San Antonio Auto Accident Lawyers: When You Have Call Them
It is an unavoidable fact that car accidents do happen. Even if they don't result in loss of life or injury, there are still other consequences. There's still the matter of getting car fixed, for example, and the time you have to spend getting it fixed, all of which can affect your income.
When involved in a car accident, there are a few things that you should know. Compensation is always the question in everyone's minds after an accident- be it compensation for damages, injury, or death. Now, for most of the time, damages are covered by insurance, but first, to determine how much the claimants are to be given, the company has to establish fault.
Establishing fault is asking, "whose fault is it more?" Depending on the degree of responsibility between the involved parties, full, partial or no insurance will be paid out. A claims adjuster from your insurance company investigates, asseses the situation, and assigns fault for all parties, in form of a percentage called "comparative fault". In some states, the amount you can claim is "pure comparative fault:" the amount you receive from your insurance company is reduced by your comparative fault. If the adjuster finds you 70 percent responsible for the accident, for example, your insurance claim is reduced by 70 percent also.
San Antonio, Texas makes use of the "proportional comparative fault" system. This is system, claimants are entitles to full coverage from the insurance company is they are found to be at fault for less than a certain value. This value is set to fifty-one percent in the state of Texas- if you are 51 percent or less at fault for the accident, you get full compensation.
So to make sure you get as much as possible from your insurance claim, you should think about hiring San Antonio auto accident lawyers. A skilled auto accident attorney can help you in assessing the situation, and can speak on your behalf to the insurance claims adjuster. San Antonio auto accident lawyers have knowledge of the local laws and insurance policies, and can not only assist in negotiations with a claims adjuster, but also give you advice in court if it comes to that.
How else can an auto accident lawyer help you? Besides being your representative in court and negotiations with the insurance company, San Antonio auto accident lawyers can also use their experience to assist your efforts. . An auto accident attorney in San Antonio can gather favorable evidence such as police reports, or medical evidence, or interview potential witnesses whose testimony may help you in a court of law. They can assess your legal situation, draft letters, and can look out for your interests if there are any disputes.
Do you need a lawyer after every auto accident? A lawyer is really required only in certain situations. If, for example, there has been a death or injury, then having an attorney will be important. If there;'s some kind of problem involving a dispute, of if you feel you are being treated unfairly by your insurance company, you'll probably need professional advice. Having San Antonio auto accident lawyers with you is to your advantage, and they can certainly ease the burden while you go through a difficult period after an accident.
As a long-time partner in a firm of San Antonio auto accident lawyers, Tom S Powers has represented hundreds of people in personal injury collision cases all over the country. He moved to Texas in 2008. As an auto accident attorney in San Antonio, he writes a column for legal advice for a local publication. With other top car accident lawyers in San Antonio, he also holds semi-annual workshops and seminars on road safety and auto accident law.
Published July 13th, 2009
Filed in Auto
