QUESTION: Is it worth getting a lawyer for a car accident?
Not knowing the future or what to expect is stressful. Combine that with being in pain, not being able to work and having a family to support is even more stressful.
A good Utah personal injury attorney helps take that stress off your back. It is worth hiring a Utah car accident lawyer to help you navigate your way through the insurance claims process, and an injury lawsuit, if necessary.
Here are some things your Utah personal injury lawyer will immediately help with to take the stress down:
(1). Rental Car. Helps you get a rental car. See this article on how to get a rental car after you Utah car accident and who pays for it.
(2). Property Damage. Helps you get your car fixed or replaced. See these articles on how fast you can expect to get your car fixed or replaced after a Utah car collision.
https://gunterinjurylaw.com/getting-your-car-fixed-after-a-crash/
https://gunterinjurylaw.com/property-damage-car-accidents/
(3). Immediate Lost Wages Reimbursement. If you miss more than two consecutive weeks of work from the car accident you are entitled to $250 per week, or 80 percent of you lost wages, for up to 52 weeks, whichever is less. These are your PIP benefits.
When you hire Utah injury attorney Jake Gunter his staff helps you set up personal injury protection benefits for lost wages, medical pay and lost household services. See these articles on PIP benefits in Utah:
https://gunterinjurylaw.com/utah-personal-injury-protection/
https://gunterinjurylaw.com/utah-personal-injury-protection-2/
https://gunterinjurylaw.com/overview-of-pip/
QUESTION: When should you get a lawyer for a car accident?
You should immediately hire a qualified, experienced, real working Utah personal injury attorney. When you hire an injury attorney early in the process, you avoid pitfalls, traps and impairments to your case that wouldn’t have known about without an attorney.
Common pitfalls:
(1). Early Evidence Preservation. Not surveying the scene, preserving accident photos, injury photos or talking to witness before the evidence disappears.
(2). Early Case Monitoring. When you hire an attorney early your attorney can help you understand your medical treatment options. Which options may be needed to fully document and diagnose your injuries so the insurance company will understand what you are suffering from. Without adequate medical documentation, it is like your injuries didn’t even happen.
See this article on proper medical documentation that the insurance companies don’t want you to know: https://gunterinjurylaw.com/personal-injury-medical-treatment/
(3). Been There—Start to Finish. Hiring a Utah personal injury law firm early gives you the stress free understanding of where your injury insurance claims sits and where it is going. Utah injury trial lawyer Jake Gunter has been start-to-finish, all the way to a jury trial on many cases. Having an experienced guide helps make the experience smoother in an already turbulent time.
Here are articles on basic start-to-finish timelines in a Utah injury case:
https://gunterinjurylaw.com/personal-injury-medical-treatment/
https://gunterinjurylaw.com/timelines-in-a-litigated-personal-injury-case/
QUESTION: Is it worth getting a lawyer for minor car accident?
Yes. Without an attorney it is impossible to know what options you have in obtaining a fair and adequate settlement in your accident injury cases. Here are some options in getting a fair settlement in a smaller car accident case.
(1). Damages. Capture all reasonable lost wages, mileage and medical expenses, to include prescriptions and co-pays.
(2). Small Claims. File your car accident case in a Utah Small Claims Court. The evidence rules don’t apply and the jurisdictional cap is $11,000 plus costs. Often this is more than their low offers.
(3). Car Accident Arbitration. Using car accident arbitration under the Utah Insurance Code is a good way to obtain a reasonable settlement.
See these articles on car accident arbitration.
https://gunterinjurylaw.com/provo-car-accident-arbitration-pros-and-cons/
https://gunterinjurylaw.com/utah-car-accident-arbitration-what-to-expect/
(4). Experience Matters. When you hire an experienced Utah personal injury attorney in even small Utah car accident cases the insurance company knows they can’t settle for a low amount. Going up against insurance adjusters, not knowing the process, not knowing the medicine or what injuries are currently valued at, you will be disadvantaged.
QUESTION: How do I find a good car accident lawyer?
Really good car accident injury lawyers almost exclusively practice injury law and maybe one other legal practice area.
Insider TIP 1. Don’t Hire Dabblers. Don’t hire a general practice lawyer who does bankruptcies, divorces, debt collection and then your serious car accident case.
If you live in rural Utah, there will be few attorneys and no specialized car accident lawyers. You can do an entire case remotely. It is not a problem to hire a Provo Car Accident Attorney to handle your down south car collision insurance claim.
If you hire a young attorney who has rarely if ever been in a courtroom your case value will be diminished. If you hire an experienced injury lawyer who has a reputation of never going to trial, your settlement value will be diminished because the insurance companies know your attorney will not go all the way to a jury trial.
Insider TIP 2. Hire a Trial Lawyer. Hire an attorney with a proven track record of trying civil injury juries to a verdict. Trial lawyers that are willing to try lawsuits to a jury will get you better results.
Don’t hire a fly by night, small solo attorney to handle your injury claim. Law firm size matters when handling your serious injury case. Nor do small solo or two person injury law firms have the financial ability to hire the best expert witnesses. Without expert witnesses capturing your injuries, your case is dead in the water.
Insider TIP 3. Law Firm Size Matter. Experts Matter. Experienced and capable Utah injury attorneys will hire the best expert witnesses to capture all damages on your injury case. Without appropriate experts, your settlement chances are diminished and possibly dead in the water.
See this article on finding the best Utah personal injury attorney near me:
https://gunterinjurylaw.com/how-to-find-the-best-personal-injury-attorney/
Utah personal injury attorney Jake Gunter has been practicing law for nearly 20 years in federal courts, 2 states and military tribunals since 2004. He has tried over 25 juries trials and has nearly 2000 court appearances under his belt.
Free Consultation: Call/TXT (801) 373-6345. Ask for Jake.