When You Should Hire a Lawyer After a Car Accident

A car accident can cause a lot of stress. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered after a car accident and you might be wondering: Do I need a car accident lawyer?

When Should I Hire a Lawyer For My Car Accident?

After a car crash, you should talk to a personal injury lawyer immediately. Even a few days after the accident, insurance agents from your company and the other driver’s company will often call us. If you hire a lawyer immediately after the accident, all communication between you and the car insurance companies will go through your lawyer. This can be very helpful because the claims adjuster can’t change your words or force you to take responsibility for an unfair deal. Also, if you hire an experienced car accident lawyer right away after the accident, they can gather proof and make sure you get fair money compensation.

An accident lawyer can be hired at any time during your case. People sometimes start the process without a lawyer and quickly learn it is too much to handle independently. You can talk to one of our personal injury lawyers anytime, even if your case is ongoing.

What Does a Lawyer for a Car Accident Do?

Before you decide to hire a lawyer, it may help to know what a personal injury lawyer can do for you and why you might want to work with one. These are some of the things that an experienced personal injury lawyer can do for you after a car accident:

Gather proof: The first thing a car accident lawyer can do to help your personal injury claim is to gather proof. This can help you find fault with the other person. The police report, pictures of the crash scene, and proof that the other driver was careless could all be used as evidence. You can also show proof of how the car accident affected your finances, such as lost wages, medical bills, medical costs, etc.

Speak with the insurance company: As was already said, the first step in most car crash cases is to file a claim with the insurance company. In an ideal world, you might be able to end this process now if the insurance company agrees to pay you the total amount of money you need and deserve based on your claim. However, this might not be the case if you’ve had a serious accident or a permanent disability. You might want to file a personal injury claim to get paid if that happens to you.

Negotiate a settlement: Personal injury lawyers with much experience will review your case deeply and decide how much it’s worth. Not only can this be done by looking at things like hospital bills and lost wages, but it can also be done by looking at how the accident made the person feel. All of this will be added up to get an idea of how much your case is worth. This number will then be given to the driver who caused the accident and their lawyer. They will probably respond with an offer of their own. This will keep going until both sides agree. Your lawyer will ensure that your case’s value is fair and that you never take a low deal.

How Do I Know If I Need to Hire a Lawyer?

It may be best to work with an attorney in some situations and types of car accident cases. If your case cannot be resolved through insurance, either because the insurance doesn’t cover it or because of how bad the accident was, filing a car accident claim will likely be the best thing to do.

It’s important to remember that many people who are hurt in car accidents will have problems for the rest of their lives. If someone is seriously hurt in a car accident, they may not be able to work or will have to do a different kind of work for a while. It’s possible that they will have to pay for hospital bills for months or even years, or they may need to hire home care or physical therapists. These hospital bills and other costs could be very high in the future, and insurance probably wouldn’t cover them enough.

What To Do After Getting Into An Accident With a DoorDash Driver

Accidents happen, and it can be confusing to know the proper steps if a delivery driver is involved in the incident. While the process is similar to any other car accident, there are additional factors to consider when a DoorDash driver is at fault.

If you’ve been in an accident with a DoorDash driver, here are some steps to take: 

Ensure Safety

Before you do anything, check yourself and others involved for injuries. Call emergency services immediately after the accident. Even if there are no injuries, you will need to call the police to the scene so a report can be filed. The police report is important to your insurance claim.

Exchange Information

Get the following information from the DoorDash driver:

  • Full name
  • Driver’s license number
  • Insurance information
  • Contact details
  • Whether they actively delivering items at the time of the accident

You will also want to get contact details from any witnesses at the accident scene. Their statements will be helpful for your car accident claim.

Document the Scene

Take photos of the accident scene, including the vehicle damage to both your vehicle and the other vehicle and any injuries you and your passengers may have. Take note of the location of the accident and take photos of any important information that will be relevant for your case such as street signs, traffic signals, skid marks, etc. Also, note if there are any stores around that may have outside cameras. Video footage of the accident could prove useful!

Seek Medical Attention

Even if you don’t feel injured or don’t see any injuries, it’s important to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Many times, your adrenaline is pumping and you may not realize you were injured. In some cases, you may not see your injuries form until days after the accident. If you decide not to go to the hospital from the accident scene, make sure you go to an urgent care or visit your doctor within the next day or two.

Report to DoorDash

DoorDash does provide commercial insurance that may offer coverage to those who were injured in the accident, as long as the driver was making an active delivery at the time of the accident. 

Contact Your Insurance Company

It’s important to inform your insurance company about the accident and provide them with all the necessary information. Even if you think you may file a claim against the DoorDash driver, you still need to start the claims process with your insurance company. 

Contact a Car Accident Lawyer

If necessary, consider consulting with a car accident lawyer to understand your rights and options, especially if significant damages or injuries are involved. A car crash lawyer will walk you through your claim and explain how much compensation you may have following the accident. They will also speak to DoorDash on your behalf and determine whether the company may be held responsible for the accident.

Remember to stay calm and cooperative during the process, and prioritize your safety and well-being above all else.