Should I Get a Lawyer After a Minor Car Accident?

Hiring a lawyer following a motor vehicle accident may seem like a hassle, especially if the crash appears minor. If you do not feel pain, you might conclude that you did not sustain any significant injuries. Similarly, if all that was damaged was your vehicle, you may think that an insurance claim is all you need to address your repair bills.

However, even minor car accidents can result in significant challenges that prevent you from receiving compensation for your losses. And waiting to seek legal counsel until you encounter these problems means it may be too late for any attorney to take meaningful action on your behalf. 

As such, retaining legal counsel to assist you following a car accident of any severity is the superior choice.

How Your Minor Car Accident Can Become a Major Headache

Minor car accidents do not always remain minor incidents. In the days and weeks following a car accident, any of the following can quickly turn your measly fender-bender into a big deal:

Your Injuries Become More Severe

Immediately after a car crash, you may feel no worse for wear, but the adrenaline coursing through your body at that moment may be masking signs of a deeper, more serious condition. 

Concussions, internal organ damage, and even spine and neck trauma are just a few of the injuries that can follow any car wreck, no matter how seemingly insignificant.

Not only do these injuries demand immediate treatment once discovered, but they also typically require a significant amount of care. The costs of such treatments can quickly add up, exceeding the policy limits of some insurance policies. 

Your Car Sustained Greater Damage Than First Thought

When your insurance company deems the damage to your vehicle to be so extensive that the cost of repairs is greater than the value of the car, your car will be totaled. 

However, just like your body, the damage your vehicle sustains in a crash may not be immediately apparent. Depending on where it is struck, it may operate following the wreck despite, in fact, being totaled. 

It is often difficult to determine just how extensive any damage to your vehicle is until a trained mechanic is able to examine it more closely. But even then, the compensation you receive for a totaled vehicle may not be enough to address the economic harm that losing your car causes you.

Your Insurance Claim Is Denied

Because California is an at-fault auto insurance state, the carrier that insures the at-fault driver should ultimately pay for the damages you sustain up to the driver’s policy limits. Your insurance carrier can also be a source of compensation after a wreck. But the thing is, both companies may deny your insurance claim altogether.

Carriers will deny claims they believe are outside their contractual obligation to pay. Although there is a procedure to appeal such denials, it is a process that can be intensive and overly complicated.

Reasons to Talk to a California Car Accident Lawyer

After what seems like a minor crash, it is difficult to know whether any of these (or other) complications will develop.

It is for that exact reason that having an attorney is a wise decision. Although your damages may be compensated from insurance proceeds in some cases, you may need to resort to the courts to be fully compensated in other cases.

However, waiting too long to seek legal counsel can lead to the following problems:

  • The unavailability of critical eyewitness testimony
  • The destruction or loss of crucial evidence
  • The expiration of appeal rights following an insurance claim denial
  • Your claim being time-barred by the statute of limitations

With a car accident lawyer helping you from the outset of your crash, you won’t need to worry about missing an opportunity to recover the full amount of damages you deserve.

Treat All Accidents as Serious Matters

Ultimately, there is no such thing as a “minor accident.” Any motor vehicle wreck in which you or a loved one are involved should be addressed as if you sustained substantial harm or property damage. 

That kind of response includes seeking the help of an experienced attorney as soon as possible. It is better to retain an attorney and not need much assistance with your claim than it is to scramble for a lawyer’s help when it is already far too late.

Since 1992, our personal injury attorneys at the Pines Salomon Injury Lawyers, APC. have been fighting for the people of San Diego. Now, when those injured in automobile accidents – including car, truck, and motorcycle accidents – need financial help, or for the families that need to know that the loss of a loved one could have been prevented, there is a personal injury law firm in San Diego that is on their side. If you or a family member has been injured, call the lawyers at Pines Salomon Injury Lawyers, APC. There’s never been a better time than right now to speak to a personal injury attorney—FREE of charge. Call us at 858-551-2090 or request a free consultation online today!