5 Things You Should Always Tell Your Lawyer After an Auto Accident
Legally Reviewed and Edited by: Terry Cochran
Following an auto accident, it’s critical to contact an attorney who can negotiate with insurance adjusters on your behalf. If you sustain injuries in the crash, your lawyer can also help you file a personal injury claim for damages.
At Cochran, Kroll, & Associates, P.C., we have extensive experience handling car accident claims and can help you fight for the compensation you deserve. Tell your lawyer these five things to strengthen your car accident injury claim.
The Details of Your Accident
A car accident attorney will want to know all the details about your car wreck. Ensure you know the date and time the accident took place. It is essential to recall the location of the accident and what you were doing at the moment of impact.
- Details you observed: You can let them know if you observed anything peculiar at the time of the accident. This could be another car leaving the accident scene or a driver failing to signal before merging into you.
- Details you recorded: If you took photos or videos of the accident scene, your lawyer can use these to reconstruct what happened and strengthen your claim.
- Details from official records: A car accident lawyer can review the police report for additional details of the incident, including whether anyone admitted fault. They can also review your insurance information to ensure you’re covered under Michigan law and help you fight for fair compensation for any injuries you sustain in the accident.
Medical Treatments for Injuries After Your Accident
If you have been injured in a car accident, your attorney requires specific information about the severity of the injuries and how they’re affecting your life. More severe injuries that force you to miss work amount to lost wages, which increases the value of your injury claim.
Inform your attorney of the physical and emotional effects of the accident. Physical injuries may include fractured bones, dizziness, and nausea. Emotional trauma or mental anguish from the accident can include anxiety or distress.
Your lawyer will request medical records if you were hospitalized following the accident. If the medical staff takes X-rays or MRIs, your lawyer needs to know so they can get the results of these scans. Our senior partner, Eileen Kroll, is also a registered nurse who can interpret these images to use as evidence of your accident injuries.
If You Received a Ticket in a Car Accident
A police officer might issue a ticket to one or both drivers if they violated Michigan’s traffic laws. You must sign and accept if they issue you one. It’s crucial to understand that signing the ticket does not imply guilt. Your signature only indicates you agree to appear in court to face the charges or pay the fine.
If your attorney is aware of the ticket, they can prepare a statement on your behalf to challenge it in court. If your ticket is used to set you up as liable for the accident, an attorney will need to prepare a defense against the insurance company’s charges.
If You May Be Partially At Fault for the Car Accident
Tell your attorney if you believe you were partially responsible for the accident. Do not admit fault to anyone but your lawyer; doing so could jeopardize your claim.
You can still receive compensation in Michigan, even if you are partly at fault. Michigan’s comparative negligence law allows you to claim damages if you were less than 50% at fault.
The other driver’s insurance company may try to prove that you are more than 50% responsible for the accidents. Your lawyer can negotiate with the insurance adjusters on your behalf to maximize the payout you receive.
When You Don’t Have Car Insurance
Michigan requires all drivers to carry liability coverage, no-fault personal injury protection (PIP), and residual liability insurance in their insurance policies. Usually, PIP benefits can cover medical bills and lost wages for all insured drivers involved in the accident.
Uninsured drivers injured in an automobile accident cannot file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver who caused the accident. Instead, insurance companies may sue you for the money to pay for other people’s medical expenses and lost earnings, including the driver who caused the accident. If you do not have car insurance, discuss your next steps with your attorney.
Confide in a Michigan Attorney
Seek legal representation from Cochran, Kroll, & Associates, P.C. for your personal injury case. Our auto accident attorneys work hard to obtain fair compensation for the damages caused by at-fault drivers.
Our contingency fee basis means we only get paid if we win your case, so there is no financial risk to you to get started. Call our law firm today at 866-MICH-LAW and schedule your no-obligation, free case evaluation.
Disclaimer : The information provided is general and not for legal advice. The blogs are not intended to provide legal counsel and no attorney-client relationship is created nor intended.
