McKinney Car Accident Lawyer

If you have been in an automobile accident, you are not alone. Just about everyone is going to be involved in some type of car accident during the course of their lives. Most of the time, the accident is just a simple fender bender that includes only minor damage to their vehicle. Other times, these accidents can have lifelong consequences.

Regardless of the severity of your accident, you will need to make certain to protect your rights. In some car accident cases you will have the ability to protect your rights on your own. There are times though when it will be best to have a McKinney car accident lawyer to assist you with your case. In the following article, McKinney car accident lawyer Michael Grossman will discuss some of the basics of car accident law so you will know some of the things that are involved in the legal process and whether you need to consider obtaining an attorney in your case.

If you live in McKinney or the surrounding area and you have questions about your rights or you cannot make a determination on your need for legal help, contact Grossman Law Offices at 1-855-326-0000 toll-free. We will be happy to give you our opinion in a free and confidential consultation.

WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO WIN YOUR CASE

In order to win your McKinney car accident case you will have to bear the burden of proof in your case. The defendant is presumed to be innocent when it comes to a victim’s injuries. The plaintiff, as an accident victim is known in legal terms, will have the opportunity to receive compensation for their injuries if they can provide evidence that shows the defendant should be held responsible for their injuries.

If you are a plaintiff in an accident case the very first thing you will need to do in order to win your case is to show that the defendant had a duty of care and that duty was violated. Most of the time, drivers will owe other drivers a duty to drive in a way that will not cause harm to other motorists or pedestrians. If a motorist drives in a way that a reasonable person would not drive, even if only for a moment, that driver will have violated his or her duty of care. As an example, if someone drives under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or exceeds the posted speed limit, or runs through a red light, most of the time this means that driver has violated his or her duty of care.

Next, in order to receive compensation, the plaintiff will have to show that they received injuries as a result of the defendant’s breach of their legal duty of care that was owed to the victim. Because other parties might have contributed to your accident, very often a defendant will attempt to place blame for the accident on one of the other parties or even on the accident victim. It will be up to you to show that the defendant in your case was responsible for your accident and this will usually require evidence that a McKinney car accident lawyer can help you to gather and provide to a judge and jury.

The final part of the process that is involved in receiving your just compensation is that you will have to show the total amount of compensation you deserve for your injuries. While the injuries you received might be obvious to you, such as a pile of repair and medical bills that you can’t afford or continuous pain since the accident, or perhaps you have been unable to return to work since the accident happened, you cannot assume that a judge and jury will just take your word for your injuries. You will have to calculate an amount that is fair to compensate you for your injuries and provide evidence in support of that amount. If you do not know how to properly place a monetary value of things such as pain and suffering or lost future wages, you will need the help of an experienced car accident attorney like the attorneys at Grossman Law Offices. Failing to calculate the full amount of your damages will mean that you cannot receive the fair compensation you deserve for your injuries.

Additionally, the defendant will also be providing a damages amount for your injuries in the event that you win your case. This amount will always be a great deal lower than your calculation so you will have to provide evidence that your damages amount is the correct calculation and that the defendant’s damages total is only an attempt to escape their real responsibility. Calculating damages can be a very difficult process and will usually require the help of a knowledgeable legal professional in order to get that full amount of compensation you deserve for your injuries.

INSURANCE COMPANIES

By law in the state of Texas, everyone with a vehicle is required to have insurance but there are some drivers that ignore the law. Whether the driver that was responsible for your accident, has insurance or not, can be a huge factor in determining the outcome of your case.

If the other driver involved in your case has insurance, there will be an insurance company and its group of claims adjusters involved in your claim. This is beneficial because it means that technically there is money to receive in compensation for your injuries. The drawback of this is that the money won’t be easy to access. You will have to be ready to fight for the compensation you deserve. Insurance companies are not in existence to provide aid to an accident victim. They are in business to make a profit. Insurance companies will use investigators, defense attorneys, and claims adjusters in order to deny an accident victim’s claims or to decrease a victim’s compensation as much as possible.

However, if one or more parties involved in your accident do not have insurance, the party responsible for your accident will have to provide compensation for your injuries out of their own pocket. Though you will not have to work with a large insurance company and their team of professionals, there will be a different issue that you will have to face. If the defendant in your case had plenty of money they would have purchased an insurance policy for their car. Usually when a defendant is uninsured it means they do not have the means to compensate an accident victim for their injuries. If neither you nor the defendant were carrying insurance on your vehicles, a McKinney car accident lawyer can do an asset check on the defendant to see if the defendant has the means to compensate you for your injuries, even in the event that the defendant tries to hide those assets. If the defendant truly has no means in which to make compensation for your injuries, there is not much that can be done to solve the problem. Unfortunately, it is a fact that many times a plaintiff will receive no compensation for his or her injuries because the defendant does not have the means to make compensation.

HOW TO TELL IF YOU NEED A MCKINNEY CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER

After you have been injured in a car accident case, very rarely is it a good idea to represent yourself, but there are times that there are exceptions. If your accident case involves only damages to your vehicle or other property you will probably be able to handle the accident claim on your own. However, if you received any type of physical injury, it is always best to have legal representation.

If you are not physically hurt in your accident there might be a chance that you can protect your rights without the need of an attorney. This this is because in cases that only involve property damage, insurance companies are bound by a strict set of guidelines when determining the amount of compensation an accident victim will receive for their losses. In these cases, there is not much room for an insurance company to try to short change you for your damages.

If you have been involved in a car accident where only your vehicle was damaged the first thing you’ll need to do in order to receive compensation for your property damage is to exchange information with the other motorist. You will need to get the other driver’s contact information and their car insurance information. You will then need to take your vehicle to a mechanic. When a mechanic, has completed repairs on your vehicle the repair bill will be turned in to your insurance company. Your insurance company will pay the mechanic and in turn, will deliver the bill for the mechanic’s services to the other driver’s insurance company to be reimbursed. Sometimes these two companies will argue over who is responsible for the repair bill. When this happens, the two companies more often than not are able to come to an agreement between themselves without your assistance. In the event that the total exceeds $5000, you might have to be involved and in that case, you should seek the legal help of a McKinney car accident lawyer for your claim.

In a case where you have received physical injuries, the insurance companies involved will not have the strict guidelines that will be enforced in deciding on your compensation. They can deny you any compensation at all. In order to receive full compensation for your injuries, you will have to shoulder the burden of proof that was discussed previously. If your injuries include things such as whiplash, broken bones, head injuries, or include one or more doctor’s visits in the future, it is imperative that you consider getting a McKinney car accident lawyer to assist you with your claim. Having an experienced lawyer on your side can mean the difference in being able to get full compensation or winding up with no compensation at all.

Sometimes even without the presence of physical injuries from an accident, you should still consider getting legal representation to assist with your claim. Following are some of the reasons you should consider getting help from a McKinney car accident lawyer in order to receive the compensation you deserve.

A problem with the other driver - If the other driver involved in your accident has become a problem it might be an indication that the driver will make getting compensation for your injuries extremely difficult or impossible. A driver that refuses to give you contact information, insurance information, or is seeking to avoid contacting the police to report the accident could be signs that you will need a McKinney car accident lawyer to protect your rights.

You can’t afford medical assistant - Following an accident, it can be extremely expensive to get medical assistance for your injuries. Many people do not have health insurance and those with health insurance might not be able to meet their deductible or find that the treatment they need is not included in their health care plan. After an accident, some victims will not get treatment because they are worried about the financial hardship that could possibly happen if they are forced to miss work to attend a doctor’s appointment.

If you have been injured in an accident, it is critical for your health and your case to get medical attention. The McKinney car accident lawyers at Grossman Law Offices can make certain you get the proper care even if you think you might not be able to pay for it. We can assist you in finding a doctor that can help you and take into consideration your financial circumstances. Besides that, we can advise you on the ways that the income you might lose by missing work to receive medical attention can reimburse by the defendant in your case.

Pressure from insurance companies - Insurance companies are in business to make money, not to help accident victims. Following a car accident, it is fairly common for an insurance company to apply pressure to an accident victim in an attempt to get the accident victim to accept a paltry settlement in their case. If you take a settlement offer from an insurance company instead of moving forward to a trial you will be forfeiting your ability to sue the defendant for the actual value of your case in the future. Accepting a settlement offer that is fair can be extremely beneficial. You will get your money much more quickly without having to go through the uncertainty that always come with a jury trial. However, if you accept an unfair or poor settlement you will be giving up any chance you have at getting full compensation for your injuries in your case. You should be cautious about any insurance company that seeks to settle your case before you have obtained legal representation. You should always have an experienced McKinney car accident attorney look over any settlement offer before signing anything presented by an insurance company.

Something just doesn’t feel right about what is happening in your case - You should always trust your instincts if you feel as if something is not being handled correctly by the insurance company in your claim. Remember that these insurance companies are in business to make a profit and are that their best interests are completely opposite of your best interests. You want fair and full compensation for your injuries and they want to pay you absolutely nothing or as little as they can get by with paying you. If you are concerned about how your claim is being handled call the McKinney car accident lawyers at Grossman Law Offices. We have won all types of cases and settlements against every well-known insurance company in the nation. Insurance companies are well aware of our reputation. We can get their attention and make certain that your claim is being handled in a fair manner.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE CORRECT ATTORNEY FOR YOUR CASE

There is a great deal of lawyers that you could choose from in the Dallas and Fort Worth area and making a decision on the one that is right for you can be very stressful. Getting legal representation is important, but it should not be stressful or complex. The attorneys at Grossman Law Offices always recommend that you speak with two or three lawyers before making a decision on which one to obtain for your case. When you speak with each lawyer, ask about their history in settling and litigating cases such as yours. Ask them what they believe are the strengths and weaknesses of your case. Also ask for contact information for previous clients that were involved in a case similar to yours. You will need an attorney that is not only experienced but also an attorney that you can trust.

At Grossman Law Offices, our McKinney car accident lawyers have been working car accident cases for more than 22 years. More than likely we have handled many cases and injuries that are very similar to your case and have been involved in cases with the very same insurance company that is involved in your accident case. In most of the accident cases that are taken on by Grossman Law Offices we will take charge of every detail that is involved in our client’s claims.

If you need more information on the ways a McKinney car accident lawyer can help you or for a free and confidential consultation, call us at 1-855-326-0000 toll-free. Our experienced team is available 24 hours a day every day of the week to take your call. Call us today to find out your options and how we could help you get the full and fair compensation you deserve for your injuries.

By E. Michael Grossman