You’re not required by law to hire an attorney after a car accident in Illinois that wasn’t your fault. You can file an insurance claim on your own and try to negotiate a settlement directly. However, doing so puts you at a real disadvantage because insurance companies have trained adjusters on their side whose job is to pay you as little as possible. An experienced accident lawyer in Chicago can help you level the playing field and increase your chances of recovering what your claim is actually worth.
Continue reading for a closer look at why legal representation matters even when fault seems clear.
The Insurance Company Is Not on Your Side
This is the most important thing to understand after an accident. The other driver’s insurance company does not have your best interests in mind. Their goal is to close your claim for the lowest amount they can get away with. They may seem friendly and cooperative at first, but every question they ask and every form they send you is designed to protect their profits.
Some of the tactics insurance adjusters commonly use include:
- Offering a quick settlement before you know the full extent of your injuries
- Asking you to provide a recorded statement that can later be used against you
- Downplaying the severity of your injuries based on their own review of your medical records
- Arguing that some of your treatment was unnecessary or unrelated to the accident
- Trying to assign you a share of the blame to reduce what they owe
Without a lawyer handling the settlement negotiations on your behalf, it’s easy to end up with less than you’re entitled to under the law.
You May Not Know What Your Claim Is Really Worth
Most people have no frame of reference for how much their personal injury claim should be worth. The insurance company knows this and will use it to their advantage. They’ll present a settlement number that sounds reasonable on the surface but that doesn’t account for things like your future medical treatment and the full extent of your pain and suffering.
A Chicago accident attorney can calculate the true value of your claim by looking at the complete picture, not just your current medical bills. If your injuries require ongoing care or have affected your ability to work, those future costs need to be part of the equation.
Fault Isn’t Always as Clear as It Seems
There’s no guarantee that the insurance company will accept your evaluation of who was at fault, so it’s worth keeping in mind that Illinois follows a modified comparative negligence statute with a 51% bar that applies to these cases. If the insurer can assign you 51% or more of the blame, you will lose your right to recover compensation entirely. Otherwise, your compensation can be reduced based on your assigned percentage.
Insurance adjusters will look for anything they can use to argue that you share some responsibility. An attorney can anticipate these arguments and counter them with evidence before they gain traction.
Contact Meyers & Flowers for a Free Consultation With a Personal Injury Lawyer
While you aren’t legally required to hire an attorney after an accident that wasn’t your fault, doing so may be in your best interest nonetheless. Call Meyers & Flowers today for a free consultation at (630) 576-9696 to learn more about your legal rights and options. Our Chicago car accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, so you won’t pay us a cent in attorney’s fees unless we win compensation for you.