Car accidents often leave casualties with long term financial and non-financial challenges, including bodily injuries & disabilities, lost earning opportunities, loss of companionship to the bereaved, and more. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, you should contact a car accident attorney in Mclean for legal help.
An attorney can help you seek compensation for personal injuries and personal property damaged during the accident. Additionally, a car accident attorney in Mclean can help you seek justice for the death of a loved one after a car accident. Personal injury attorney Jeffrey Downey has over 30 years’ experience handling personal injury cases. In fact, he started his career defending personal injury claims for insurance companies and now uses his experience to help Plaintiffs pursuing such claims.
Accepting Settlement Offers
Your lawyer will always be on your side; in fact he or she will gain if the case is successful. On the other hand, insurance companies will try to offer you unfair settlements without the knowledge of your lawyer. Insurance companies often make low-ball offers to people who are not represented by attorneys, so you should speak to a lawyer before you accept an offer. The Mclean office of Jeffrey Downey will provide a free consultation to help you decide if an insurance company offer is fair.
Causes of Car Accidents in Mclean
Research data sourced reflects that more than 1.3 million road accidents occur annually, where 60% of the casualties are left with severe injuries or permanent disabilities. The data further indicates that the following are the common causes of road accidents:
- Driving without safety belts.
- Distracted driving, often involving use of a cell phone
- Bad road infrastructure.
- Ineffective traffic policies.
- Unskilled drivers.
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
When Should I Contact a Car Accident Attorney?
As a rule of thumb, you should seek legal assistance soon after an accident. You should not give the insurance company a recorded statement until you have talked to an attorney. Your attorney will also help you navigate insurance issues as there may be multiple sources of insurance (ie, health insurance, med pay, personal injury PIP benefits, etc).
Denial of Legitimate Claims
If you believe that your claims are genuine and there’s no partial blame leveled against you, the liable party should compensate you. The liable party–mostly insurance companies– may attempt to shift blame to avoid liability by citing partial blame or insufficient proof. In such a scenario, a car accident attorney can help you seek justice. He can present your case in a manner that decreases your chance of being found contributorily negligent.
When the Accident Involves More than one Plaintiff
Car accidents can involve many vehicles, and it can be difficult determining who is liable. Car accident attorneys can help determine who should be the plaintiff or defendant. Contacting an attorney early will assure that you preserve important evidence and witnesses.
Lack of Insurance
Its not uncommon for some drivers not to have insurance or they may have minimum limits that are insufficient to compensate you fully. In such situations, you will need an attorney to navigate the complex world of Uninsured Motorist coverage. This is coverage provided by your own insurance companies that fills in for insurance that the at-fault driver did not have.
Common Duties of a Car Accident Attorney
Safeguarding Clients’ Legal Rights
Most people are ignorant of the legal rights and can easily be taken advantage of by insurance companies. A car accident attorney should advise you on legal options available and how the law impacts your situation. Different states have different laws governing car accidents and personal injury. In some states, if you use one type of insurance (Med Pay), you may be barred from pursuing other recoveries. Fairfax personal injury attorney Jeffrey Downey will help you navigate through the difficult issues you will encounter in pursuing a personal injury claim.
Legal Representation
All car accident and personal injury cases do not go to court; most are settled out of court. A competent attorney will help you present a detailed demand package to the insurance company in an effort to avoid litigation.
If the liable insurance company agrees to compensate you based on reasonable terms, you may be able to avoid going to Court. That’s usually a good idea, as going to court is time consuming and expensive. However, if the insurance company does not make a fair offer, you’ll need an experienced trial attorney to maximize your recovery. Jeffrey Downey has a track record of success.
Contact the Law Office of Jeffrey J. Downey now for a free consultation:
Jeffrey J. Downey
8270 Greensboro Drive
Suite 810
McLean, VA 22102
Phone: 703-564-7357
Email: jdowney@jeffdowney.com
On the web at jeffdowney.com