How long should I wait before hiring a lawyer after an accident happens?
You should hire a lawyer as soon as possible if you’ve been injured in an accident. Just as your accident happened in a split second, your recollection of the event and any related evidence could diminish almost as quickly. You need to get everything set up from the get-go to best protect yourself and ensure that you recover all of your damages resulting from the accident.
As soon as you can, contact an experienced personal injury attorney well-versed in Colorado law. Your attorney can help go over all of your insurance policies to determine your coverage. Your attorney can also begin sending letters on your behalf to your health insurance and the auto insurance companies covering all drivers. This alerts the companies that claims are forthcoming and begins the investigative and settlement process.
Get The Medical Care You Need
If you’ve been injured, you don’t want to skimp on your medical care. Colorado statute states that accident victims have the right to be made “whole” again; this means that they are entitled to all of the healthcare they need to get better. Your auto and/or health insurance should cover the medical expenses resulting from your accident, but they will try to keep their costs to a minimum in the event they can’t recover from the responsible party’s insurance.
Your attorney can go over your coverage with you and make certain that you are getting all of the care you need; you’re paying for this coverage, so you should use all of it when necessary.
Make Sure Your Doctor Is Billing Your Insurance Company
You also need to make certain that the doctors and hospitals are billing your insurance companies correctly; otherwise, they might expect payment directly from you. You need to keep complete documentation of all of your medical expenses related to the accident. These expenses will be figured into your final settlement, and you want to be reimbursed for everything, including any future care you might need for long-term injury or emotional distress.
Have Your Attorney Conduct an Independent Investigation
You don’t want to leave the accident investigation to your insurance company’s representative, nor do you want to leave it to the at-fault driver’s insurance company representative. You and your attorney should conduct an independent investigation.
You need copies of 9-1-1 call tapes and police reports. You also need an experienced attorney to speak with the people who witnessed the accident as soon as possible to get an accurate accounting of the event from their eyes, alongside visiting the accident scene to take pictures of what happened.
These steps are crucial to your accident settlement. They accurately account for what really happened, and why you were not at fault for your damages and injuries. They also help calculate how you have been damaged monetarily, so you and your insurance companies can be made whole after your accident. A good attorney will get everything started right away, but won’t pressure you into settlement until you are healed.
You’ll have time to recover during the investigation and settlement process, so you shouldn’t wait to call a lawyer after your accident. Call Zaner Harden Law at 303-563-5354 to discuss your incident immediately. Learn more at: www.zanerhardenlaw.com.
Contact our Denver Personal Injury Law Firm Today For Help
For more information please contact Zaner Harden Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation with a Denver personal injury lawyer.
Zaner Harden Personal Injury Lawyers
1610 Wynkoop Street, Suite 120. Denver, CO 80202
(720) 613 9706