Oftentimes, the importance of contacting a car accident attorney in Indianapolis cannot be emphasized enough in order to protect an individual’s right to receive injury compensation. An experienced car accident lawyer can prevent a driver from being taken advantage of by an insurance adjuster, ensure that they do not make any mistakes to jeopardize their ability to recover, and can gather important evidence on their behalf. Read on to learn more about how the importance of contacting a car accident attorney in Indianapolis following a collision today.
Speaking with Insurance Adjusters
A plaintiff should contact a lawyer right away before they give a recorded statement to a claims adjuster, because anything said to these individuals can be used against them in court. An attorney will be educated in terms of the way to answer questions and what they should and should not say, especially when asked leading questions. It is not in their best interest to give a recorded statement.
Even if it is an individual’s own insurance company, a lawyer should still be on the phone with the injured party. With someone’s own company, they will likely be obligated to give a recorded statement, but that does not mean that they have to do it without an attorney present. This highlights the importance of contacting a car accident attorney in Indianapolis to prevent someone from being taking advantage of.
Signing a Settlement Check
This also holds true for whenever an adjuster asks an individual to sign a settlement check. Sometimes these checks will have language on them that says full and final settlement of any and all claims. Once the case is settled, an individual gives up their right to litigate or ask for any other amount of compensation for their injuries. An experienced attorney will know whether or not an individual doing the right thing and asking for the correct types of damages.
Medpay Coverage
The other thing is that lawyers guide people on how they use their Medpay for their own insurance versus their health insurance. They let them know the strategies regarding who they file claims with. All of this is important down the road, because it is the settlement that affects what goes into their hand in virtually every case.
If someone has health insurance or used their own car and has Medpay coverage, when they get a settlement from another insurance company their health insurance and or car insurance company is going to require being paid back. Attorneys also are able to get plaintiffs to reduce their liens. Every dollar that an attorney reduces that lien payback by goes into the plaintiff’s hand, showing the importance of contacting a car accident attorney in Indianapolis.
Comparative Liability
In terms of liability, if there is a comparative fault issue, then the importance of contacting a car accident attorney in Indianapolis is heightened. Because Indiana is a comparative fault state, the amount of compensation that an individual can recover is based on their percentage of fault for causing an accident. A judge or jury ultimately decides on this percentage, and will use it to lessen their compensation amount. For example, if someone were found to be 40% responsible for causing their accident, then their resulting injury compensation would be lowered by 40%.
