In the aftermath of a car accident, there’s much on your plate. You may be facing serious injuries—from broken bones to mental trauma and beyond—that may require hospitalization, extended treatment and therapy, time off work, or other setbacks. You also likely have damaged property to fix or replace and the auto insurance company to communicate and deal with.
If the auto accident wasn’t your fault, you may have the added burden of trying to figure out how to get compensation for your losses, which you didn’t cause and shouldn’t have to cover. This is a lot of responsibility on your plate, and there’s a lot that can go wrong. Although you don’t need a lawyer for your car accident in Michigan, Michigan auto insurance laws and tort law makes these cases challenging without legal help.
How a Michigan Car Accident Lawyer Helps Accident Victims
Car crashes are stressful events for victims. The mental, physical, emotional, and financial effects of the collision can wear on you quickly, and these cases take a while to resolve. Accepting a low settlement offer from an insurer may seem tempting if it resolves the case quickly, but this means you could miss valuable compensation.
When you hire a Michigan car crash lawyer, you have a steadfast ally who takes on all the complex and stressful legal tasks. They are familiar with Michigan tort law and have the experience, knowledge, and resources to fight for your best interests.
There are several ways that a Michigan personal injury lawyer can help after a car accident. A law firm can assist you by:
- Informing you of laws that impact your auto crash case
- Investigating your car accident and gathering evidence to help support your claim
- Determining which party or parties are liable for your harm
- Communicating with the insurance companies on your behalf
- Negotiating for a settlement offer
- Handling any paperwork and procedural tasks with insurers and courts
- Representing your car accident case in court if necessary
- Managing any insurance and legal deadlines, like the three-year statute of limitations for filing a car accident lawsuit
Car accident attorneys offer these and many other benefits to accident victims.
When Should I Get a Car Crash Lawyer in Michigan?
Many car collisions are settled quickly, as drivers may only have minimal damages and injuries, and their own auto policy covers their damages. But how do you know when to involve an auto collision lawyer?
Every case is unique, but here are some scenarios where you may want to get a car crash attorney involved:
- You have catastrophic injuries: Vehicle accidents can be quite serious and leave you with life-changing injuries. While every Michigan driver should have PIP auto insurance, your injuries and losses may be beyond the scope of your PIP and other policies. If you have serious injuries, you may be able to pursue damages from the at-fault driver. These serious injuries can make it very difficult, if not impossible, to manage your accident claim alone. Your focus should be on rest and recovery, and a lawyer can alleviate these legal burdens.
- Fault in your collision is complex: Michigan is a “No-Fault” state, where drivers turn to their own auto policies first for damages regardless of fault, unless they have damages that exceed their PIP policies. However, fault can be complex, especially when cases involve multiple parties, commercial trucks, negligent companies, or other tricky scenarios like faulty auto parts that caused the accident.
- Insurers are not acting in good faith: Whether it’s your own auto insurance company or the at-fault driver’s insurer, these parties may not be negotiating with you in good faith. They may not investigate the claim at all or properly, try to drag the process out to get you to give up, or fail to uphold their contractual obligations. A lawyer can help combat these tactics
You have nothing to lose with a free consultation with a law firm; a firm can discuss the details of your car crash and see if their services are the right fit for your case.
Michigan Lawyers Can Help with Negotiating and Litigating After a Car Crash
Many car collision cases do not even go to court. Insurers and involved parties can negotiate a fair settlement without ever stepping foot into a courtroom. However, trying to figure out if a settlement offer is a good deal for you is the hard part. You may not have a full understanding of your current and future losses, and a settlement that seems acceptable may actually only cover a fraction of your losses.
A car accident lawyer in Michigan can review this settlement and compare it against your ongoing and projected expenses to see if it meets your needs. If this offer is not sufficient, they can help negotiate an amount that respects your losses and needs.
Of course, insurers may not be willing to pay out the amount you need, and this could mean moving forward to trial. This process has many of its own complications, but our auto collision lawyers are prepared to represent you and your interests in court to fight for full and fair damages.
Talk to a Car Crash Attorney in Michigan
Do you need a lawyer for a car accident in Michigan? There’s no law in Michigan stating you must hire an attorney after a vehicle wreck, so the choice is yours. Like many of our other car accident clients, however, you may find that having an accident attorney from Christensen Law in your corner may be just what you need right now to get things off your plate and in the hands of a professional.
Our goal is to listen, protect, and win on your behalf. Reach out to a Michigan car accident lawyer at our firm to see if working with a lawyer after a car accident is the right call for you. You can reach us and schedule a free consultation by calling our team. We look forward to finding out what we can do for you.
