The process of hiring an injury lawyer after a car accident can seem like a daunting task. To make things less daunting, here’s what you can expect during the hiring process and after you’ve picked the right one. Your attorney will start with a free consultation, where they will get information about your accident, injuries, and insurance coverages. If you and your attorney decide you are a match, you will sign a contingency fee agreement and medical authorization, as well as complete an intake form that contains all relevant information about you and your accident. Your attorney will then investigate the accident, gather all relevant evidence, and send letters of representation to all applicable insurance companies. Once your medical treatment is nearing completion, your attorney will initiate settlement negotiations, attempting to resolve your case without filing a lawsuit. If a lawsuit must be filed, your attorney will do so, begin discovery then prepare for and go to trial.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident in Sarasota, understanding the legal process is imperative to making the right choice when hiring a car accident lawyer and correctly setting expectations. Gain a better understanding of the legal process and what to expect when to hire a car accident lawyer by reading further or contacting Dannheisser Injury Law.
Step 1: Deciding What Car Accident Lawyers to Contact & Interview
Before hiring a car accident lawyer, you have to decide who you want to reach out to to discuss your case. Two important factors we recommend you consider when deciding what lawyer(s) to talk to are:
- Client Reviews– look at what past clients and other lawyers say about the lawyers and law firms that you are considering speaking with. There’s arguably no better way to predict the outcome of your case and how you will be treated than seeing how the prospective law firm has treated their past clients and other lawyers. At Dannheisser Injury Law, our sparkling reputation of more than 30 years of legal service in Sarasota has led to a perfect 5-star rating on Google.
- Past Results – while client reviews tell part of the story, past results tell another: the law firm’s experience handling and getting significant car accident settlements and jury verdicts. At Dannheisser Injury Law, our 30 years of experience equates to hundreds of cases resolved in Sarasota and the Tampa Bay area, with major results including a $9.75M settlement in a bus crash case, $3.95M settlement in a wrongful death car accident case, $900,000 settlement for injuries suffered in an 11 mph car accident, and more.
Step 2: Initial Consultation and Case Evaluation
You decide what lawyers you want to interview. Now what? Hiring a car accident lawyer starts with the initial consultation and case evaluation. Most personal injury lawyers offer this service free of charge. During the initial consultation, you will discuss with the attorney details about your car accident, your injuries, and insurance coverages that are available.
If possible, bring a copy of the police accident report, as well as copies of your insurance and the at-fault driver’s insurance. The more details you can provide during the initial consultation, the better of an idea the car accident lawyer will have about the potential value of your case, whether there may be any questions about liability for the car crash, and how long your case may take to resolve.
Whatever car accident attorney you decide to go with will have you then sign a contingency fee agreement and medical authorization form allowing your attorney to request and collect medical records and bills on your behalf. Your attorney will also have you complete an intake form that provides all pertinent details about you, your accident, your employment, past litigation, and more. It is best to give as much information as possible on the intake form. More information and documentation is always better.
Step 3: Investigation and Evidence Gathering
After signing with a car accident lawyer, then the work begins. Your attorney should immediately begin an in-depth investigation into your car accident to uncover all possible defendants, evidence that may be available, and insurance coverages which may be accessible. He or she may visit the scene of the accident to capture additional photos and videos beyond any photos and videos you provide, especially if factors such as glare, sunlight, or malfunctioning street lights are at issue.
Other evidence that your car accident lawyer will request and gather includes but is not limited to: (1) Official police reports, which can be requested at the Florida Highway Safety & Motor Vehicle’s Florida Crash Portal, (2) Relevant medical records and bills, (3) Testimony from eyewitnesses, (4) Dashcam footage, and (5) Surveillance footage. Additionally, your attorney will retain an accident reconstructionist, especially if liability is at issue, for expert witness testimony and video to use at trial.
Step 4: Handling Insurance Companies
In addition to conducting an investigation into and gathering evidence surrounding your car accident, your car accident lawyer will also send all applicable insurance companies a letter of representation stating that the lawyer is representing you in your claim against the insurance company and that all communications going forward must go through the attorney.
This step is extremely important as, if your car accident lawyer is like those at Dannheisser Injury Law, he or she will have handled communications with insurance companies for hundreds of other clients and will know both what to say and [more importantly] what not to say. All calls with insurance companies are recorded and can and will be used against you to minimize your potential future financial recovery. Having an experienced attorney handle communications with insurance companies helps to insulate you from making a mistake when speaking to them.
Additionally, your car crash attorney will ensure that all of your damages are properly documented and clearly communicated with insurance adjusters. Damages in your car accident case include items like injuries and medical bills, lost wages, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, and more.
Step 5: Settlement Negotiations
Once your car accident lawyer has completed his investigation and gathered all relevant evidence, he or she will initiate settlement negotiations with the insurance company and the insurance adjuster. After several rounds of informal negotiations, your lawyer will typically put together and send a formal demand letter for a settlement. This demand letter will include all pertinent details about you, your damages (injuries, lost wages, pain and suffering, etc.), who is liable for the accident, how much money you will accept to resolve the claim, and all supporting documentation of the aforementioned.
The demand letter will include a deadline for accepting the settlement offer. All settlement offers are relayed to you, the client, by your attorney. If the settlement offer or a negotiated amount is not accepted within the deadline, your car accident lawyer will initiate litigation (see below). If you accept the settlement offer, you’re typically prohibited from receiving any additional compensation for your car accident case.
Step 6: Litigation and Trial (If Necessary)
If you are unable to come to a settlement agreement with the insurance adjuster about your Sarasota car accident case, it’s time to file a lawsuit. Your lawyer will draft and file the lawsuit on your behalf, subsequently serving all defendants official copies of the lawsuit. Once litigation begins, discovery begins. Discovery is the portion of the lawsuit where requests for productions of documents and answers to interrogatories are sent, as well as when depositions of all parties, witnesses, and expert witnesses are taken.
There are multiple chances throughout litigation for the case to still settle prior to a jury trial actually happening. If the case doesn’t settle prior to trial, then your case will go to trial. This entire process typically takes around 2 years, but can take as long as 4 years depending on how much discovery is required to happen prior to trial and delays in schedules.
Costs and Fees: Contingency Basis
When you hire Dannheisser Injury Law for a car accident, we take your case on a contingency fee basis. This means that we do not get paid or collect a fee unless we are able to settle your case or win a jury trial. We front all costs for your case, which includes court filing fees, retaining expert witnesses, court reporter fees, and more.
Case Result Highlight
Not every car accident is the same. Some are big crashes that result in totaled vehicles and minor injuries. Some are small crashes that although do not seem serious cause serious injuries. We were able to represent a client in this exact type of case: an 11 mph car accident caused serious injuries and resulted in a $900,000 settlement. This case, just one of many we have resolved in our 30+ years of legal service in Sarasota, highlights that every car accident should be taken seriously and treated with the utmost respect.
Why Choose Dannheisser Injury Law for Your Sarasota Car Accident
At Dannheisser Injury Law, we are a small law firm that delivers big results. Unlike larger law firms where you only deal with case managers, working with our law firm means you get direct access to your attorney whenever you have questions about your case. We treat every client like they are family and have for the past 30+ years we have worked in Sarasota.
This experience has allowed us to recover millions of dollars for our clients and make an impact in our community, which includes volunteering and working substantially with non-profit organizations such as Battle Buddies for Veterans and Community Coalition for Children throughout Sarasota and the Tampa Bay region.
If you’ve been injured in a Sarasota car accident, don’t face the billion dollar insurance companies alone. Call 941-365-7600, contact us online, or use our live chat to speak with an experienced attorney today.
