If you have been in a truck accident in Miami, Hollywood, Homestead, or another Florida community, you may think that you do not need an attorney. In many cases, the insurance agent for the truck company involved in the crash with approach you with an offer. In addition, your own car insurance company may cover some of the cost of the accident. You may think that you do not need an attorney, but there are many costs to not working with a good Florida personal injury attorney:
1) A lower settlement offer. Many victims of Florida car accidents and truck accidents are surprised to find just how expensive their accident really is. In addition to lost income, patients may face high medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and other expenses. Without an attorney to accurately determine the total costs of your injuries, you may not be offered the claim amount you deserve. Many permanent Florida brain injuries, for example, can cost a patient millions of dollars over a lifetime as the patient will need to pay for care, medication, lost income, medical treatment, rehabilitation and more. Victims are very unlikely to get this amount without the help of a very skilled Florida attorney.
2) Paying for costs out of pocket. If you do not receive a fair settlement offer or claims amount you will be forced to pay for additional medical costs and related costs out of pocket. Some Florida car accident victims find themselves paying tens of thousands of dollars in medical costs and even facing bankruptcy because their initial settlement offer is not adequate for the real costs of their injury. Worse, without consulting an attorney you may sign some of your rights away so that you cannot pursue a fair settlement amount down the road.
3) Poorer medical care. If you cannot afford the best medical care, you may have to accept longer wait times and worse-quality care. This can affect your recovery and can even make you susceptible to complications as you recover from your injury. By hiring a qualified Florida personal injury attorney, you can get a fairer settlement so that you can afford quality medical care that gives you the best chance of recovery.
4) Unanswered questions. It is normal to have many questions after your Florida truck accident. You may wonder why you sustained a spinal cord injury or you may not understand what caused an accident. If you don’t hire a Florida attorney, you will likely not get definitive answers to these questions. Florida attorneys work with private investigators who can get you the answers you need to move on and focus on recovery.
5) Accusations. In some cases, insurance providers or others involved in an accident may claim that you are partly liable for an accident. This can be very hurtful to hear and can even make you doubt your own driving skills. A good Florida injury attorney can investigate your accident to determine where liability lies, so that you do not have to live with – and wonder about – unfounded accusations.