Should You Hire a Lawyer for a Minor Auto Accident?

Car accidents and automobile accidents come in all shapes and sizes. Some fender benders occur with no damage to either vehicles or people involved, while others can show catastrophic property damage. Many accidents fall in between those two types of accidents. In some cases, a fender bender where there is no damage at all to the car can leave a driver or passenger with injuries such as whiplash, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other serious injuries. At our firm, we have personally handled crashes with “no property damage” where the victim fractured bones and required surgery. We have also handled cases with rollover collisions where the victims suffered soft tissue injuries.

If you were in an accident and were injured in any manner, regardless of the property damage to your vehicle, it is worth consulting with a personal injury lawyer. Before we discuss whether you should hire a car accident attorney, remember one thing – do not give any insurance company a recorded statement without first discussing your minor car accident with an attorney!

Scenarios Where You Should Retain a Car Accident Lawyer

Here are a few scenarios where you should consider hiring a law firm or attorney that specializes in car accidents (or at least getting a free consultation from them):

• A minor property accident occurred, but you, or a passenger in your car, experienced an injury.
• You were in an accident and had medical expenses or medical bills associated with the accident.
• The accident was moderate to severe in terms of property damage, and injuries were minor.
• You didn’t notice any injuries at the accident scene, but when you get home, or even a few days later, you start to feel unwell due to the motor vehicle accident. (For more information, you can check out Nolo’s article What If My Accident Injuries Don’t Show Up Right Away?)
• You had to seek medical treatment immediately following or in the days following the accident.
• Your insurance provider or the at-fault driver’s insurance company has requested a recorded statement as a part of the claims process.
• An insurance adjuster offers you a payment “for your troubles” or suggests an amount that would be a “fair settlement” without evaluating your claim properly.

These are not all types of cases where you should hire a personal injury attorney or law firm specializing in car or automobile accidents, but it is a good start! If you have any concerns about the accident you were involved in, contact us for a free consultation. If you were injured, our experienced attorneys can help you navigate the claims process, represent you against car insurance companies and their lawyers, and protect your legal rights!