Car accident lawyers in Los Angeles are a dime a dozen. And it makes sense when you consider how many accidents happen a day. And now, you have found yourself in the aftermath of an infamous L.A. car accident. What do you do?
- you get all necessary information from the accident scene (other driver information, pictures of anything relevant, etc.)
- you call your insurer
- you call your lawyer because there is damage to your property, yourself or your passengers
Here are 6 things a great car accident lawyer in Los Angeles will ask you:
- Can you please tell me what happened with as much detail as possible?
First and foremost, a great attorney will want to understand the accident as thoroughly as possible. An ideal answer to this would include: the event, the timeline, and your version of what happened.
Furthermore, your lawyer will ask you if you took any pictures or have any other documentation of the accident. This will be helpful in evaluating your claim. A court does not accept “he said, she said” as evidence. A court will define evidence as: testimony, documents, or physical objects that are presented to a judge or jury in order to prove something.
A good example of this is skid marks. If there are no skid marks, this would suggest that the other driver never hit the brakes. Or, for example, signs that were knocked down. This would suggest that the other driver was speeding. Be prepared to answer questions about the accident with as much detail as possible so that your car accident attorney can understand everything as best as possible.
- Have you been treated by a doctor or any other medical professional?
This is important for two reasons: first, to ensure that you are getting the treatment you need; and second, because your medical bills will likely be part of your personal injury claim. Car accident medical bills can be incredibly expensive, and your lawyer will want to make sure that you are getting the care you need.
Another thing to consider is that injuries are not always immediately apparent. You might not think you need to see a doctor but, later on down the line, find out that you have a serious injury. Spinal cord injuries, in some cases, do not show symptoms for months or years. So, it is always better to err on the side of caution and get checked out by a medical professional.
- Have you spoken to your insurance company?
It is very important that you do not accept any offers from your insurance company without speaking to a lawyer first. The insurance company will likely try to low-ball you on your claim, and you could end up inadvertently accepting an offer that does not fully cover your damages.
If insurers paid correctly and did their part in every accident, then there would be no car accident lawyers in Los Angeles. Remember: the insurer is not on your side. Insurance companies are businesses and their interests are typical of any public corporation: shareholders and profits.
- Do you have any questions?
Here is an overlooked question that needs to be answered. What are your doubts? A lot of firms operate like mass production companies. They want fast answers and fast cases. But your peace of mind matters too! When you are in a car accident you are involved with multiple parties right off the bat:
- You
- Your passengers, if any
- Your insurer
- The other driver(s)
- The other party’s or parties’ insurance
- Police
- Doctors
The issue with insurers and car accidents is that often an insurer wants to pay out as minimally as possible. This is an issue because repairs take time and, as we said earlier, injuries are not always immediately felt. But as the insured party, you are entitled to both ask the questions you need and the peace of mind you had in your life previous to the accident. For example:
- What if your new car no longer feels like new?
- What if mechanical problems arise in the future due to the significant damage it received?
- What if it impacts your work?
- What if it impacts your daily routines (take the kids to school or the in-laws to the doctor)?
- What if you are concerned your back won’t be the same as it was before?
- Or that your recovery may take longer than the doctor says?
- Or that something won’t go detected?
- What are your options after your car accident?
Your lawyer should be able to tell you what the different legal options are in your case. Car accident lawyers in Los Angeles have seen it all. Experience matters. Understanding the potential every case has means that you get an expert’s eye on your case to provide insight that you or an insurer cannot get otherwise.
It may be that the other driver was at fault and their insurance should pay. It could also be that both parties were at-fault and you would need to file a claim with your own insurance company. It could be that you are being told that YOU ARE AT FAULT. Don’t take the insurer’s word for it. Why?
At Kirakosian Law we’ve had cases where our client was blamed for the accident initially. We were not only able to prove that our client was NOT AT FAULT but, on top of it all, we managed to get proper compensation for them.
- How much is my case worth?
This is one of the most common questions we get, and unfortunately, there is no guide to be able to predict that. The value of your case is specific to the facts and injuries involved.
To illustrate this, consider what falling down the stairs would be like. Okay, obviously painful. But what about injuries? A fall can lead to bruising only. A sprained ankle. A herniated disc. Or, even death. FYI, falling down the stairs kills about 12,000 people in the U.S. each year.
Now, factor in vehicles that weigh thousands of pounds, roads, objects on the road, speed, physics and much more. What do you get? Variables upon variables that result in each case being its own individual thing.
A Phone Call is Short but the Peace of Mind is Long-lasting
Car accidents, especially in Los Angeles, are very stressful. The doubt of what comes next or if you were properly compensated or if a potential health problem arises in the future that wasn’t identified early and so many other worries produce stress. Talking to an expert car accident attorney in Los Angeles helps mitigate that stress by getting you the answers that you need.
The best thing to do? Call your car accident lawyer in Los Angeles. What if your accident is outside of Los Angeles? It’s okay. Any lawyer who practices law in Los Angeles can practice law anywhere in the state of California.
If you’ve been in a car accident and have doubts, call Greg Kirakosian at Kirakosian Law and we’ll get you the answers you need. We have extensive experience with car accident and personal injury cases.