Without knowing it, or rather, without truly appreciating it, sitting behind the wheel of your car is perhaps the most dangerous thing you’re going to do today. From the school run to the work commute to heading out on errands, there’s almost no time of the day that’s truly safe to drive – in the daylight hours you have to contend with both the traffic and the human factor of people walking or cycling on or near to the roads, and at night you lose some degree of visibility.
Accidents happen. If you have been affected, call a lawyer. But for now, let’s look at some of the main reasons why people contact lawyers – because if you’re thinking of handling a claim alone, you should probably think again.
Don’t trust anybody
People have the interests of themselves and their family and friends at heart. In short, people look after number one. Charitable as they may seem, their actions and intentions may take a sharp turn when the chips are down. In the case of car accidents, the guilty party (usually an at-fault driver) may appeal to you for your understanding in handling the matter in private – especially if they were driving aggressively.
This could be for a number of reasons, such as a lack of vehicle insurance or existing issues with the law. In person, they may seem credible and honest. But as soon as they leave, why would they go out of their way to pay you any damages if they can get away with it? False contact details and a made-up alibi could slow the whole process down. Don’t risk it. Contact a lawyer.
Complete the claim
Lawyers don’t become lawyers by collecting five cereal packet coupons and entering a competition. There are years of law school. There’s on the job training. There is continuing study which involves attending seminars and writing white papers. Legal minds are sharp. For anyone to believe that they are capable of handling their own claim, completely out of the blue and with little more training than having seen a drama series about lawyers on Netflix, is absurd. But people are swayed by the bigger payout – the thinking is that if you don’t have to pay a lawyer for their services, any cash payout included in your reward will not have to be divided.
This type of thinking rarely works out. You wouldn’t charter a plane and cut corners on hiring a pilot to save on costs, thinking you can probably handle it yourself, so don’t try to handle your own legal claim. Every document has to be filed on time and in the appropriate way, or your claim will be dismissed. Legal fees are worth ensuring your case runs smoothly.
