Is it Ever Too Late for Crash Victims to Call a Lawyer?

contemplating a phone call Car crash victims often have questions about how much time they get to seek compensation for their damages. Insurance companies often have deadlines for paying claims and there is a deadline for filing a lawsuit if the insurance claim is unsuccessful.

However, if you are considering contacting a lawyer you should know that waiting to call a lawyer can be a bad idea. Lawyers need time to evaluate your case, gather evidence and prepare a demand letter, among other things.

Our experienced attorneys discuss the importance of not waiting to call an attorney to discuss your accident. We are ready to review your crash to determine how we may be able to help you, and the initial consultation is free of charge.

How Do I Know if I Should Call a Lawyer?

If you were injured in a crash caused by another driver and your injuries have affected you for weeks or months and affected your ability to work, you should seriously consider calling a lawyer.

Claims like these can cost the insurance company a significant amount of money and you can bet they will try to get out of paying full compensation. Even if they do not deny your claim, they may undervalue it, hoping you will accept any amount of compensation.

Even if you are unsure if you have a case, you should contact an experienced Harrisburg vehicle accident lawyer to discuss it. At Schmidt Kramer, the initial consultation is free and there is no obligation to hire our firm. That means there is no risk in discussing the situation to learn about your potential options. Our firm has decades of experience negotiating with insurance companies and recovering fair compensation for victims.

It is important to note it is difficult for crash victims to determine if they have a valid case. There are many factors involved, and unless you have been through the legal process many times before, it can be difficult to know if your case has a chance of success. You can take the guesswork out by reaching out to an experienced attorney.

You also do not want to rely on the insurance company’s evaluation of your claim. They are looking to protect their profits and pay out as little compensation as possible.

When Could it Be Too Late to Call a Lawyer?

The only definitive answer to this question may be when the insurance company deadline and statute of limitations have passed. At that point, it is likely too late for the victim or an attorney to be able to seek compensation.

However, an experienced attorney is probably only going to take a case if he or she thinks there is enough time to investigate and take the other steps necessary to have a chance of success. That is why most attorneys recommend contacting them as soon as possible. Sometimes victims call an attorney from the hospital or even the scene of the crash.

That said, you could contact an attorney weeks or possibly even months after a crash and he or she may be able to help you. There is really no way to know for sure if it is too late until an attorney analyzes your situation. In fact, there are exceptions to the statute of limitations and an attorney may be able to petition the court for more time to build a case.

Most personal injury firms, like Schmidt Kramer, work on contingency. That means there is no upfront fee to discuss your case and no upfront fee while the firm works on your case. Our attorneys do not get paid for representing crash victims unless the victims get paid.

Your injuries could affect you for a long time and once you accept a settlement offer or deadlines pass, you may lose the opportunity to seek more compensation for your damages. You do not want to be left wondering whether you may have had a better outcome with an attorney representing you.

Our attorneys understand insurance company tactics for denying and devaluing claims. We have encountered these tactics countless times and know how to fight back. We also have the resources to take cases to court if necessary.

Unlike insurance companies, we are committed to seeking maximum compensation for your damages. We want you to have the compensation you need to help you move forward.

Unsure How an Attorney Can Help?

Give us a call today to learn more about how we may be able to assist you. For more than 30 years we have been securing compensation for people injured in car crashes. We have obtained millions on behalf of our clients and are ready to help you recover the compensation you need.

No upfront fees. No obligations. Call today: (717) 727-1403.

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Yesterday a Judge in Union County (Lewisburg, PA) awarded a couple from New Berlin, Pennsylvania, over $4,000,000 because the husband was shot while turkey hunting.You might ask yourself, how does a turkey hunting accident end up with that type of verdict? In order to understand the verdict you would have to know our clients. They are good people who had their life wrecked. Plus, you would have to know the defendant, who should not have been hunting with a gun because he was prohibited after a previous criminal conviction.It is a good verdict, because the Judge was able to do two things with his decision. First, he communicated to two very good people that their losses were something that those of us on the outside could appreciate and value. Mike Hobbins (our client) is a 51 year old guy who lost his sight because a convicted felon --who should not have even possessed a gun-- went hunting illegally, and broke with impunity the most fundamental rule in hunting: identify your target before you pull the trigger. The Judge accepted the financial loss Mr. Hobbins' suffered, but listened closely to the evidence of less tangible losses. When Mike broke down on the stand, because his daughter would end up walking him down the aisle at her wedding, as opposed to how it was supposed to go, the Judge was listening. When Mike could not keep it together, because of how emasculating it was for him not to be able to provide financially for his family, the Judge was listening. It was facts like these that the Judge cited to support the $2,000,000 award for non-economic damages. Second, the Judge wanted to send a message. Union County is a hunting county. Many of the residents hunt there, and people from outside the area come to Union County to hunt. It was my impression, from the Judge's statements as he rendered his decision, that he wanted to send a message to the people in Union County to protect them in their sport. The rules in place to restrict people convicted of crimes not to have a gun are not to be broken. Hunting is serious and you have to identify your target before you shoot. When you turn your back on the rules that are set to provide safety in a sport, you risk being an example. Here, the $1,000,000 punitive damage award sends that message loud and clear.When it really comes down to brass tacks, the right action was taken against a Defendant who may never truly appreciate what kind of impact his reckless choices caused.At Schmidt Kramer, we are injury lawyers. That means we work with people who were hurt in car accidents, who were hurt by the neglect of nursing homes, or those that were seriously injured because of the reckless, thoughtless acts of others. If you or a loved one have been injured in Pennsylvania, we may be able to help. While the verdict yesterday is not one that is representative of every case we do, it does show that serious and dedicated representation can bring good results.Joe ChapmanJanuary 18, 2013
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Is it Ever Too Late for a Crash Victim to Call a Lawyer for Legal Help?

How Do I Know if I Should Call a Lawyer?

When Could it Be Too Late to Call a Lawyer?

Unsure How an Attorney Can Help?