When Should I Hire a Lawyer After a Car Accident in Los Angeles?
California uses fault-based auto insurance. All car owners in the state must buy liability insurance. This insurance pays accident victims when the driver negligently causes a car accident.
This type of insurance requires accident victims in Los Angeles, CA, to file a claim against the at-fault driver’s policy and battle the insurer to get compensation.
After an accident, your focus will be on your health and finances. Fortunately, car accident lawyers have the experience and knowledge to fight with the at-fault driver’s insurance company for you.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Los Angeles, contact our M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers offices at 866-864-5477. Not quite sure when to hire a lawyer? We’ve got you covered with the helpful tips that follow.
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How M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Car Crash in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles car accident attorneys at M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers have over 100 years of experience representing accident victims. We have recovered over $400 million in injury compensation for our clients.
Since our founding in 2013, M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers has earned some of the legal profession’s highest honors, including:
- The Client’s Choice Award from Avvo
- A 10.0 Superb rating from Avvo, its highest rating
- A perfect 5.0-star client review average on Yelp
If you hire us after a car accident in Los Angeles, California, we can:
- Collect evidence and fully investigate your accident, with the aid of experts when needed
- Negotiate a settlement agreement on your behalf that adequately covers your damages
- If the at-fault party refuses to settle for a fair amount, we can file a lawsuit and bring your claim to court
Insurers will use every tactic to push you to take less than fair compensation in your case. To learn how a lawyer can help you battle insurers and at-fault drivers in your injury case, contact M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.
How Many Los Angeles Car Accident Cases Require a Lawyer?
The most recent year with a full traffic statistic report from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is 2019. In this report, Los Angeles County had 148,516 total crashes. These crashes included 6,231 motorist fatalities and 1.2 million motorist injuries.
That same year, accident victims filed 19,628 motor vehicle negligence lawsuits in Los Angeles County. Almost all of these plaintiffs used a lawyer to prepare and file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver and their insurer.
Additionally, tens of thousands more accident victims hired an accident lawyer to settle their car accident claims. These cases were successfully resolved through negotiation before the car accident victim had to file a lawsuit.
Situations When You Should Hire a Lawyer After a Car Accident in Los Angeles, California
Many accident victims hire an accident lawyer from the start of their injury claim. Lawyers have the skills, knowledge, and experience to prepare a claim and negotiate with insurers to settle the case. More importantly, a lawyer can draft and file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver if the insurer refuses to settle on fair terms.
But there are also some specific situations a car accident lawyer can help resolve, including:
The Insurer Denied Your Claim
Insurers have a legal duty to conduct a good-faith investigation of your claim. At the same time, they have a financial incentive to deny as many claims as possible. As a result, insurance adjusters will look for any possible reason to deny claims.
Often, these claim denials are purely procedural. You can overcome them by providing additional records or paperwork. Other times, a denial results from a substantive disagreement.
A car accident attorney can review your claim denial. Lawyers have knowledge of both negligence law and insurance practices. If the lawyer thinks you can overcome the denial, you should consider hiring them.
You Received a Low Settlement Offer
Another tactic used by insurers to avoid paying fair value for your claim is to make a low settlement offer. Insurers know that you need money to pay your medical bills and make up for your lost wages. They hope that you will accept the first offer they make, saving them time and money.
When you meet with a lawyer, they will evaluate your case. This valuation will tell you when you have received a fair settlement offer in your case.
A lawyer can also negotiate on your behalf. Lawyers learn negotiating skills in law school, and they sharpen these skills by negotiating with claims adjusters and insurance lawyers. Hiring a lawyer to negotiate with the insurance company can get you the best possible settlement offer.
The At-Fault Driver Blames You for the Crash
California uses comparative negligence when multiple parties contribute to an accident. Under this doctrine, you can only recover compensation proportional to the other party’s share of the fault. Thus, if you contributed to the accident and bear 20% of the blame, you are only entitled to recover 80% of your losses.
This also means that you become liable for 20% of the other driver’s losses. Depending on the allocation of the fault, you could end up paying more to the other driver than you recover. Your car accident lawyer will fight to keep the liability on the other driver and off of you.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Car Accident Law Firm in Los Angeles, CA
An experienced Los Angeles car accident lawyer can deal with the insurers so that you can focus on your health after a car accident.
At M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers, you pay us no fee unless we win or settle your case. To discuss how a lawyer can help you with your injury claim, contact M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.
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