Do I Really Need A Personal Injury Attorney?
Moments after a car accident, after police have investigated the scene, you may call your own auto insurance company to report your claim, as any responsible driver should. We will call this insurance company, “Insurance A.” Although not all insurance companies are created equal, Insurance A will typically do its best job to help set up your claim by obtaining all relevant accident information. Several insurance adjusters may reach out to you depending on your auto policy coverages. So let’s begin.
Insurance A will have a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) adjuster reach out to you to evaluate your PIP eligibility, which covers the costs of medical treatments up to the Florida state limit. Depending on your coverages, you may also have a Property Damage (PD) adjuster call you to discuss repair options for your vehicle. You will only be able to repair your vehicle through your own insurance coverage if you carry something called “Collision Coverage.”
Within a few days, you may also receive a call from the other driver’s insurance company. We will call this insurance company, “Insurance B.” You will almost always have a PD adjuster from this company call to try to arrange a vehicle inspection to repair your car. I personally recommend that my clients visit an independent mechanic or two to get an estimate before the insurance company checks their car. Why? Because Insurance B wants to pay as little as possible for repairs. In addition to PD, you may get a call from an adjuster handling Bodily Injury (BI). You must be on your guard for communications with this adjuster. They will ask you questions related to your injury status, they will request recorded statements, and they will try to resolve your BI claim as soon as possible while paying as little as possible.
As you can see, there are many working parts in a car accident claim. So, do you really need a Personal Injury attorney? It depends. If you were involved in a minor accident and feel perfectly fine several days or weeks following the accident, then perhaps you do not. But beware: injuries sometimes arise long after the accident. I have represented countless clients who felt little to no pain following the accident, only to wake up one day with tremendous pain that seemed to come out of nowhere. Car accidents have strange consequences, so be cautious and on alert.
In short, consult with a Personal Injury Attorney as soon as possible. If you are involved in a car accident, we at Sanchez & Brown are dedicated to giving you helpful advice. Accident claims can be confusing, and we are happy to clear that confusion. As always, consultations are free of charge and our office will only get paid during representation if we recover money for you. It is never too early to reach out for advice.