. Around 3 million people sustain injuries in these collisions. Although filing insurance claims can be daunting during recovery, many people wonder if hiring a car accident lawyer is worth it.

While you can file an insurance claim on your own, hiring a competent car accident attorney from the Johnson Attorneys Group provides many benefits.

What Does a Car Accident Lawyer Do?

You may not realize all the tasks and responsibilities car accident lawyers assume when we take your case. All are necessary, and you’ll need to accomplish them independently if you choose to handle your claim yourself.

Proper Care

You need proper medical treatment if you sustain injuries in a car accident. You may also need caregivers during your recovery. The Johnson Attorneys Group will ensure that you get the necessary care.

Accident-Related Paperwork

You’ll have lots of paperwork to complete after a car accident. Some examples are:

• In California, you must complete an SR 1 form (Report of Traffic Accident Occurring In California) and submit it to the DMV no later than 10 days after a collision if it results in property damage over $1,000, injuries, or death.
• You’ll need to report your accident to your insurance company using the appropriate forms.
• You may be asked to respond to insurance company investigators in writing.
• If your car accident involves any government entity, you must adhere to strict regulations and file the required paperwork within the allotted time frames.

Your car accident lawyer will complete and submit this paperwork for you.

Accident Investigation

Unless someone claims total responsibility for causing an accident — which is very unlikely — you’ll need to conduct a thorough investigation to determine fault. Multiple parties can share this blame, but you must ensure you don’t receive an unfair amount.

An investigation will search for evidence to prove negligence on someone’s part. Negligence is failing to act with reasonable care to prevent harm from coming to yourself or others. You must show that:

• Someone owed you a duty of care
• That party breached their duty of care
• The breach caused an accident
• You sustained injuries or damages resulting from the accident

Every licensed driver has a duty of care to others on the road, whether cyclists, pedestrians, or occupants of other vehicles. That duty means that drivers should focus on driving safely and ensuring that their cars are safe. Examples of negligence include:

• Failing to follow traffic laws
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Distracted driving
• Knowingly driving a dangerous car or failing to repair known damage, such as faulty brakes

If your accident involves a commercial vehicle, there may be more than one liable party for that single car, van, or truck. These include:

• The driver
• The employer
• Maintenance companies
• Vehicle or parts manufacturers

A car accident lawyer has the resources to conduct a full investigation into the cause of your accident, and we know how to find evidence to prove negligence. Do you?

Fault Assignment

The degree of fault you bear for causing your accident directly relates to the amount of compensation you can receive for your damages. California is a pure negligence state, meaning you can seek damages if you’re 99% at fault for an accident. That’s the good news. The bad news is that your assigned percentage of fault reduces the total you can receive.

For instance, say your accident has total damages of $200,000 and your assigned fault is 25%. You must deduct 25% from the $200,000, so the most you can receive is $150,000. One of the most vital tasks you — or your car accident lawyer — performs is ensuring that you hold only a minimal degree of fault.

Deal With Insurance Companies

Unfortunately, liable insurance companies don’t like paying claims. They try to pay less than you deserve, sometimes denying claims completely. They can try to trick you into saying or doing things unknowingly that can damage your claim.

You don’t have to speak with insurance company representatives when you have legal representation. We can handle all communications on your behalf. We know their tricks and we won’t stand for them.

Obtain Maximum Compensation

Many people receive more compensation when they utilize a competent car accident lawyer’s services than they would without. A competent car accident attorney from the Johnson Attorneys Group knows how to skillfully negotiate with insurance companies to obtain maximum compensation for our clients. If these companies refuse, we won’t hesitate to take your case to trial.

Work on a Contingency Fee Basis

The Johnson Attorneys Group understands that you’re probably experiencing financial strain due to your accident. The last thing you need to worry about is paying a lawyer out-of-pocket. We handle cases for our clients on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you won’t pay us any fees until your case is settled.

Free Case Review

You may have questions for an attorney but don’t want to be obligated to hire them. You can request a free, no-obligation case review from skilled attorneys at the Johnson Attorneys Group who focus on car accident cases. We will assess your accident, provide information, tell you how much your case is worth, and how we can help you. You’re not obligated to hire us.

Give You Peace of Mind

If you’ve never handled a car accident claim, you’re probably worried that you’ll miss some critical requirements and lose your right to compensation. You have enough to worry about in recovering from your injuries and putting your life back together.

You don’t have to hire a lawyer to help you, but with all the advantages you’ll receive at no risk to you, why wouldn’t you?

What Kinds of Compensation Can You Seek?

In California, there are three categories of damages available in personal injury cases.

Economic Damages

A car accident will likely leave you with various expenses through no fault of your own. Economic damages reimburse these expenses, which include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Certain daily costs
• Property damage

If your injuries are severe, you may require extensive medical treatments and an extended time away from work. You may also qualify to receive compensation for these future expenses. Your car accident attorney will tell you if you’re eligible.

Non-Economic Damages

Your life can have adverse effects from your accident-related injuries. Non-economic damages compensate you for things like:

• Permanent disfigurement
• Damaged relationships
• Being unable to enjoy life
• Inconvenience
• Pain and suffering
• Anxiety, depression, and PTSD

These issues don’t have pre-set dollar amounts. Ask your lawyer how much you can expect to obtain.

Punitive Damages

Few car accident victims can receive punitive damages. To be eligible, the guilty party must have acted with malice or intent to cause harm. Punitive damages intend to punish the defendant rather than compensate their victims.

Why Should You Hire the Johnson Attorneys Group?

If you choose to hire a car accident lawyer, you’ll want one with proven results in handling cases similar to yours. The Johnson Attorneys Group has a 98.7% case success rate, and we have won over $100 million in settlements for our clients. With 12 offices throughout California, we are conveniently located.

You can speak to someone from the Johnson Attorneys Group 24/7. Call us at (800) 208-3538, reach out by live chat, or submit our case review request form.