Do I Need an Attorney for My Auto Accident in Connecticut?

Car accident lawyer consultation in his office.

Have you recently been in a car crash in Connecticut that wasn’t your fault? Before making a decision, there’s one thing you should know — the insurance company does not want you to talk to a personal injury attorney. You might learn your claim is worth more than you thought.

Don’t let insurance companies try to take advantage of you. Instead, schedule a free consultation with a Connecticut car accident attorney to learn your legal options.

No matter how big or small, a car accident is a life-changing experience. Any motor vehicle accident can lead to financial burdens, medical expenses, insurance claims, physical injuries, and more. It is a truly overwhelming experience that we at Jainchill & Beckert, LLC hope that no one has to experience.

In the case that you have been in a car accident, our accident attorneys can help you navigate the process and move forward to receive the maximum compensation. Normally, in the process, most individuals want an auto accident attorney who can get them a quick settlement. However, the process is not always so simple. An experienced car accident attorney knows that the path to a fair settlement could take more time and effort than is expected.

When handling a personal injury claim, the accident is just the beginning of your problems. Navigating an insurance claim alone is tricky. If the fault of the accident is disputed, it can turn into a lengthy personal injury lawsuit. In addition, insurance companies may try to settle your claim for less than it is actually worth.

During the process of working through an accident claim, an accident lawyer is going to need to understand the full scene of the accident. They will contact your insurance company, gather your medical bills, and submit all claims.

Do I Still Need a Lawyer for a Minor Car Accident?

You should talk to a lawyer even if you think the auto accident seems minor. The other driver’s insurance company will try to minimize your injuries and offer you less money than you deserve. An experienced car accident attorney can negotiate with insurers to demand fair compensation for costs like medical bills and lost wages.

What are Good Reasons to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?

Almost all personal injury attorneys offer free consultations, which means you don’t have to pay anything to learn if you have a viable car accident claim. There is no financial risk to consult a lawyer about your case.

You should definitely consider speaking to an attorney about the crash if any of the following circumstances apply:

  • Serious injuries – If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury like spinal cord damage, a traumatic brain injury (TBI), or compound fractures, an experienced car accident attorney can place a fair value on your case and fight for the compensation you deserve. Severe injuries often result in mounting medical bills and long-term care needs. Without skilled legal representation, you might struggle to get tight-fisted insurance companies to make a fair payout.
  • Multi-vehicle collisions – Determining fault and navigating multiple insurance policies can be complex when more than two parties are involved in a motor vehicle accident. A lawyer will investigate the details to protect you from attempts to shift the blame onto you.
  • Liability disputes – The other driver may deny responsibility or claim you are partly at fault for the collision. A car accident lawyer can gather evidence and negotiate with the insurance company to demonstrate the other party’s liability.
  • Denied or delayed insurance claims – Insurance companies are for-profit businesses. Car accident victims often find insurers trying to downplay their injuries or find excuses to deny their claims. With an attorney in your corner, you can feel confident the insurance adjuster won’t take advantage of you.
  • Identifiable lost wages – If your injuries prevent you from working for an extended period, you need to recover lost income in addition to your medical expenses and other crash-related costs. A skilled lawyer can help you demand money for your current missed earnings and any income you could lose in the future due to a disability.

 How Can an Attorney Help with My Car Accident Case?

Working with a lawyer can help you maximize your financial recovery after a Connecticut car accident. Your attorney can handle all communications with the insurance company so you avoid accidentally saying something that weakens your case. Your lawyer will also investigate and collect valuable evidence like police reports, witness statements, police body camera footage, traffic camera footage where possible, and other documentation that might be difficult to obtain on your own. They’ll also calculate the full extent of your losses, including medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

In addition, car accident attorneys are skilled negotiators and know what it takes to push for a settlement that reflects your actual losses. They also won’t hesitate to file a personal injury lawsuit if the insurance company refuses to play fair. Contact our Hartford car accident attorney today for help.

You can assist your lawyer and improve your chances of receiving a fair settlement by taking the following steps.

  1. At the accident scene, make sure to take many photos of the damage as well.
  2. Obtain a copy of the accident report from the police. If there wasn’t a crash report, or police weren’t called, do your best to document what happened. If you can, exchange insurance information with the drivers of any other vehicles involved. Get the names of any crash victims and try to note in general terms what happened to them. Note any environmental hazards near the crash scene – road construction, the position of the sun, or weather conditions that could have impaired the drivers involved should all be factored in. Use your cell phone to take pictures that will validate your environmental claims.
  3. Obtain all medical records from the hospital that you visited after the accident. Any severe injuries will need proof of record from a medical provider. Even in minor car accidents, any document of common injuries will be necessary. Any catastrophic injuries should be documented as well, and all forms of documentation should be handed to the attorney. If the injured party is having trouble,
  4. Obtain a copy of all hospital bills, medical expenses, insurance expenses, and receipts, and hand them to the law firm
  5. Process all personal injury claims in writing, so that they can be referenced later on. Verify your claims with a police report (if you have one available).
  6. Remain calm. You could be injured, and things like internal bleeding or traumatic brain injury (a concussion, for example) may not be immediately apparent. Try to breathe deeply and assess the situation clearly. You are alive. Everything else is secondary.

Any personal injury attorney will tell you that accidents can happen at any time. A negligent driver can be found at any time of day or night. Rear-end collisions are common in cities with heavy traffic and are often the result of a distracted driver or distracted driving. As more and more citizens are on the road every year, reckless driving is becoming more common. Drunk driving happens daily in every city and town in America. Even if you have a track record of safe driving or you were in one of the countless minor accidents that happen every day, a defense attorney may still be necessary.

The path to fair compensation for accident injuries is never easy. A personal injury lawyer requires the cooperation of the insurance company, hospital, insurance adjuster, and several other parties to ensure that the process progresses forward.

Accident victims may feel overwhelmed at the sheer amount of responsibility that is laid out in front of them after an accident claim. This is where a personal injury law firm and experienced car accident lawyer can help.

 At What Point Should I Contact a Lawyer?

If you haven’t talked to a personal injury lawyer yet, do so immediately. Getting started on your car accident case promptly reduces the risk of essential evidence getting lost or deleted. An attorney may also help speed up the claims process to reach a timely resolution and get the financial relief you need.

Remember, Connecticut personal injury law gives you two years from the date of a crash to file a lawsuit under most circumstances, so don’t wait to obtain legal representation. Sometimes, the deadline can be shorter, so it’s crucial to act quickly and learn the timeline that applies to your case.

 How Do I Choose a Car Accident Lawyer?

Connecticut personal injury attorneys are everywhere. So, how do you pick the right one for you?

Consider these factors when choosing a lawyer:

  • Experience – Has the lawyer handled car accident cases like yours before?
  • Client reviews – Have their clients taken the time to post a review on their website?
  • Track record – Does the attorney have a history of getting favorable settlements and verdicts at trial?
  • Comfort level – Do you feel like you can trust and communicate openly with the lawyer?
  • Communication style – Do you prefer updates by email or phone? Find out how the potential attorney handles updates on the progress of their clients’ cases.

Beware of firms that seem more interested in advertising than providing personalized attention. The right car accident lawyer will take the time to understand your situation and develop a custom strategy to get you the car accident compensation you’re owed. Don’t be afraid to interview a few attorneys before deciding.

 How Much Does a Car Accident Attorney Cost?

Car accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. That means you don’t pay any fees unless they recover compensation for your injuries. When you win your case, your lawyer’s payment comes from a portion of whatever compensation you receive. This approach works to both of your advantages. Your attorney invests time and resources into your case. This gives them an incentive to build strong claims for maximum compensation. At the same time, you avoid the burden of hefty upfront legal expenses while recovering from your car accident injuries.

 Contact Jainchill and Beckert, Experienced Connecticut Car Accident Lawyers

With 55 years of combined legal experience, the Connecticut car accident lawyers at Jainchill & Beckert, LLC have the knowledge and dedication you need to seek the compensation you need and deserve after a wreck. Call or contact us today for a free case review.

Attorneys Jainchill & Beckert, LLC, located in Plainville, treat every single auto accident claim with the tact and tenacity that you would expect. Their main goal is first to help you through the emotional distress and mental anguish that affects all personal injury lawsuits. Attorney Beckert and Jainchill are here to assist you with medical bills, and medical expenses, and talk with the insurance company. They will assist you with making any personal injury claim and navigating your insurance policy. An experienced lawyer will tell you that minor injuries, any bodily injury, or physical pain needs to be documented in order to be brought to court.

When working with an experienced attorney, a question that always occurs during an auto accident lawsuit is, “What do attorney fees look like?”. At Jainchill & Beckert, LLC, no payment is received until the case has been completed. Our job is to service the individual who is filing the personal injury lawsuit. By working on a contingency fee basis, you won’t be put into financial hardship due to the out-of-pocket expense factor. You pay when we win.

Initial consultations with Jainchill & Beckert, LLC can be held over the phone or by coming into the office. Though they are located in Plainville, Connecticut, they service Bristol, Hartford, and a majority of the state. A personal injury lawyer, in the first meeting, will ask about medical bills, statements from the insurance company, and facts about the fault party and whether you believe you were the at fault driver. In addition to discovering more about the traffic accident, the personal injury lawsuit will require information about your financial compensation goals, previous personal injury claims, and what effects the accident has had on other aspects of your life. An insurance company will often try to pay you less money than you deserve by arguing to avoid paying out the full amount. A personal injury lawyer helps you navigate through the process and get the compensation you deserve.

For a free, no-obligation consultation, call an experienced auto accident attorney at Plainville’s Jainchill & Beckert, LLC office today. If calling the office is difficult at this time, click below to fill out our online form and schedule some time to talk. We promise that we will listen and provide the kind of personal injury protection that you need at the time when you need it most.

Author Bill Beckert

For over three decades, Bill has dedicated his career to helping injury victims throughout Connecticut secure justice and accountability for injuries sustained at little to no fault of their own. In all cases, he places the best interest of his clients above all else. Describing the services we provide here at the firm, he explains, “We are fighters who work to ensure that our clients are informed and empowered so that we can achieve an outcome that provides peace of mind.”

After graduating from the University of Connecticut in 1989, he then earned his law degree in 1993 from the Western New England University School of Law. Since then, he has striven to make sure every client who steps into his office gets the high-quality representation and undivided attention they deserve. In recognition of his work, Bill has been listed in The National Trial Lawyers Top 100.