By the time Jim had seen an attorney, he had lost valuable time dealing with his auto accident lawsuit. His friends and family had been encouraging him to file a lawsuit since the day he woke up in the hospital. Jim had suffered from depression all his life, and had a few serious bouts over the past couple of years. He had seen several of the best psychologists in Texas and was finally returning to more productive and positive state of mind when the accident happened.
Jim had been hesitant to file and auto accident lawsuit because he was worried that his depression may worsen and a lawsuit may create more stress than he was ready to handle. It didn't take Jim long to realize that the mounting medical bills and the constant stress of worrying what he was going to do next was taking its toll on what was his almost healthy state of mind. Fed up, Jim finally looked through the phone book and started asking auto accident attorneys to file his lawsuit.
Although it's completely natural for people to have difficulty talking about their traumatic auto accidents, Jim really struggled when he went to see his first lawyer about filing his lawsuit. He sat on the office answering questions with a quick "yes," or a quiet, "no."
The lawyer impatiently explained to Jim that if he wanted to file an auto accident lawsuit, he was going to have to recount the accident. Jim noticed the lawyer checking his watch and tapping his pen impatiently on the desk. Intimidated, Jim told the lawyer not to worry about filing the lawsuit, and instead he went home and sat in front of the television for the rest of the day.
Jim's family understood his problems in filing the auto accident lawsuit with the first attorney, so they found him another lawyer to listen to his case. The second lawyer was much more patient but when she asked Jim if his depression was going to get in the way of filing a lawsuit or had in any way contributed to the accident, Jim just hung his head.
It wasn't that Jim believed that he couldn't handle filing a lawsuit or that he had contributed to the accident at all. He was just embarrassed to talk about his issues and didn't know how to effectively explain his side of things. The lawyer took his response as an admission that his depression would inhibit his ability to file an auto accident lawsuit and told him that she wouldn't be able to represent him.
This time Jim didn't go home and watch television, but rather he left her office with feelings of anger and even guilt. He felt he was entitled to file his lawsuit. After all, the other driver ran the red light, had been drinking, and didn't have a scratch on him. Jim, however, suffered a severe concussion, two broken ribs, and fractured his wrist in the accident. Jim felt he needed to file a lawsuit because his medical insurance didn't cover everything, and the car insurance the other driver carried was minimal and hadn't covered even half of what Jim owed in medical bills.
He missed a few weeks of work, and when he returned he was told he wasn't allowed to work until the cast came off his wrist. Without a lawsuit, Jim didn't know how he was going to manage to pay his bills. He had been saving up money to move to the Texas coastline, but he had already spent his savings on normal everyday expenses. Jim was becoming more depressed because he felt he needed to file an auto accident lawsuit and couldn't find the right attorney to represent him.
Jim refused to give up on filing a lawsuit. He refused to give up on his dreams and his right to be okay in the world. Jim made one more attempt to speak to a lawyer about filing his auto accident lawsuit, and he was relieved when the attorney focused on the case, the facts of the case, told Jim what to expect when filing a lawsuit, and simply asked him if he was ready.
Jim smiled, the first time since he started attempting to file a lawsuit. It took some encouragement but Jim was able to re-tell the entire event from beginning to end. As he left the third lawyer's office, he felt confident that his lawsuit was not only being filed but in good hands.
Jim's story of filing an auto accident lawsuit is not unique. Auto accident victims aren't always perfect individuals, and you don't have to be in order to file a lawsuit. A lawsuit is based on the facts of the case, and whether or not there are adequate grounds to file an auto accident lawsuit.
Some questions are difficult, and filing a lawsuit may mean having moments of being uncomfortable, but if your auto accident lawsuit attorney doesn't believe in you, how are you supposed to believe in your right to file a lawsuit? Finding the right lawyer to file an auto accident lawsuit can be frustrating for anyone, but with persistence, the right lawyer for your lawsuit can be found, fought, and won.
Every day approximately 115 people die in car crashes. That's one death every 13 seconds. Almost 3 million people are injured annually in auto accidents. And that's just in the United States. Accidents happen for a variety of reasons, speeding, cell phone distraction, drinking or driving while under the influence of an illegal substance, driving while under the influence of a legal prescription narcotic medication, slippery surfaces, car part malfunction, falling asleep behind the wheel, and driver error. In nearly every case, an auto accident attorney should be contacted immediately.
Attorneys are able to evaluate a situation quickly, determine fault value and whether or not the fault lies with the other driver or with a car part failure or malfunction. In either case, an auto accident attorney can quickly advise you of your rights and your options. Any good attorney will explain, claiming damages due to an auto accident is far from a "free lunch." The attorney will have to be able to prove that the other driver or the car part was responsible for the damage done in the accident.
Auto accident attorneys are a necessity in car accidents. It is far from uncommon for the driver at fault to distort details to prevent being the recipient of blame. An attorney can help you defend what isn't true and provide you with support in determining the facts from fiction. Car accidents happen quickly, and the people involved are often emotionally distressed. Attorneys can be there to be sure that you are in a reasonable frame of mind before speaking to the police.
Auto accident attorneys will not facilitate lies. Thus if you have been involved in an accident and you were drinking, regardless of whether or not it was your fault, an attorney will not recommend that you deceive the police or anyone else for that matter. There is a common misconception that if you have behaved poorly or recklessly and caused an auto accident that somehow having an attorney present will prevent you from having to comply with the law.
Innocent victims are entitled to claim damages related to a car accident. With the help of a competent attorney, a victim is entitled for medical expenses, lost wages, and depending on the severity of the accident, pain and suffering compensation. Attorneys help thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of victims of intoxicated related accidents collect vast sums of money for the blatant inexcusable disregard for human safety. It can happen and not every auto accident is grounds for a lawsuit, but don't dismiss your claim without consulting with a reputable attorney. An auto accident attorney can explain if your case meets the necessary qualifications for a lawsuit.
Very few attorneys will be able to be on scene right after an accident. Be sure to document the accident with photographs and as many witness statements as possible, collecting their names and phone numbers, to hand over to your attorney. In most cases, this information will be available from the police department, but providing your own accident documentation may in fact be more thorough. Your attorney will be able to advise you whether or not your documentation will be permissible in court.
Some auto accident attorneys will file a lawsuit based on emotional trauma when physical trauma is not present. This should only be done when the emotional trauma truly negatively impacts the victim's life to a distressing degree for a period of time. Talk honestly with your attorney before deciding to file an emotional trauma based auto accident lawsuit.
Attorneys are there to see that innocent people do not have to be victims of someone else's negligence or irreprehensible behavior. A serious car accident can complicate the victim's life far beyond what most people understand. The job of an attorney is to assess a case, determine whether or not it fits the criteria for a claim, and then pursue the claim as aggressively as possible. There are good auto accident attorneys and then there are fabulous attorneys. It is vital that you know what type of attorney you are retaining when you hire one. An auto accident can leave emotional scars, but don't allow emotion to cloud your judgment when hiring an attorney.