Little Rock Car Accident Lawyer
A Little Rock car accident lawyer may be able to assist those who have been injured in an automobile accident. According to data issued by the Arkansas State Highway Department, more than 3,000 people, on average, are seriously injured in traffic accidents on Arkansas roadways each year. Additionally, hundreds of people are killed in traffic crashes.
Our attorneys handle claims across the state, and when necessary we work with other Arkansas auto accident attorneys to help you recover the maximum compensation for your injuries.
If you have been injured, don’t risk dealing with the insurance company on your own. Contact a Little Rock auto accident attorney at the Johnson Firm. You can fill out the form on this page, call us at 501-777-7777 or email us at info@johnsonfirm.law.
You pay no fee unless we recover for you, and in many cases, people who have lawyers recover more than they could dealing with the insurance company themselves—even after paying their lawyer’s fee.
Have You Seen a Car Accident Lawyer Commercial?
You may have seen a Little Rock car accident lawyer commercial by Johnson Firm or another law firm and have questions about your rights if you were injured in an accident caused by the fault of another party. A commercial can only provide you with a limited amount of information. The purpose of this article has been to provide you with information to help you better understand your options. If you would like to learn more, contact us anytime.
Why Hire a Car Accident Lawyer in Little Rock?
A car accident lawyer at the Johnson Firm will not require you to pay a fee or any out of pocket expenses unless money is recovered for you. In some cases, car accident claims are settled before a case is filed – without the need to go to court.
Your car accident settlement will include a percentage of the recovery to be paid as a fee to the attorney, and you will also reimburse the attorney for costs incurred in handling your claim out of your settlement. However, even with these deductions, clients usually end up with more money in their pocket than if they had pursued the claim on their own.
A Little Rock car accident lawyer will have the experience and ability to recover money on your claim in ways that you may not consider. For instance, while most people just want reimbursement for their medical bills and time off work as the result of their accident, they can also recover compensation for pain and suffering, future medical expenses, and the loss of the ability to work. Certain terms in their own auto insurance policy, such as no-fault and underinsured motorist coverage, may provide additional sources of compensation.
Additionally, health insurance companies that cover an injured person’s medical expenses often seek reimbursement for those expenses out of the settlement with the at-fault driver. In many instances, however, the health insurance company is not entitled to recover those costs. Your Little Rock car wreck lawyer can help you avoid unnecessary costs on your claim so that you keep more of the money you recover.
What Should I Do If I'm Injured in a Car Accident?
You should hire an attorney as soon as possible after your injury. The other driver’s insurance company may attempt to contact you within days after the accident and take a statement from you. If possible, you should consult with an attorney before giving a statement so that you will know what kinds of questions will be asked, and how those questions may set you up to reduce the recovery on your claim.
If you have suffered severe injuries in the accident, or the accident resulted in the loss of a loved one, your attorney can handle your claim for you while you recover or while you grieve the loss of your family member. Handling the legal aspects of an auto accident claim can be stressful, and a Little Rock car wreck lawyer can assist you while you focus on what is more important in the days and weeks following the accident.
It’s also important to remember that, even if you got a ticket, you still may have a claim if the accident was truly not your fault. Police officers often make quick decisions about fault when investigating an accident, and an attorney can help you review all of the evidence and perhaps make a more informed decision about whether pursuing a claim is in your best interest.
Remember, there is no cost to speak with the Little Rock auto accident attorneys at the Johnson Firm, and contacting an attorney as soon as possible after your accident may help you recover more money on your claim.
What Should I Do After My Accident?
Get Proper Medical Attention
Immediately after the accident you should determine whether you are experiencing pain. If so, seek medical attention. Do not refuse an offer to call an ambulance to the scene, as an examination by a paramedic can help you determine whether you have an injury that needs medical attention. Because car accident injuries often do not cause pain until hours, or even days, after the accident, even if an ambulance is not called go to an emergency room or urgent care clinic after leaving the scene of the accident and get checked out.
Although many people do not want to bother with medical care following an accident, if you begin experiencing a delayed onset of pain but failed to get immediate medical attention after the accident, the insurance company may try to use that fact against you. For this reason, and to make sure you have not sustained a serious injury, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Cooperate with Law Enforcement
Cooperating fully with the law enforcement official at the scene of the accident is also important. He or she is trying to collect information about the accident, and your cooperation can help make the accident report more accurate. This could be important in helping your claim if you choose to pursue one.
Minimize Discussion with the Other Driver
If you believe you were not at fault for causing the accident, don’t tell the other driver that you are sorry in any way. Sometimes, we are tempted to say, “I’m so sorry,” following an accident, even if we did not cause the accident. This expression of regret, which is often not intended to be an apology, can be taken out of context and used against you as an admission that you caused the accident. If you must speak with the other driver following an accident, limit your discussion to whether he or she is okay. Save any discussion about the cause of the accident for the investigating officer.
Take Pictures
Take pictures the scene after the accident. These pictures should include any damage on your car and the other driver’s car, the accident scene in general, and any obvious injuries that you have, such as cuts or bruises. Pictures often serve as important evidence in establishing your claim and the severity of your injuries.
What Information Should I Give to My Attorney?
In order for your automobile accident attorney to help you, he or she must have accurate and complete information from you. After you contact a car accident lawyer about your claim, be prepared to discuss the facts of the accident and provide a copy of the accident report if you have one.
Your attorney will also need your auto insurance information and that of the other driver. If you exchanged insurance information at the scene of the accident, provide that to your attorney. Give him or her any letters that you have received from any insurance company related to your accident, as well as from any company seeking reimbursement for costs paid on your behalf as a result of the accident.
Also, be prepared to provide your lawyer with a list of your doctors and other healthcare information. Once you have hired a lawyer to represent you, he or she will ask you to sign an authorization to obtain the medical records of treatment you received after the accident. Providing a list of your healthcare providers will help speed up this process and move your claim along.
Your attorney may request other information from you during the course of handling your claim. Providing requested information promptly will help your Little Rock car accident lawyer more effectively handle your claim.
What Happens After I Hire a Little Rock Car Accident Lawyer?
When you first contact a Little Rock car accident lawyer, you will be asked questions about the accident and your injuries. If you and the attorney agree that he or she can represent you, then you will be asked to sign a fee agreement with the lawyer that spells out the fee to be charged in the event of a recovery on your behalf, as well as other terms and conditions of the representation.
There is no obligation to hire the lawyer, or any car accident lawyer, and you will have the opportunity to agree to the fee before you sign the agreement.
After you have hired your attorney, he or she will ask you to sign a medical authorization and provide other information about your case.
Once that information has been provided, your attorney will contact the other driver’s insurance company and inform them that he or she is representing you. Your attorney will then follow up with you for any information requested by the insurance company.
Once you completed your medical treatment, or reached what is sometimes called “maximum medical improvement” from your injuries, your attorney will attempt to settle your claim with the insurance company. Many car wreck claims settle at this point, and it is not necessary to go to court. However, if your case cannot be settled, it will then be necessary to file a lawsuit on your behalf.
Even if a car accident lawsuit is filed, the case may still settle before trial. Most cases settle, but sometimes a suit has to be filed to bring about a settlement.
After a lawsuit is filed, you may be required to provide additional information, such as answers to written questions (called interrogatories) and testimony in a setting outside of court (in a proceeding called a deposition). Your attorney will assist you with any additional information you need to provide and will protect your interests in the lawsuit.
If it is necessary to take your case to trial, your attorney will appear with you in court and represent you in front of the judge or jury. He or she will also help you fully prepare for court.
"Finding the right attorney can be outstanding on all accounts, you should be so grateful if you found one; the right attorneys will answer calls and emails promptly and are professional yet personal. They are also very compassionate and caring and ensured that they make themselves available for you, even after hours. The right attorney's hard work can save you a ton of grief!"--Sarah M.
Rating: 5 ★★★★★
What Kind of Compensation Can I Expect?
The types of compensation available to you are the same whether your case ends with a car accident settlement or requires a car accident lawsuit, and the recovery you obtain will be dependent on the facts of your case. However, it is important to remember that recovery is never guaranteed in an auto accident claim or lawsuit. Each case is different, and the results obtained in one case may not predict the outcome of a similar case.
How Can a Little Rock Car Accident Lawyer Help?
In the event that an injured party can establish the fault of the other driver and that the accident caused his or her injuries, then the law allows for multiple types of recovery. In Little Rock, a car accident lawyer can help an injured driver recover for the following:
- The nature, extent, and duration of any injury, and whether it is temporary or permanent.
- Any aggravation of a pre-existing condition.
- The reasonable expense of any necessary medical care incurred in the past and expected to be incurred in the future (regardless of whether that care was paid for by insurance).
- Any pain and suffering and mental anguish experienced in the past and reasonably certain to be experienced in the future.
- The value of any wages or salary lost and the present value of any earnings reasonably certain to be lost in the future.
- The value of any loss of ability to earn in the future.
- Any scars, disfigurement or other visible results of the injury.
- The reasonable expense of any necessary help in the home, which has been required due to the injury, and the value of such expense reasonably certain to be required in the future.
If another person’s fault results in the death of an injured party, the deceased person’s family members can recover the following damages:
- Mental anguish suffered by the surviving family members.
- The financial and emotional support that the deceased person would have provided.
- The decedent’s loss of life.
- The reasonable value of funeral expenses.
- Property damage.
- Conscious pain and suffering of the deceased prior to death.
- Medical expenses attributable to the fatal injury.
- The value of any earnings lost by the deceased person prior to death.
- Any scars, disfigurement or other visible results of the injury sustained by the deceased prior to death.
- The reasonable expenses of any necessary help in the home that prior to death was required as a result of the deceased’s injuries.
Your Little Rock car accident lawyer can work with you to help you recover fair and reasonable compensation for your injuries.
