WHY YOU NEED AN ACCIDENT ATTORNEY

One minute, you’re driving down the road, on the way to work, or the store, or to pick up your kids, and suddenly an accident derails all of your plans. In the days and weeks that follow, you have hundreds of new details demanding your attention. Medical appointments, auto body hassles, and dealing with insurance adjusters can overwhelm your already-busy life. You’re stressed and in pain and you don’t think you can handle one more item on your to-do list.

In the middle of all that mess, it can be extremely tempting to put off calling an attorney. You may rationalize your procrastination, hoping that the insurance company will offer you exactly what you need without litigation. Maybe you decide that an accident attorney will be most helpful a few weeks or months down the line, after you see just how bad things get. Perhaps you plan to call an attorney after your next appointment with the doctor or your next phone call with the insurance company. You don’t need to bother an attorney, you may reason, until it becomes clear that you’ll need one.

Unfortunately, those excuses – while normal and understandable – could have a long-term negative impact on your potential payout from the insurance company.

In those first few days and weeks of recovery, you may not know which details are important to record, or may be too distracted to notice them. Then, by the time you talk to an accident attorney, your memory will have faded, and you may never recall the names of witnesses, the types of pain you experienced during the first few days, or the exact position of your car. So, too, during those early conversations with the insurance adjuster, you may make statements that could be used to claim that you are partially to blame for the collision or that your injuries are not as serious as they really are, thus reducing your recovery further.

If you involve an accident attorney as soon as possible, your attorney can actually help organize, prioritize, and even reduce your to-do list. Essential details can be recorded while they are fresh on your mind. Your attorney will handle the communication with the insurance adjuster to make sure nothing is twisted around and used against you. Your attorney can even give you insight into what questions to ask your doctor as she’s first evaluating your injuries.

David Duce has represented hundreds of automobile accident clients over more than 35 years, and would be honored to help you with your post-accident to-do list. If you have been injured in an accident in Washington State, contact us today for a free consultation.