Is It Worth Hiring a Lawyer for a Minor Accident?
Posted on Feb 26, 2021 in Car Accidents, Personal Injury
Even if the car accident you were involved in was relatively minor, you may still benefit from hiring an experienced New Orleans car accident lawyer to help you navigate the claim. While you may think that hiring a lawyer for a car accident will be more expensive than the amount you might be awarded for damages, you’d be surprised to find that clients often underestimate their injuries and what they are owed after a car accident -- even a minor one.A Minor Accident Turned Major
Imagine this scenario: Let’s say you’re hit from behind while driving your car in New Orleans. Since the damage to your vehicle and yourself may appear relatively minor, you decide to go home after obtaining the other driver’s information. Days later, you begin to feel pain in your neck and shoulder and decide to see a doctor. The doctor thinks you may have some nerve damage, and if left untreated, the problem would become much worse. Since you didn’t think the accident was a huge deal, and you left the scene quickly, it might be more challenging to obtain damages for your expenses and cover the cost of your care. That said, hiring an experienced New Orleans car accident lawyer might be your only chance.What to Do After an Accident
Before rushing off to your next destination, you may want to consider what steps you can take after an accident to ensure that you’re appropriately compensated for your injuries. First, you should call law enforcement so they can create a report of what occurred during the accident. The responding officer will go through a series of steps to document the facts of your case, including obtaining name and contact information for all parties involved and interviewing any witnesses who may have been on the scene. Even though the officer is doing his own investigation, you should also be sure to exchange information with the other driver, including their insurance information. You should also be sure to photograph your car and the other driver’s vehicle and document any damage resulting from the accident. This will be helpful later on if you need photographic evidence of the damage for a resulting lawsuit. After you’ve left the scene of the accident, you should plan to see a doctor and review any possible injuries you think may have incurred. Some injuries don’t appear right away but rather take time to develop after the initial shock of an accident. Others can remain invisible and can only be discovered upon a doctor’s examination. You won’t want to take the risk with your health, so make sure you seek medical attention sooner rather than later.Contact a New Orleans Car Accident Attorney
If you’ve been involved in a car accident - no matter how minor - you should seek the counsel of an experienced New Orleans car accident attorney. They can review the particulars of your case and recommend the best course of action for you. Contact our offices today.