Call Us (866) GO-SEE-SAM
Call Us (866) GO-SEE-SAM
Apr 22, 2021
Nobody likes to waste money, and given the current pandemic and resulting economic implications – increased unemployment, skyrocketing evictions, long-term medical expenses – it’s hard to not be concerned with finances. Car accidents are a daily occurrence in Los Angeles, and we at Dordulian Law Group are constantly being asked whether or not a minor car accident is something that requires legal representation.
If you were involved in a minor car accident that did not result in extensive vehicle damage or severe physical injuries, haggling with the insurance company and negotiating with the at-fault party is still part of the claims process. You may be wondering if (and how) a personal injury attorney might be able to help. We have all the information you need below to decide for yourself whether or not hiring a lawyer for your minor car accident case is a good decision that makes financial sense.
Before deciding whether or not to hire a personal injury lawyer following a car accident, there are a few points to consider. Let’s review the various factors that may apply to your specific case.
Did you cause the accident? Were you 100% responsible? If so, and you have auto insurance, you may not need to hire an attorney. At-fault drivers with up-to-date policies will often be provided with legal representation as a benefit through their insurer. Automobile insurance companies have teams of attorneys ready to defend car accident claims on behalf of at-fault drivers. However, because California is a comparative fault state, the question of who was at fault in a car accident often requires further examination.
While you may believe that you were 100% at fault for a car accident, an investigation could prove that the other driver was actually distracted or momentarily blinded by sun glare. With California’s comparative fault laws, this means that all involved parties should be liable for no more than their actual percentage of fault. In other words, if you were largely but not entirely responsible for a car accident (e.g. 90%), you could still be eligible to recover financial compensation for damages such as medical bills or emotional trauma. Hence, if you believe you were at fault and do not need to hire an attorney, it might behoove you to take another look and determine whether the other driver shared a percentage of the fault.
If you were clearly (or mostly) not at fault for a car accident, the next point to consider is whether or not you sustained any injuries.
Did you suffer an injury as a result of your car accident? Before you answer that question, keep in mind that many injuries stemming from car accidents are not immediately apparent. In fact, headaches, back, neck, shoulder, and abdominal pain frequently manifest days, weeks, or even months after a minor car accident. If no injuries develop following your minor car accident, and you do not require any medical rehabilitation or care, you may not need to hire a personal injury lawyer.
In such cases, where you choose to represent yourself in the claims process, this will mean that you are responsible for every step of legal work. Some of these steps can include:
If you did suffer an injury of any kind in a minor car accident (even minor scrapes or bruises), hiring a qualified lawyer may be worthwhile for a number of reasons. However, before we delve into those benefits, let’s look at another important point related to minor vehicle collisions for consideration
Minor car accidents don’t always lead to physical injuries like whiplash or a mild concussion (MTBI). However, fender benders, hit and runs, sideswipes at low speeds, and various other classifications of ‘minor’ car accidents often lead to psychological injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, fear of driving, and more. Just like the common misperception that a car accident is always the fault of one individual, many minor car accident victims are often unaware that they’ve sustained a psychological injury. We all experience stress, difficulty concentrating, depression, etc. But linking those issues to a recent minor car accident is frequently overlooked as we go about our busy daily lives.
But overlooking these types of injuries can mean foregoing financial compensation that you may be eligible to receive. Unfortunately, it’s a common occurrence among drivers involved in minor car accidents. Hiring a personal injury attorney is an excellent means of confirming whether or not you have endured a psychological injury, assessing the extent of that injury, and taking the proper steps to recover financial compensation for that injury.
If you are certain that your minor car accident caused a psychological injury to develop, and you have subsequently incurred financial expenses for things like counseling or therapy, hiring a personal injury attorney is the best method for ensuring a damages award is recovered that offsets those costs. In this scenario, hiring a competent, qualified, and dedicated car accident lawyer may be in your best interest.
Attempting to prove psychological trauma and correlating financial losses can be a difficult task without proper legal training. But having a dedicated advocate like a Dordulian Law Group attorney on your side can be a major asset in your claim.
If you have unlimited finances and are of the opinion that pursuing a claim which could potentially award you substantial compensation is not important, perhaps hiring a personal injury attorney for your car accident claim is not a major priority. If, after experiencing a minor car accident that only causes moderate damage to your vehicle (and maybe a sore neck or joints) you and are of the opinion that the incident was “nothing to worry about,” and you have more important matters to focus on, hiring an attorney may also not be an appropriate option. The legal process will certainly take up some of your time as well as the attorney’s time, as he or she will have to pursue the at-fault driver (which can be a time consuming endeavor).
In other words, if money is no object and you really wouldn’t care if a financial settlement or verdict was reached on your behalf, by all means proceed without hiring an attorney to fight for your rights. Of course, this is an extraordinarily rare situation, and most car accident victims – minor and major – are interested in protecting their rights through the legal system (as well as recovering any due financial compensation).
Contact our top-rated team of expert personal injury attorneys online or by phone today to pursue justice and secure a financial award for damages.
If you’ve been involved in a minor car accident but have an extensive knowledge of how insurance companies operate, what their objectives are, what (often underhanded and shady) tactics they frequently employ to reduce payouts for legitimately injured victims, you may, once again, not need to hire a personal injury attorney.
Insurance companies are notorious for taking advantage of car accident victims, utilizing every tool at their disposal to thwart the legal arguments of the injured and helping minimize any damages awards and payouts. If you understand these tactics and will be able to use them against the insurance company all on your own, you may not need to hire a personal injury lawyer. However, keep in mind that, regardless of the extent of any knowledge you may have regarding the auto insurance industry and their methods for minimizing payouts and maximizing profits, if you choose to pursue a claim on your own you will not simply be fighting against an individual representative. You’ll most likely be taking on a team of well paid, aggressive, loyal, and experienced insurance company attorneys.
At Dordulian Law Group, two attorneys in our top-rated Car Accident Division previously worked for many years as defense counsel on behalf of major auto insurance companies. With their countless years of experience and understanding of how insurance providers operate when faced with personal injury lawsuits – the dirty tricks, shady methods, and underhanded tactics attempting to minimize claims – our clients have a unique advantage in helping to prove their cases. The insurance companies have hundreds of high-powered attorneys fighting on their side and against you. Your law firm should be able to fight back to ensure every penny of compensation you deserve is recovered.
Sam Dordulian is an award-winning sexual abuse lawyer with over 25 years' experience helping survivors secure justice. As a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for L.A. County, he secured life sentences against countless sexual predators. Mr. Dordulian currently serves on the National Leadership Council for RAINN.
Do you have a case? Let's find out.
"*" indicates required fields
