Should I Hire a Car Accident Lawyer in Victorville?
If you live and drive in Victorville or the surrounding San Bernardino County area, it’s best to be prepared in case you experience a car accident. Whether you were navigating the 10, the 215, or city or county streets, the points below explain why hiring a car accident lawyer in Victorville should be your first order of business.
A Car Accident Attorney Can Offer Expert Legal Help
Take the correct steps after a car accident to begin putting your legal needs in order.
These professionals bring not only multiple years of law school, but also years of experience practicing law, trying cases, negotiating personal injury settlements, and studying relevant case law.
The professionals have versatile experience, including car accident cases involving:
- Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or other substance-related cases
- Commercial vehicle accidents
- Truck accident cases
- Motorcycle accidents
- Rideshare vehicle wrecks
A lawyer will establish that the other party is at fault, explain the damages you suffered, and will fight to recover full and fair compensation.
You’re Likely to Get a Better Settlement
You should also hire a lawyer because it means a bigger payout in most cases. Plaintiffs that hire personal injury lawyers typically receive nearly four times bigger settlements than people who represent themselves.
Since you need money to cover your long-term injuries and damages, it makes sense to hire a lawyer that can maximize your settlement.
Significant injuries can accrue big costs. A disabling injury will hold an average value of $101,000 in economic damages, while evident possible injuries range between approximately $23,000 and $30,000.
Comprehensive payouts for these injuries average $160,000 for a possible injury, all the way to $1.2 million for disabling injuries.
A study showed that more than 50% of traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases are from motor vehicle crashes. Others experience chronic pain and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
A personal injury can help you maximize your payment amount because they have the legal experience to navigate complex territory and research and determine exactly how much your case is worth.
They have a network full of physicians, medical specialists, mental health professionals, engineers, and other credible experts that can help prove your case and its value and will take on the upfront expenses.
Lawyers Are Skilled Negotiators
Most car accidents, personal injury cases, and civil claims as a whole are settled before ever reaching a court of law. Knowing this, you’ll appreciate that a lawyer also gives you more negotiation power.
Ask them about their prior case history and gauge their success and failure rate for reaching a negotiation. Reach out to their references to see how their cases were settled. You should also ask the attorney about their negotiation strategies and any additional training or continuing education that has helped them.
An attorney that is an effective communicator and trained negotiator can help you recover damages like:
- Medical bills following surgeries, physician diagnoses, and other procedures to treat your injuries
- Pain and suffering and mental distress damages due to PTSD or general anguish
- Money that helps to pay for lost earnings and future earnings if you incur a disability
- Payouts to pay for vehicles and other types of property damage
- Compensation for physical therapy to improve your health and quality of life following a wreck
Negotiating out-of-court settlements often works out best for both parties and expedites the case.
The Case Will Move Forward in a Timely Fashion
Having a lawyer that can keep your case on schedule takes much of the stress out of your car accident claim. An attorney will expedite your case through regular meetings and negotiations with the other party, working on the deposition, and making progress calculating damages and proving your injuries.
Handling your claim in this way is crucial because all civil cases are subject to a statute of limitations.
You have 2 years from the date of your car accident to file a claim or otherwise resolve your case. If time drags on and you miss this date, you can lose out on the thousands of dollars you’re entitled to for your recovery.
Once you are outside of the statute of limitations, you may be barred from submitting a car accident claim. Consult with a lawyer early to learn how to calculate the time you have to pursue a settlement or lawsuit.
They’ll Let You Know Your Legal Standing
After an accident, you might automatically assume you have a case without understanding the legal parameters. Attorneys understand issues related to burdens of proof, negligence, and contributory negligence.
Having this legal oversight lets you know what claims you can make in a court of law and what strategies your lawyer will employ. This gives you the peace of mind that your case can move toward a reasonable and equitable resolution.
You Don’t Pay Upfront With Contingency Fees
Hiring a lawyer is also worthwhile because there are typically no upfront obligations. Since many personal injury lawyers work on a contingency agreement, most of them only get paid if they successfully try or settle the case.
When they win your case, you may not pay anything out of pocket, since the attorney collects a percentage of your civil award.
Contingency fees generally cost between 20% and 30%.
Other attorneys charge by the hour and will bill you, or may have flat fee arrangements.
In the event your case goes to court, clarify with your lawyer whether you’ll have to pay for court fees and other services.
Attorneys Will Help You Prove Liability
A car accident lawyer understands how legal liability works and can help you prove that another party was at fault. The attorney will unpack the details of your case to prove the wrongdoing and negligence of the other party, along with the value of your damages.
These attorneys will examine physical evidence from the wreck and comprehensive information about your injuries and other damages. They’ll comb through every detail of your case to make sure you’re clearly in the right and entitled to the damages that you’re seeking.
This part of their expertise is especially important because all parties can be held partially responsible in car accident cases, which affects the payout amount.
Retain the Best Car Accident Lawyer in Victorville, California
Take the next steps and look for the help of the best law firm you can find. If you’re in Victorville or the surrounding area, Rockview Accident Lawyers would be happy to help you with your claim.
Schedule a free consultation with us by sending a message or giving us a call at (760)-628-0818.
