Hiring Deissner Law Office can seem elementary when an insurer makes a low settlement offer after a car accident. If a person believes they caused the crash, it becomes a gray area. Even if someone hasn’t been in an accident yet, it is good to know what to do after an accident and when a lawyer’s help is necessary.
After the Accident
Thanks to simplified insurance procedures, what occurs after an accident is relatively simple. In a normal situation, the involved parties would both notify their insurers. In some instances, the parties must also make statements to the other person’s insurance company. Once the insurers decide what happened, the at-fault driver’s insurance company pays the victim for their legal expenses and auto repairs. Depending on coverage, the at-fault party might also get money from their own insurer, but this is not typical. With such a system, cases are often settled without the need for a lawyer.
Why It’s Wrong to Assume Guilt After an Accident
Regardless of what a person believes happened in the minutes leading up to an accident, it is wrong to assume fault right away. Because the driver doesn’t know what the other person may have been thinking or doing, it is premature to assign blame. That is why it is important for parties not to tell police or the other party that it was their fault; it can damage the case later.
Parties should wait to accept blame because the real circumstances are often revealed during insurance statements. While a person may believe their actions made the crash their fault, the other person’s statement could reveal they are actually at fault. If a person admits liability prematurely, it could be hard to get the other party’s insurer to pay.
When a Lawyer Can Help
In most instances, drivers won’t need an attorney until the insurer determines that they were at fault for the accident. If insurance coverage is not enough to pay the other party’s medical bills and car repairs, hiring an auto accident law attorney in Spokane, WA can help the at-fault driver protect their personal assets. This applies in cases of uninsured motorists as well, where the other driver pursues the at-fault party for damages. Regardless of fault, working with an auto accident law attorney in Spokane WA is the best way to decrease financial liability after a car accident.
