A car accident lawyer will manage all aspects of your case. Some of their responsibilities include collecting evidence, identifying the responsible parties, handling all communication with the liable party’s insurance company, and negotiating for a fair settlement on your behalf. Car accident attorneys typically work on a contingency-fee basis, so you won’t pay them anything unless they recover financial compensation for you.
Hiring a Virginia car accident lawyer enables you to focus on healing from your injuries. You won’t have to worry about arguing with insurance adjusters or trying to navigate the legal system. However, your attorney will keep you updated on your case’s progress and be there for you if you have any questions. That way, you can be involved in your case without doing any of the heavy lifting.
Gathering Evidence of Your Car Accident
Evidence tells the story of what caused the car accident and how it has affected your life. Locating, compiling, and presenting evidence in a way that compels the insurance company to pay your car accident claim in full can be challenging and tedious. Let your Virginia personal injury lawyer handle those tasks for you so you can focus on your health.
Common forms of evidence in auto accident cases include:
- The police report
- Witness statements
- Traffic camera footage
- Vehicle damage and accident scene photos
- Accident reconstruction
- Medical records and bills
Tell your car accident attorney if you have any other documentation that could help your case. Even the smallest bit of evidence can make a difference.
Identifying All the Parties Responsible for the Car Accident
According to the Virginia Highway Safety Office (VHSO), 122,424 vehicle crashes occurred in Virginia in 2022. Common causes of car accidents include:
- Speeding
- Aggressive driving
- Distracted driving
- Drowsy driving
- Failing to yield
- Improper left turns
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Driver error tends to lead to many auto crashes. If that’s the case for you, your personal injury attorney can work to hold the responsible driver accountable for your losses. However, other parties may also act carelessly, ultimately causing a wreck. For example, if faulty brakes prompted the other driver to lose control and crash into you, the vehicle parts manufacturer could be liable for your damages.
Alternatively, the city government may be liable if its employees failed to repair a defective traffic signal, which confused drivers and consequently led to the crash. Whatever the case, your car accident attorney can identify all parties who owed you a duty of care, breached it, and caused a car accident and your injuries.
Handling All Communication with the Liable Party’s Auto Insurance Company
An insurance adjuster may contact you following your car accident and ask for your perspective on what happened. Please decline their request and ask them to contact your attorney instead. Your lawyer will handle all communication with them.
Remember that insurance companies are businesses, so they may use potentially deceptive tactics when speaking with you to protect their bottom line. For example, if they ask you how you’re doing and you respond with, “I’m fine,” they may use that statement as an excuse to avoid paying your medical bills and other losses. Some insurers also use AI technology to mass reject claims.
Our founder, Jim Parrish, used to work for these insurance companies, so he has information from inside the industry. He knows how they operate and how to navigate their strategies. On top of ensuring these insurers don’t act in bad faith, our team can take the headache out of negotiating with them.
Negotiating for a Fair Settlement to Cover Your Car Accident Damages
You may be entitled to recover various damages following a car crash. They might include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Loss of income
- Loss of future earning capacity
- “Pain and suffering” and inconvenience
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Wrongful death damages (if you lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident)
Your auto accident attorney will examine how the crash and its aftermath have affected your life and determine which forms of compensation you qualify to recoup. Once they’ve completed this task and built your case, they will request compensation from the insurance company and negotiate with them for a fair settlement.
Skilled car accident lawyers usually settle these cases out of court, but going to trial is necessary in some cases. Maybe the insurance company refuses to settle, and the only way to compel them to pay your personal injury claim fairly is to go to court. Our legal team will fight for justice, no matter the stage of litigation. We want to ensure you get fair compensation that covers all your losses.
The Importance of Consulting a Car Accident Law Firm Sooner than Later
Virginia only allows a limited time for car accident victims to take legal action against the at-fault party. According to Va. Code § 8.01-243, most claimants have two years following the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. If your loved one passed away from their car accident injuries, Va. Code § 8.01-244 generally allows two years from their death date to sue for wrongful death.
If you don’t meet the two-year deadline, the court may not permit you to file a lawsuit, leaving you responsible for your losses. However, if you get one of our attorneys involved in your car accident claim early, they will help you comply. Part of their job is working under tight time constraints, so they can ensure your auto accident claim meets the statute of limitations.
Learn More About What a Car Accident Lawyer Does by Calling Our Team
A car accident lawyer from our personal injury law firm will handle the entire legal process while providing you with quality client care. Your only job is to concentrate on getting better. Call the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC, today for a FREE claim review. Our legal professionals serve clients throughout Eastern Virginia.
Car Accident eBook [Free Download]
Unsure about what to do after a car accident or have questions regarding your auto accident case that remain unanswered? Download our free Virginia Car Accident Guide eBook, or give us a call.
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