Car accidents can be overwhelming. Aside from just ensuring yours and others’ safety, it’s important to know what to do after a car accident. In fact, there are a number of things that you should do. For example, calling the local law enforcement to take a record of the accident. Additionally, you should get the other driver’s insurance information, take photos of the accident, and get medical help if you are injured.
Many people wonder when to hire an attorney after a car accident. We’re giving you the information below for general guidelines on seeking personal injury representation. If you’ve been involved in a car accident in Oregon, contact expert personal injury attorney Ryan Hilts by calling (503) 726-5960.
Why Is It often Important To Hire An Attorney Soon After A Car Accident?
When you get in a car accident, it can be beneficial to hire an attorney as soon as possible. By hiring an attorney sooner, rather than later, the attorney has a better opportunity to investigate and understand the details of the liability portion of your case.
Also, in the state of Oregon, the statute of limitations for a car accident litigation case is two-years. If certain deadlines are not met within the two year statute of limitations, cases will be lost. There are also additional deadlines for cases against a public body or an officer, or employee or agent of a public body. A personal injury attorney will know which requirements need to be met for each case.
In addition many people get into car accidents and receive injuries that appear to be minor, only to later discover they do not heal and become permanent. Insurance companies often try to settle cases early before the injured victim realizes the extent of their injuries. Once a settlement occurs there is no way to open the case and receive just compensation.
- In Oregon, the statute of limitations for a litigation case is two-years
- If two-years have passed since the accident, you can’t take that case to court
- By failing to hire an attorney, you run the risk of dealing with damages that were far more severe than you realized, or receiving a low settlement
- Hiring an attorney sooner, rather than later, will enable you to understand what you’re dealing with as soon as possible, and to move your case forward
What Will A Good Attorney Help You With?
Knowing when to hire an attorney after a car accident is essential. First, you should know how a personal injury lawyer can assist.
Personal injury cases can be very complex. With a good attorney you’ll be walked through each step of the legal process, allowing you to understand the process and help you work together with the attorney to achieve the settlement that you’re entitled to.
Personal injury cases can be very complex, and they consist of many different factors and variables. If you are unfamiliar with the legal system, and how to navigate within it, then hiring a good attorney will make things significantly easier.
There are a plethora of other situations that you will deal with when moving your case forward. Situations related to determining the damages that took place, receiving the proper settlement, proving fault, etc; a good attorney will walk you through those situations and make the entire process much easier for you. Without hiring an attorney, though, the entire process will be far more complicated.
- Personal injury cases are very complex, and they consist of many factors and variables
- By hiring a good attorney, you’ll be walked through the intricacies of the legal process and the entire experience will be much easier
- A good attorney will help you organize your case and present it to the court
- With a good attorney, you’ll know when the insurance company is attempting to give you a poor settlement
- A good attorney will help you navigate any legal situations/challenges that come up while your case is in court
- Without hiring an attorney, the entire process becomes far more difficult and there’s no guarantee you’ll receive the settlement you desire
How Can You Prepare To Hire An Attorney?
To properly prepare for hiring an attorney, you need to organize every piece of information that pertains to your case. This information includes things like photos of the damages, medical records, pay stubs that prove you lost money, etc. By organizing all of this information, and then finding the right attorney, you’ll make it far easier for you and your attorney to move your personal injury case forward.
The information that you need to organize consists of things like photos of the accident, medical records of the injuries you sustained, pay stubs that show lost time at work, along with any notes regarding what happened during the accident and what you can remember. It also helps to preserve any physical evidence of the accident, such as any dents that are in your car or a broken mirror.
When you have all of that information organized, you can then show it to the attorney that you hire. When to hire an attorney after a car accident, in general, it usually depends on how quickly you can gather the needed information. Alternatively, an experienced car accident lawyer in Oregon can help you prepare with needed materials. This will make it far easier for your attorney to understand your case, and to work with you on taking your case to court and getting you the settlement that you are entitled to.
- To prepare for hiring an attorney, it’s very important that you organize every single piece of information related to the car accident
- This is information such as photos of the accident, medical records of the injures you sustained, pay stubs that show lost time at work, notes regarding what you can remember of the accident, and even physical evidence
- By having this information and organizing it, your attorney will understand all of the details of your case, and what the next best step is
