Many car crash victims have questions about what to do. They may think about contacting an attorney but think the “case is not big enough” or “I will get less”. They may want to wait and see if the legal process gets complicated or the insurance company denies their claim. Some crash victims may convince themselves they are waiting for the right time to call an attorney.

Is there a “right time” to call an attorney? Is it better to call an attorney sooner rather than later? Is waiting a good idea? The short is there is never a good reason to delay calling. The consult is free and educated decisions are always the best way to proceed.

TSR Injury Law’s experienced Minneapolis vehicle accident attorneys explain why it is best to contact a lawyer right away. We have helped many crash victims secure full compensation for their losses and there are no financial risks because there are no upfront fees.

Why Crash Victims Often Wait to Call a Lawyer

Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions floating around about car crash lawyers. For example, some victims may be concerned that attorneys are going to take a big chunk of their settlement to cover legal costs.

This is an idea that has been aggressively pushed by insurance companies. However, hiring an attorney is not as expensive as many insurance companies would have you believe. In fact, not hiring an attorney could end up being more expensive than hiring one. Without an attorney, it is much harder to recover full compensation. Without an attorney, there is no threat of consequence to the insurance company.  Without accountability, they will never pay fair full compensation.

Other crash victims may think they simply cannot afford to hire a lawyer. They do not realize car crash attorneys are not the same as other types of attorneys. At TSR Injury Law, we do not charge fees up front. We work on contingency. That means we do not collect our fees unless you receive compensation at the end of the legal process. The bottom line is there is no financial risk in working with one of our attorneys. Statistics show represented people get three times the compensation, so even after attorney fees the client will come out ahead. In addition, clients can rest assured the law will be followed and they will be treated fairly.

Sometimes crash victims may think they are not badly injured so there is no need to bring in an attorney. They think they can deal with the legal process on their own.

The problem with this reasoning is you may be more seriously injured than you realize. Sometimes symptoms take time to get worse and interfere with more of your life. If you handle things on your own, the insurance company is likely going to make lowball settlement offers and try to convince you to accept them.

What if you are wrong about the severity of your injuries?

If you accept a settlement offer that does not take this into account, you may be left with significant damages that you must pay for out of your own pocket.

Crash victims also may not realize all the things an attorney can do for them. For example, an attorney can talk to the insurance company for you. He or she can negotiate a settlement, investigate the crash, gather evidence, advise the best medical treatment, get wage loss paid and file legal documents. In other words, an attorney can manage each step of the legal process, so you do not need to. You can focus on your medical treatment.

Why it is Best to Contact an Attorney Right Away

If you were injured in a crash and needed medical treatment, an attorney may be able to assist you. This is particularly true if your injury is preventing you from working and causes symptoms that significantly interfere with your life. If your car suffered serious damage, or was declared a total loss, a lawyer may be able to assist you.

That said, sometimes significant injuries result from crashes that do not cause significant property damage.

That is why there is no way to know for sure if a lawyer can help unless you ask. By contacting an attorney right away, you can get some clarity on your potential legal options. If an attorney says he or she cannot help, at least you will have some peace of mind that you should be able to get the compensation you need on your own.

If you wait to call an attorney, you are more at risk of making common mistakes that could hurt your claim. For example, you might accept a lowball settlement offer. If you work with a lawyer, he or she can review settlement offers and explain if they are fair. He or she can also negotiate for more compensation.  It is much easier for a lawyer to work early on a case and make sure it is presented well.

Sometimes, when a client tries to go it alone, it is difficult to “unring” the bell and fix errors that would not have occurred if the victim hired a lawyer in the beginning. TSR Injury Law gets paid the same no matter how long we work on a case. It is always better to hire us early so we can make sure everything goes smoothly.

Your lawyer can talk to the insurance company on your behalf. This means you do not need to talk to the insurance company. Insurance adjusters know how to trick crash victims into saying things that hurt their claims.

Another problem with waiting is it gives your lawyer less time to prepare a lawsuit. While most cases are resolved through settlement negotiations, some end up in court. There is limited time to file a lawsuit and once the deadline passes, you will be barred from taking any legal action.

Should I Call the Insurance Company First?

There is a misconception that it is best to call the insurance company first. Your attorney can file an insurance claim on your behalf. An attorney also knows how to protect the value of a claim when talking to the insurance company. If you talk to the insurance company, you could say things the insurance company could use against you.

What if My Crash Happened Weeks or Months Ago?

While it is best to call a lawyer right away, an attorney may still be able to help you if you waited to call. Sometimes our attorneys can help crash victims whose claims were already denied or victims who tried to work with other lawyers and had bad experiences.

For example, our firm was able to secure compensation for the victim of a high-speed rear-end crash. She was working with another lawyer who sat on the case for almost five years and would not return her calls. Fortunately, a friend suggested TSR, and we were able to stay the statute of limitations and ended up securing a settlement to pay all her bills.

We also secured compensation for a passenger who was injured in a crash during a high-speed chase with another vehicle. The victim originally hired a different firm, but eventually hired TSR and we recovered significant compensation.

There is no way to know if a lawyer can or cannot help you unless you contact him or her and ask. There are so many factors an attorney must consider about a claim. They need to learn more about your injuries, damage your vehicle suffered and how the collision happened.

Legal Help is Available. Call TSR Today to Learn More

For decades, TSR Injury Law has been a strong advocate for the injured in Minnesota. We have obtained millions on behalf of our clients, and we are prepared to help you.

Visit our client reviews page to see what some of our satisfied clients had to say about working with our firm on their claim.

No upfront fees. No legal obligations. Contact us: (612) TSR-TIME.