Do you really need a car accident lawyer for a vehicle collision that wasn’t your fault? While you might need a lawyer if you caused the accident and received a ticket, it is also important to hire a lawyer if you weren’t at fault in the accident. This is especially true if you were injured. Accident victims are entitled to compensation under Wisconsin law, and an experienced car accident lawyer can help make sure you receive the compensation you deserve.
Here are just some of the ways a lawyer can help after a car accident that wasn’t your fault:
If you weren’t at fault in your car accident, recovering the compensation you deserve will start with determining who was at fault in the collision. There are several possibilities, including:
Most car accidents are the result of driver negligence; and, if another driver is responsible for your injuries, recovering compensation will most likely involve dealing with the insurance companies. But, this is not always the case, and you need to make sure you file the right claim (or claims) in order to hold the right party (or parties) accountable.
Determining who was at fault in your car accident will involve collecting as much evidence as possible. Once you hire a car accident lawyer to represent you, your lawyer will promptly get to work collecting the evidence needed to prove your legal rights. In most cases, this will involve not only conducting an on-scene investigation, but also gathering evidence from other sources. Depending on the circumstances, the evidence available from other sources may include:
Once your car accident lawyer collects as much evidence as possible, he or she will preserve the evidence so that it remains admissible in court—just in case you need to go to court to assert your legal rights. But, as we discuss below, your lawyer will focus on using the available evidence to help you secure an out-of-court settlement.
Another important step after a car accident that wasn’t your fault is calculating the losses you are entitled to recover. In Wisconsin, car accident victims are entitled to compensation for their financial and non-financial losses. This means that a car accident lawyer can help you seek compensation not only for your out-of-pocket costs and lost earnings, but also your emotional distress, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.
After determining what claim (or claims) you should file, your attorney will focus on determining how much compensation to seek on your behalf. Even if the costs you’ve incurred to date have been manageable so far, the long-term costs of your injuries could cause financial and emotional strain for years to come.
Regardless of who was at fault in your car accident, recovering compensation will most likely involve dealing with the insurance companies. When you hire a car accident lawyer to represent you, your attorney will deal with the insurance companies for you while you focus on taking care of yourself. When you are seeking compensation for a car accident, taking care of yourself is extremely important. If the insurance companies can blame you for delaying or impairing your recovery, they will try to use this to reduce the value of your settlement.
Speaking of settlement, as we mentioned above, your lawyer’s main focus will be on helping you secure a favorable settlement without the need to go to court. Your car accident lawyer will negotiate with the insurance companies on your behalf, and your attorney will help you evaluate any settlement offers with your long-term best interests in mind. If you receive a satisfactory settlement offer, you can accept the offer and move on with your life. If you do not receive a satisfactory settlement offer, your lawyer can fight for the compensation you deserve at trial.
Were you injured in a car accident in Wisconsin? If so, we encourage you to contact us promptly for more information. A car accident lawyer at Boller & Vaughan can help you seek the compensation you deserve for your physical, financial, and emotional losses.
Contact Boller & Vaughan today online or at 608-268-0268 for a FREE case evaluation. We welcome clients from Madison and across Wisconsin. We handle car accident cases on a contingency fee basis, which means if we don’t win, you don’t pay.
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We live in Friendship, Wisconsin, and Boller & Vaughan came to our doorstep to discuss our mother’s wrongful death claim on a Saturday morning. Not only were we pleased with the large recovery, we were so thankful to have lawyers who were willing to explain to us every twist and turn along the way. It is great to know there is a law firm that will fight for the rights of elderly people all over Wisconsin.
Mr. Boller and Ms. Vaughan were incredible in working on my case and my daughter’s case. I was out of work and in the hospital with a new baby. Mr. Boller and Ms. Vaughan protected our rights and it was a pleasure to work with them. I hope never to be in another motor vehicle accident, however, if I am and I am injured, I will contact Boller & Vaughan immediately.
I was referred to Michelle through a friend. I have never had a better experience. It took a little over a year to get my settlement but the staff there stayed in constant contact and kept me in the loop. Oh, and Michelle actually got me MORE money than we discussed. I will refer anyone to this firm. Words cannot do justice the thanks that I have for Michelle and her staff (Mary especially) thank you guys so much!
After my husband died as a result of a motor vehicle accident, Boller & Vaughan spent countless hours talking with me, meeting with me in person, and making sure that I was okay. The drunk driver who hit us did not have any insurance, and we had to make a claim through our own insurance. Boller & Vaughan was fantastic at explaining the law to me and the handling of our claims.
After my son was injured in a daycare setting, Ms. Vaughan took the time to thoroughly investigate our case and my son’s injuries. Michele was approachable and had answers to our questions. Talking with her helped to relieve many of our anxieties.
