When Don’t I Need an Attorney After an Accident?

Law firms will oftentimes tell you that you need their services, warning that insurance firms will dishonestly undervalue your settlement to give you the smallest possible payout. These things do happen, yes, but they’re not absolutes, and you don’t always need to seek legal assistance. Insurance adjusters oftentimes do their jobs fairly and honestly, and even though we at ELG ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS are confident in our abilities, there are simply some auto accidents where an experienced attorney is likely to be of very little help.

Your Accident was Minor

If there were no injuries, a simple accident generally doesn’t have enough leeway in its proceedings for either attorneys or dishonest adjusters to influence it. Arizona Bad Faith Laws stipulate that insurance adjusters aren’t acting in bad faith if they can prove the claim is “fairly debatable,” but in simple, minor crashes, there isn’t much to debate in the first place. 

If the following describes your accident, you likely won’t need an attorney:

• It is clear who is at fault for the accident.
• The accident was simple and only involved two vehicles.
• You didn’t have to go to the hospital.
• You only had minor medical costs (less than a few thousand dollars).
• There were no general damages/pain and suffering damages involved.

You’re Assuredly Satisfied With an Offer

Generally, once you choose to settle directly with an insurance adjuster, you forfeit your ability to pursue the case further. At that point, you’ll lose most of your negotiation power, and there will no longer be a purpose in hiring an attorney. This is fine when you’re satisfied with accepting an easy, fair settlement offer, but you should do everything in your power to ensure you won’t have any unforeseen costs or complications surprising you in the future. You should always see a doctor after an accident (even small ones) to make sure that you are uninjured and healthy, both for your own good as well as to ensure that you won’t need to seek out further compensation.

Sometimes, an Attorney Isn’t Worth It

If car repairs and small medical fees are all you need compensation for, you’ll often lose more hiring an attorney than you would gain in the resulting settlement. If a claim doesn’t stand a chance of growing significantly larger with an attorney’s intervention, their share will oftentimes exceed the extra money you earn.

Some personal injury firms will still take on smaller claims, but they might ask for more of the recovery or charge a larger fee upfront instead of taking a percentage. In these cases, you’re really just paying for convenience, which can be a steep price to pay to avoid the claims process.

Talk to an Arizona Accident Attorney to Make Sure

If you’re not sure whether an attorney would be helpful in resolving your case or simply want to discuss the details of your settlement, seeking the counsel of an experienced lawyer can be helpful. Many auto accident attorneys are capable of answering your questions, provided they have relative experience and good attributes for your case. We at ELG ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS are confident that we can give you helpful professional advice, as well as defend your settlement if necessary. Schedule a free consultation today by contacting us at (623) 877-3600.