Do you need a lawyer if a crash only led to car damage?

Car accidents can seem more significant than they actually are because the media tends to focus on the most extreme cases. Take a recent news story in Florida about a crash on Interstate 75 that led to two fatalities. Reports like this might lead one to believe that every collision ends in serious injury or death.

The truth of the matter is that most auto accidents lead to few, if any, injuries and minimal damage. You may feel fine after a collision and only see damage to the car. While most people will assume that they do not need an attorney in this instance, it may still work to your advantage to hire a lawyer. 

First make sure you are actually fine

You may not notice symptoms immediately following a car crash. Some injuries will not manifest symptoms for a few weeks. You always want to see a doctor after a crash of any severity. A doctor will be able to tell you if you sustained any tissue damage or suffered a concussion. Victims of car accidents who sustained any injury should not hesitate to get in touch with an attorney because the injury may require compensation for medical care. 

You want to make sure the other driver’s auto insurance pays for the car damage

After seeing a doctor, you may receive a clean bill of health. That is great, but your car may still require extensive repairs to get up and running. The other driver’s insurance company may offer you a payout, but you want to make sure the amount is fair. An attorney will look over all the factors of your case and determine whether the money the insurance company has offered is reasonable.

In the event that the other insurance company tries to avoid its obligation, you may naturally feel frustrated. This is where hiring an attorney comes in handy. In many cases, the incident may not proceed to court because the insurance agency will start playing fairly once a lawyer becomes involved.