It is generally worth getting a lawyer for a minor car accident because:
- Seemingly minor accidents can have hidden costs.
- You want to defend your rights, and a lawyer from our team can help.
- Your injuries may be more serious than you first believe.
- There is no direct financial risk to hiring a lawyer from our team.
Even a seemingly minor car accident can come with a host of legal challenges. The liable insurance company, the other party, and the other party’s legal team may all threaten your right to fair compensation. A lawyer from our firm can address these challenges and protect your rights.
Don’t Underestimate Your Injuries or Their Impact
You may characterize your crash as minor because there wasn’t significant visible damage to your vehicle. Assessing your injuries is not as simple, though. Some injuries that appear minor can worsen over time, such as:
- Strains
- Sprains
- Whiplash
- Head injuries
- Neck and back injuries
Just because these injuries do not immediately send you to the hospital does not mean they can’t develop into worse conditions. For instance, whiplash can cause chronic widespread pain for months or even a year after the accident.
Sprains and strains can force you off your feet for several days and require physical therapy to regain stability and strength. Bad sprains can involve tears that even require surgery.
Some Injuries Have Delayed Onset
While broken bones are obvious from the start, some injuries aren’t noticeable until after the accident. Cleveland Clinic points out that whiplash can manifest several days after a crash. Some symptoms are subtle, such as anxiety, memory issues, or trouble sleeping, while others can be debilitating, such as reduced range of motion and pain that travels down your arms.
Likewise, concussion symptoms can be delayed but then linger, interfering with your daily life. Symptoms range from headaches and confusion to vomiting, ringing in the ears, and forgetfulness. Issues with concentration, mood, sensory sensitivity, and sleep are often the ones that occur days after the injury.
A lawyer from our firm can fight for compensation for future medical expenses if your injuries require ongoing treatment. This is why it is important to see a doctor after an accident, even if you believe your injuries to be minor.
For a free legal consultation, call 404-214-2001
Facing Challenges with Your Insurance Claim
Insurance companies may try to convince you that your “minor” accident is not worth very much in attempts to undervalue your claim. If you have experienced any of the following issues with an insurer, our lawyers can step in and help:
- Low settlement offers or rejection of some expenses
- Pressure to accept settlements quickly and/or verbally
- Settlements offered before you know the extent of your injuries
- Claims that you exaggerated your injuries or expenses
- Lack of non-economic damages like pain and suffering
What Is a Lawyer’s Role Immediately Following Your Car Accident?
No matter if your accident was minor or major, a lawyer from our firm can play a critical role in:
- Protecting you from bad faith insurance practices
- Dealing directly with insurance companies
- Ensuring that you receive medical care
- Reporting your accident and injuries to the appropriate authorities
The aftermath of a car accident can be chaotic. Your lawyer’s goal is to keep your case on track.
What are Possible Threats to Your Rights After a Car Accident?
Several threats, both internal and external, can cause financial harm after a car accident. By handling your case on your own, you risk:
- Admitting fault for the accident (either explicitly or implicitly)
- Accepting an offer that does not compensate you fairly
- Failure to report the accident or your injuries in a timely manner
- Failure to receive medical care as documentation of your injuries
The other party might impede your right to fair compensation by:
- Blaming you for the accident
- Refusing to answer your emails and messages
- Denying your claim
- Threatening you into accepting an unfair offer
As your representatives, it is our firm’s job to protect you from these pitfalls and threats. In addition to protecting you, we take a proactive role in seeking compensation for your losses.
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How Can Our Firm Build Your Case After an Accident?
Lawsuits and insurance claims have several time-sensitive aspects. This is another reason why it could be worth getting a lawyer for even a minor car accident. Hiring a car accident lawyer from Kaine Law can help.
Our team can build your case by:
Obtaining All Necessary Information from Your Accident
To build the foundation of your case, we will need to obtain:
- The at-fault driver’s personal information
- The at-fault driver’s insurance information
- Photos and videos of the accident scene
- Eyewitness and expert testimony
- Documentation of your losses, including injury-related invoices, receipts, and billing statements
We seek out everything from police reports to medical bills to support your case.
Determining Liability for Your Collision
The American Bar Association (ABA) explains that motorists have a duty to act reasonably behind the wheel. When they do not act reasonably, they are negligent.
We will review the circumstances of your accident. They may show that a motorist was negligent in causing your collision. Other potentially liable parties include:
- An employer whose employee caused your collision
- A vehicle manufacturer responsible for a malfunction
- A governmental body responsible for dangerous road conditions
We identify anyone who may owe you financial compensation. If multiple parties contributed to the collision, we will hold them accountable for your financial losses.
Identifying and Assigning Value to Your Losses
Covered losses in a car accident case may include:
- Medical expenses, including medication costs and surgery
- Pain and suffering
- Lost income
- Lost future earning power
- Physical therapy
- Mental health services
- The cost of replacing or repairing your vehicle
We determine what your losses are. Then, we calculate how much those losses have already cost you and how much they may cost in the future. Our findings help us establish a fair value for your case.
Moving Your Case Forward
Our team will draft and file your case. We will monitor your case’s status and take any steps necessary to reach a fair conclusion. If the insurer doesn’t want to resolve your case, then we can file a lawsuit. O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 generally grants you two years to file your case.
Yet, managing this deadline can get confusing because:
- There can be exceptions to these deadlines (which is why you should consider contacting us regardless of when your accident happened).
- There are specific variables that determine when the clock starts on the two-year period.
- The laws governing personal injury can be complex and confusing – especially if the other party in your accident was a government employee who was on the clock.
We will do everything possible to file your case on time and keep it moving forward. However, you must contact us first.
Call Kaine Law Today for a Free Case Review
We offer free case evaluations and 24/7 support, so do not hesitate to call Kaine Law. A team member will review your case and explain how we can help you seek justice.
Call or text 404-214-2001 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
