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The short answer is sometimes. There actually are some circumstances in which you do not need a lawyer after a collision. If you got injured in the accident, however, you will likely want to have an attorney go after the compensation you deserve from the at-fault party.
This blog will answer the question, do I really need to have an attorney if someone hit me? A Los Angeles car accident lawyer can handle your injury claim if you do fall within a category that does need an attorney.
Who Does Not Need a Lawyer If Someone Else Caused a Collision
If no one got injured and neither car sustained any damage, it might not be worth your while to have an attorney handle your claim. You are unlikely to even have a claim in this situation. Let’s say that you were driving carefully through a parking lot when a parked car pulled out of its parking spot and hit your car, barely tapping your front bumper.
You both stop and get out of your vehicles. Neither car got so much as a scratch, and no one had any injuries. Both drivers exchange contact and insurance information and go their separate ways. In a scenario like this, you probably do not need to have a lawyer represent you unless you or someone else involved in the accident develops an injury that had not yet developed symptoms at the scene of the collision.
Why You Might Want to Hire an Attorney After a Crash in Which There Were Injuries
California law does not force you to work with a lawyer on your side after a car accident, but doing so can be a smart decision. The insurance companies hire entire teams of lawyers to help them get a good result, so why should they try to talk you out of having one help you?
You are already the underdog when trying to get the compensation you deserve from a multi-billion-dollar corporation. Having an attorney advocate for you can help to level the playing field.
Here are some of the benefits of having an attorney after a car accident:
- You get the time to rest up and recuperate from your injuries instead of having to spend countless hours dealing with the insurance company’s claims adjuster.
- Your lawyer can gather the evidence for your claim, like the police crash report, eyewitness testimony, security camera or red-light camera footage, medical records, and payroll records.
- You will not have to guess the settlement value of your injury claim because your lawyer calculates the financial value for you.
- You will not have to worry about procedural rules, like the filing deadline, that could get your case dismissed without the jury ever getting to the facts of the case.
- Your lawyer will stand between you and the insurance company to protect you from the stress of aggressive tactics the adjuster might use to pressure you into an unfair settlement.
These are but a few of the good reasons to work with a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer on your car accident case. You can reach out to us today for a free consultation.