A victim of an accident who has suffered a minor or significant injury must not only care for their health but also worry about other fallouts of an accident. They must handle their medical expenses and deal with insurance companies and the driver who caused the accident. An accident attorney helps you through the entire process without missing any deadlines, as they are experienced and knowledgeable about local laws and guidelines.

Responsibilities of an accident attorney firm
Accident attorney firms employ lawyers who are qualified and experienced in handling the end-to-end process of getting fair compensation from the insurance company of the at-fault drive. Their primary responsibility is to educate you and help you understand your rights. The accident and personal injury laws vary from one state to another. An attorney firm guides with the right advice amidst conflicting opinions from friends and family. They spend much time investigating the accident, gathering all relevant information to build a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. They negotiate for a fair settlement and protect you from the tough lawyers of insurance companies. If the insurance company refuses to negotiate, they file a lawsuit, take care of the pretrial, and represent you in court. The goal of an accident attorney firm is to get you fair financial compensation to cover the following:

• Cost of medical bills
• Cost of repairs or replacement for vehicle or property
• Reimbursement of wages lost
• Cost of permanent disability
• Cost of pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium

Average fees for an accident attorney
The fees for an accident attorney depend on your state’s laws and attorney ethics rules. An accident attorney charges a contingency fee between 33% and 40% of the compensation the lawyer gets for you. You don’t have to pay them anything if they don’t get you any compensation. You can also negotiate for a lower contingency fee. Some accident attorneys may work on a fixed fee or an hourly rate. Talk to the lawyer and understand if the contingency fee covers additional costs of filing, photocopying, court fees, witness fees, and getting medical and police records. Costs may run to thousands of dollars, and knowing if you must pay it out of pocket or if it is part of contingency fees is important.

Tips on when and how to hire an accident attorney
Here are some tips that help to decide when you should hire an accident attorney:

• You will need specialized assistance if a serious collision has resulted in death, heavy damage, or physical injury. You may not know how much compensation you are legally entitled to based on the local state laws. An accident attorney will help you claim medical expenses, repairs and replacement costs, and lost wages.
• You may not know the deadlines for filing an accident compensation claim. Hiring an accident attorney soon after the accident helps you avoid such mistakes.
• You should hire an accident attorney lawyer if you are unsure of what compensation you are entitled to.
• If you do not have time to run around and collect medical and police records to support your compensation claim, you should hire a lawyer.
• If you have no idea about insurance and other compensation laws and guidelines, you should hire an accident attorney, as you may lose your rights.