It matters a great deal when you call a car wreck lawyer in Louisville, KY after an accident. Timing is everything, and the steps you take immediately after an accident will have an enormous effect on your future.
When to Call a Car Wreck Lawyer in Louisville, KY (And Why Timing Matters)
First Things First: When?
The answer is simple: as soon as possible! The sooner your lawyer can get started on evaluating your claim and then gathering evidence and putting it together, the stronger your claim will be. Here’s why it matters:
Why Timing Matters
1. Evidence Degrades and Disappears
The first problem with waiting too long is that you might lose evidence. The rain will start to wash away all evidence from the scene, and the city will clean everything up. Cars will get fixed. Security cameras that might have captured the accident will have their footage overwritten. Even witnesses may forget what they saw. If you call a lawyer, they’ll gather the right evidence, take witness statements, and make sure all this happens before that evidence disappears.
2. You Could Say Something You Shouldn’t
The insurance adjuster works for the insurance company, and their job is to investigate your accident, yes, but mainly to protect the company as much as possible. If they have the opportunity to minimize your claim or to find a way to blame you for the accident, you can be sure they will take it.
Some states have what’s known as “modified comparative fault” rules, which means that so long as a person is not primarily at fault for an accident, they can bring a claim and seek compensation. Unfortunately, Kentucky follows what’s known as a “pure comparative fault” model. This means if you were even 1% at fault for the accident, you can’t bring any claim.
All it takes is one wrong word in your statement to the insurance adjuster, and they will latch onto it to say that you are partially at fault. If you call a lawyer, you can refuse to discuss anything with the insurer and simply refer them to your legal representative.
3. You Could Sign Something You Shouldn’t
Another big mistake that people sometimes make is to sign a settlement agreement out of desperation, believing the insurance company when they say, “There’s no possibility you can get anything more,” and “If you don’t sign this now, you won’t get anything.”
Most of the time, over-the-top statements like that are simply not true, but the insurance company is counting on you not knowing that. And some people don’t realize that once they sign a settlement like that, it’s all over. Even if it turns out that the settlement doesn’t come close to covering your medical bills and property damage, you can’t get anything more.
These are just a few reasons to call a lawyer as quickly as you can. After an accident, call the Winton & Hiestand Law Group in Lousiville, KY at (502) 444-HELP right away so we can get started protecting you.
