A sudden car accident can impact your life adversely. If you sustained serious injuries, this may mean paying for long-term medical bills, therapy, and treatments. Your injuries may prevent you from getting back to work, and that can have a bearing on your finances and job. Depending on your circumstances, you can file an insurance claim with your insurer, or against the at-fault party. For the uninitiated, NY is a No-Fault Insurance State. So, what if you were a pedestrian who was struck by a car? Personal injury laws are complicated, and for car accident cases, things can mess up in no time.
Should you consider hiring an attorney? In this post, we are sharing more aspects worth knowing.
Get free consultation
Even top law firms in NY, such as King Law, offer a free initial consultation for personal injury cases. In other words, you don’t have to pay a dime to talk to a car accident lawyer about your case. This is a perfect window to know your case better, and your lawyer will give a good sense of what to expect in a settlement or trial proceeding should it come down to that.
Dealing with insurance companies
Filing an insurance claim with your insurer is just one aspect. You need an attorney, so that they can evaluate the worth of your claim and deal with insurance companies on your behalf. There are specific scenarios when you can file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver. Insurance companies are always looking for ways to minimize their financial burden, and whatever they would offer is likely to be lower than what you deserve. The chief reason why you need a car accident lawyer is to deal and negotiate with insurers.
Knowing the laws
Personal injury lawyers know everything about NY state laws, and they can guide on your rights and duties. For instance, the statute of limitations in New York only allows two years to file car accident lawsuits, but before that, you have to inform your insurer within a reasonable time. There is also the pure comparative fault rule, which can complicate matters further. Hire an attorney, so that you are aware of the options.
A skilled attorney knows when to settle a case, but if the matter demands a trial, they can go all out to maximize your settlement. In short, hiring a car accident lawyer in NY is not compulsory for sure, but you need one to take your case ahead, in a planned way.