When Should I Contact an Attorney? NOW!

Should I Contact an Attorney?

Often when accidents or injuries happen, people are hesitant to seek legal representation. But, they should not be. If you have been injured, you have a right to representation and to hold those who injured you responsible. Insurance companies have a team of experts on their side, and you deserve an equally experienced and passionate team representing your interests.

Don’t allow yourself to be intimidated by insurance companies or the complexity of the legal process. At Edwards Kirby, we pride ourselves on the personalized and supportive care we give to all clients. Our attorneys and legal team are here to listen to your story and answer your questions with compassion and understanding.

They Have Experts; So Should You!

Insurance companies remain profitable by avoiding payouts whenever possible and often offer settlements worth far less than the value of the case. Insurance adjusters want to offer the lowest possible settlement and may try to downplay your injuries or blame you for the accident to lower the settlement amount. If you accept their offer, you may not be able to seek additional recovery later, even if you never spoke with an attorney. That is why it is essential that you speak with an attorney as soon as possible after your injury. An attorney can help you to assess the true value of your claim, to protect your rights and legal claim, and to ensure that insurance companies play fair and don’t take advantage of you.

Additionally, any statements you make to the insurance adjuster may be used against you, so you should always speak with an attorney before agreeing to speak with an adjuster.

Investigating Your Case

In addition to supporting and guiding you through communications with the insurance company, an attorney can also help to thoroughly investigate your case. While law enforcement will do their best to give an unbiased account of the accident, they are limited in their time and resources. Because of this, the insurance company may do their own investigation of the accident – an investigation which may be unfavorable to you. Hiring an attorney at Edwards Kirby gives you a team of attorneys in your corner to make sure that this investigation and any subsequent investigations are completed fairly and thoroughly.

Preserving Your Claim

In our digital age, it can be easy for people to accidentally damage their claims by seemingly innocent everyday actions. Some actions like making certain statements to investigators or posting information about your case on social media can put your case in jeopardy. An attorney can help you navigate this situation to make sure your claim is preserved and to help you avoid any costly mistakes that may spur from these actions later on during a lawsuit.

NC Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

In general, the statute of limitations for filing a car accident lawsuit in North Carolina is three years from the date of the crash (N.C. Gen. Stat. section 1-52) when people are injured, but only two years from the date of death when people are killed (N.C. Gen. Stat. section 1-53). However, the statute of limitations can differ depending on certain circumstances, such as minor victims under 18, and cases against government entities.

Because the statute of limitations can vary, it is advised that anyone with a potential claim seek a personalized evaluation to determine what time limitations may apply to their case.

While this may sound like a fairly large window of time, it gets much smaller when you start to consider the work that goes into properly investigating and preparing a case. Because of this, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible after an injury or accident.

Call or Email Today!

We understand that when an accident or injury can cause an immense amount of stress. Let us help to alleviate that stress by ensuring that your case is handled correctly by a firm that will support you through the entire process. Call today to discuss your case FOR FREE with one of our Intake Specialists. We charge nothing for an initial consultation, and you only pay if we recover.