Levi KeswickOnce you’ve been hurt in an auto accident, seconds start to count to make minutes, hours, weeks, and months. You even realize it has been almost a year since the accident occurred. After an accident, you need to focus on several vital things, including the following:
- Recovery
- Doctor’s appointments
- Continual medical care
- Lost wages and time at work
- Working on getting another automobile
- Trying to forget everything and get your life back
All these things can take a lot of time. As time passes, treatment bills accumulate; you’re still without an automobile and uncertain about insurance coverage. At this point, you might be wondering about an Atlanta auto accident lawyer or if it’s even too late to find one.
What is the Role of an Auto Accident Lawyer?
An auto accident lawyer can help you navigate the complex journey to fair settlement or compensation. The duties and responsibilities of a car accident attorney range from helping you get the right medication and communicating with insurance providers to presenting lawsuits in court and making sure that your rights are upheld and losses accurately compensated. Let’s find out more about these responsibilities:
Assist with Getting the Right Medication
Experienced auto accident attorneys can help you find the right medical facility and treatment. They have connections with medical professionals who help their clients get the medical attention they require after an accident.
The medical experts help lawyers to keep medical records, including treatment bills they’ll use in their lawsuits. That way, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you’re under excellent medical care and your case is in the right hands.
Help With Insurance Claims
After a car accident, navigating the insurance claims path can prove to be an arduous task. In most cases, insurance firms use challenging terms and languages aiming to settle cases with as little amount of settlement as possible. Here is where the car accident attorney’s role becomes requisite.
- Filing the claim
- Negotiating with the insurance providers
- Advocating for your rights
Representation in Court
Most auto accident cases are settled outside the court, in most cases, through insurance settlements. But some may go to court, especially if the victims and the at-fault parties fail to agree on damages and faults. In these incidents, the auto accident attorney’s role is indispensable.
- Presenting the case in court
- Providing legal counsel
- Achieving a favorable verdict
Ensuring Fair Compensation
An auto accident lawyer’s main role is to ensure you get the compensation you rightfully need for your losses and injuries. The compensation includes:
- Lost wages
- Medical expenses
- Loss of enjoyment
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of property
It is crucial to understand the roles of an auto accident attorney. They indicate that having an experienced expert representing you in legal matters can significantly influence your automobile accident lawsuit’s outcome.
Can Waiting for Too Long Legally Bar You from Bringing a Case?
When is it too late to find an attorney for your car accident case? This is usually a major concern for auto accident victims. As already mentioned earlier in this article, time moves faster after an accident. There’s a point where it becomes lawfully too late to contact an attorney and bring a case. That’s due to the statute of limitations.
What is the Statute of Limitations in Auto Accident Lawsuits?
There’s a certain amount of time within which you need to claim a case, which is the statute of limitations. This amount of time varies from one state to another, regarding personal injury law. It ranges between one and four years from the time of the occurrence.
This doesn’t mean you should wait until the maximum period is almost over to start seeking legal representation. You need to get an Atlanta auto accident lawyer as soon as possible. Contacting an attorney after the accident will help you gather enough evidence, build a robust lawsuit, and negotiate with insurers effectively.
Statute of Limitations Exceptions
While the statute of limitations starts from the date the accident occurred, certain exceptions are available where the clock may start ticking later. These exceptions include the following:
- Discovery of harm: This is where the damage caused by the car accident isn’t apparent immediately.
- Wrongful death: If an auto accident leads to death, a wrongful claim death statute of limitations may differ. It typically starts from the victim’s death date, which might be later than the accident date.
- Incapacitation: Many jurisdictions toll or pause the statute of limitations if the victim is mentally or physically incapacitated and cannot initiate legal proceedings. Also, this can apply to minor victims.
It’s only too late to get an Atlanta auto accident lawyer if you have already signed a waiver releasing the accused party of liability or accepted a settlement. Other than that and the statute of limitations, no specific time limit exists for when a car accident victim should get an attorney. It’s safer not to wait too long after the incident before looking for a lawyer.
