If you were involved in a simple “fender bender” and nobody was injured you really don’t need to hire an attorney, simply exchange details and let the insurance companies deal with it. If however there are injuries and you are looking at a lot of lost time at work and lost wages you should see a car accident attorney in Houston to represent you. If you were injured because the other driver was negligent you have rights under the law and it is in your best interest to protect your rights otherwise you may be burdened with the expenses yourself.
There are a number of good reasons why you should hire a car accident attorney:
- Time limits: In Texas you have two years to file a claim, if you do not pursue a claim within this time limit you automatically lose your rights to sue.
- Your insurance company has a different agenda: Insurance companies are driven by profit; their goal is to keep costs down and to do this they try to keep any compensation to a minimum. A car accident attorney in Houston is your advocate and dedicates him or herself to looking after your interests alone.
- Understanding potential damages: You may not fully realize the damages you can claim for. In addition to medical your attorney can claim for lost wages, pain and suffering and even loss of companionship in the event you are physically or emotionally incapacitated.
- Understand the settlement options: In the majority of car accident cases there is an out of court settlement reached. Your attorney can help you evaluate the offer as well as help you understand the implications of accepting the offer. If you decide to accept the offer you have given up the right to sue in the future.
- Complex rules: If you do not settle out of court and decide to sue there are numerous papers that must first be filed in court. There are a great number of complexities when this happens, you definitely need a car accident attorney in Houston that knows the procedures to file suit.
There are so many things that can go wrong if you attempt to settle without legal assistance. Perhaps you miss the time limit, maybe you present the information incorrectly; maybe you sue the wrong defendant. Any of these types of issues can destroy any chance you have to get the compensation you deserve.
