Many people who are in an accident wonder whether they need an attorney or not. Some may think they don’t have a case or it’s not worth their time. Often, this ends up leaving them to cover any costs from damages, medical expense, and loss of income from the injury.

A qualified personal injury lawyer can help you build your case and get the justice you deserve. Here’s why you should hire a personal injury attorney.

Whenever an accident happens, a police officer will usually come out to the scene. We recommend that you always call the police to come out. The officer will give you either a single sheet of paper or a business card with the report number on it, but most people don’t know how to get the full report, that will have most of the details of the investigation.

Sometimes, even with an accident report, there is a dispute over what happened. The drivers may have different stories about what happened.

If there is a dispute over what happened, you need to prepare like the case is going to trial, and having a lawyer involved is crucial to gather the evidence to build your case. Gathering witness statements, obtaining video, and retrieving electronic crash information can be crucial. Without that crucial evidence, you may not be able to prepare your case properly.

Sometimes it is unclear who is really at fault. Sometimes others are involved, and investigation has to reveal not only who they are, but their role in the accident. This can be extremely important to ensure everyone who caused the wreck is held accountable.

That’s when you need a lawyer involved. A lawyer will investigate for you. A lawyer is trained to gather information and evidence, and to do so in a way that can be used at trial to figure out who is truly at fault, and prove it.

Most of the time after an accident, you will start getting calls from the insurance company within a few days. The adjuster may have questions about what happened. It may sound like the adjuster is “just trying to get the information.” That’s not true. The adjuster is building a case against you, either to deny the claim, or pay you less. That’s the adjuster’s job.

When you hire a personal injury lawyer, the lawyer speaks for you. You no longer speak to the adjuster yourself, and even if you do, your lawyer is with you.

When it comes to talking about the facts, your lawyer can help you prepare or just speak for you about what happened. When it comes to talking about your injuries, your lawyer can usually explain it just as well, if not more effectively than you can.

Once the facts are cleared up, the at-fault parties are identified, and you have had medical care for your injuries, there will come a point when it is time to talk about how much the insurance company owes you. 

An experienced personal injury lawyer knows how to evaluate how much the insurance company truly owes you. The insurance company will try to low-ball how much you are owed, and if you don’t have a lawyer helping you, it may work. The adjuster, typically, knows more than the injured person, and will try to convince you that the case is worth less than it is. A lawyer knows better. Just having a lawyer involved shows the insurance company helps prevent a low-ball attempt.

When it comes to negotiation, an experienced lawyer knows how to deal with the adjuster. The lawyer is trained to get every dollar you are owed, and not back down until it happens. Your personal injury lawyer is there to help ensure you get the justice you deserve, and not let the insurance company offer less than what you are truly owed.

Sometimes the insurance claim process just does not work, for whatever reason. That’s when it’s time to file a lawsuit.

You should never try to file a lawsuit on your own. You can, but it’s a bad idea. There are a lot of rules, requirements, and procedures that lawyers are trained to know. The insurance company will have it’s lawyer, who is trained in rules and procedures. You need your own lawyer to make it a fair fight.

Call a lawyer as soon as possible.

All of this leads to a simple conclusion. When you’re in an accident, you should call a lawyer as soon as possible. From the investigation, to medical care, to negotiation, having a lawyer helps you every step of the way to ensure you get treated fairly.

Kilburn Landry Law has over fifteen years’ experience in fighting for people injured in accidents. When you hire Kilburn Landry, you get a counselor and advocate who has your best interests at heart. We investigate the accident and help you get the care you need for your injuries. Then, when it’s time to deal with the insurance company, if they won’t be fair, we take them to Court and fight for the justice you deserve.

If you’re in an accident, call Kilburn Landry Law at 337-426-0005. We take injuries personal. That’s why you need a personal injury lawyer.