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After you take care of your health, your best strategy is to retain an attorney as soon as possible. If you don’t take this crucial step, you could significantly weaken your claim for compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
Our experienced Washington car accident lawyer at Max Meyers Law will protect your rights and fight the insurance company’s unfair tactics to try to avoid paying what you deserve in your settlement.
Below, we outline five key reasons why hiring our firm immediately after your crash helps build a winning case.
1. Investigate the Cause of the Collision
When you secure legal representation right away, we’ll have an easier time determining in what ways the other driver’s negligence caused your car accident. If you delay consulting with us, some evidence we need could be lost.
For example, eyewitnesses could disappear, or their memories may fade, skid marks at the crash scene could be gone, and business and traffic camera surveillance footage might be taped over.
2. Collect Evidence to Prove Your Case
When you file a claim with the at-fault motorist’s insurance company, you must prove your right to damages to convince them to offer you a fair settlement. Because we have decades of experience with the elements of negligence claims, we know precisely what type of evidence to preserve and collect, such as:
- Police report
- Photos and videos of the damage to the vehicles, the accident scene, and your injuries
- Nearby business and traffic camera footage
- Eyewitness statements
- Inspection of your vehicle
- Black box data from the negligent driver’s auto
- Expert witness reports, such as from an accident reconstruction expert
- Medical reports
- Medical bills
- Paystubs and other wage loss documentation
- Repair or replacement cost estimates and bills for your property damaged in the crash
3. Help You Avoid Mistakes
Another benefit of hiring Max Meyers Law right away is that we take over all communications with the insurance adjuster so that they don’t take advantage of you. This protects you from unintentional mistakes that could hurt your case, such as:
- Giving a recorded statement. No matter what an adjuster says, you’re under no obligation to agree to a recorded statement. These rarely work in your favor, even if you’re not at fault for the crash and have nothing to hide.
- Signing a full medical records release. You might also be convinced to sign the insurer’s medical release—unfortunately, this allows them to search all your records for other conditions or injuries it could argue caused your injuries, not the collision.
- Agreeing to a quick settlement. It’s only natural to want this whole process over with, but without legal assistance to fully assess your claim’s value, the initial offer will likely be for much less compensation than you’re entitled to under Washington law.
4. Meet Important Washington Car Accident Deadlines
We ensure that you meet all claim deadlines and file your lawsuit before the three-year statute of limitations under RCW 4.16.080 expires. If you miss the time period to sue, the consequences could be disastrous. The insurance company would move to dismiss your complaint, which the judge would almost certainly grant. In addition, the insurer has no incentive to offer you a settlement.
5. Negotiate Your Settlement
The entire team at Max Meyers Law creates a rock-solid case to help you pursue the full value of the claim. Since 1997, we’ve helped injured motorcyclists, bicyclists, drivers, and pedestrians negotiate their injury compensation. We fully understand the tactics insurers may use to deny your claim, drag out settlement negotiations, and try to reduce the amount they must pay you—and we have the strategies to defeat them. We also won’t hesitate to litigate your case and take it to a jury trial if this will help you obtain the justice and damages you deserve.
Download our free book, Not Another Bad Lawyer, to learn more about the benefits of hiring the right car accident injury attorney right away.
