How To Choose A Pittsburgh Car Accident Lawyer To Represent You?

Car accidents are very traumatic, especially when you or a loved one is severely injured or if a loved one is killed. You should consider calling a lawyer first. There are many things to consider when picking a car crash lawyer to represent you in your legal case. At SMT Legal, Pittsburgh car accident attorney Jonathan M. Stewart does everything possible to get you the money you deserve and recover what you are owed for your injuries.

Tips For Avoiding A Car Accident

Passenger vehicles can sustain damage from a collision from another vehicle that can be devastating, which means that drivers should exercise caution when on the road. At SMT Legal, their auto accident lawyers in Pittsburgh would like to provide additional safety tips that drivers can exercise to reduce the possibility of accidents on the roadways. 

Some Car Insurance Claim Mistakes Which You Have To Avoid

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Have you been involved in a car accident lately? If so, the chances are that you will make the same mistakes as many did before you. Not notifying your insurer right away, not cooperating with your insurer, not calling the police, these are all the mistakes that you should avoid to maximize your insurance claim. For all other information and other mistakes that you should avoid, contact a car accident lawyer in Pittsburgh Jonathan M. Stewart at the SMA Law Group. He will gladly step in and assist you in obtaining the insurance and the compensation that you deserve.

Pittsburgh Car Accident Settlements And Verdicts

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Following a car accident, it is extremely important to take the following measures to ensure that you are able to receive a settlement for your damages:

  • Inform the police
  • Call the ambulance
  • Get treated by a doctor
  • Help the police craft a police report (and request a copy of it)
  • Take photographs of the scene of the accident (if you are able to)
  • Get contact information from the eyewitnesses
  • Call your attorney

Once you have done these things, you will immediately have a foundation set for your car accident claim. The next step is letting your attorney investigate the case and finding evidence to prove that the other party’s negligence caused the accident.

But Who is Responsible For Causing the Accident?

In most cases, the most important part is proving negligence or finding the one responsible for causing the accident. As easy as that may sound, it is probably the most difficult part. After a thorough investigation, your attorney will try and recreate the event in order to determine how ti came to be and who caused it. Sometimes, both parties may be partially at fault, and in other cases, only one party is responsible.

If proven that the party who caused the accident was negligent at a time, distracted or not paying enough attention to the road and traffic, that party will be held responsible and will have to answer for all the damages and injuries caused by the accident.

If the at-fault party had insurance, the insurance company will approach the victim and offer a settlement.

Is it Good Enough?

Is the initial settlement offered by the insurance company worth accepting? In most cases, it is not. Car crash lawyers in Pittsburgh have experienced many cases where the insurance company simply didn’t offer a good deal. They were forced to negotiate the case, which leads to several more months being spent on it, which finally lead to the case going to trial as the parties couldn’t agree on the settlement.

If you believe that you are a victim of a car accident and the insurance company doesn’t want to offer you a fair deal, don’t hesitate to take the case to trial.

By default, you are entitled to receive compensation for the following:

  • Your injuries
  • Your medical costs
  • Damage to your property
  • Pain and suffering *in some cases*

Speak with your attorney to learn more about compensations coming from a car accident claim.

Time It Takes To Settle

Usually, every car accident case lasts between 6 and 18 months. One and a half years may pass before the victim receives the settlement. If the accident was a rear-end collision without any injuries, the case may end sooner, up to 6 months. However, more complicated injuries and collisions require more time to be solved. If the case goes to trial, add another 3 to 6 months to the total length.

If you don’t have a legal representative and you find yourself involved in a car accident, Pittsburgh car accident attorneys are at your service. Don’t hesitate to give them a call.

Know Some Causes of Car Accidents

There are many causes of car accidents. Most of them are related to actions that reduce your focus or cause distractions.

Getting into a car accident can have fatal consequences for you or other parties involved. It is not something you should take lightly, and should always driver responsibly.

Whether you are an experienced or inexperienced driver when behind the wheel, you should focus on the road and the traffic around you to try your best and avoid any potential accidents. Here are the most common causes of car accidents, and how an attorney can help you deal with the aftermath.

Speeding Up

It is a common physics law that explains the fact that after a collision between the two vehicles, the force is generated based on the speed of the moving vehicles prior to the impact. So, the slower the vehicles go before the impact, the lesser the force of impact will be. However, the faster the vehicle/s go, the greater the force of impact, and thus the consequences of the collision will be greater.

Speeding is one of the main causes of car accident injuries and deaths in the United States. If you find yourself in an accident caused by a speeding driver, Car Accident Attorney in Pittsburgh will help you file a claim and get compensated for your damages.

Alcohol and Driving = Worst Combination

After drinking a few drinks, people lose the ability to focus. Their reception (and even visual) skills are reduced to a minimum, and even though the brain says “go for it”, the body doesn’t really know what it is doing. That is the effect of alcohol.

Driving while intoxicated is something you should avoid at all costs. Most of the states in the US have zero tolerance for driving under the influence, and the person caught doing so will face severe consequences, including:

  • Penalties
  • Fees
  • Charges
  • Jail time (potentially)
  • Losing or having their license suspended

If you are going out tonight and know that you will have a few drinks, take a cab. Better to be safe than sorry.

Extreme Weather Conditions

When it is raining, snowing or extremely hot outside, you should be careful while on the road. You may not have total control of your vehicle like you are used to. Instead, you may have to take it easy on your breaks, drive slower than usual and keep a bigger gap between you and the car in front of you.

Driving At Night

Night driving is extremely dangerous, especially for inexperienced drivers. It is easy to get fatigued or to start yawning, and before you know it, you may fall asleep behind the wheel or switch lanes and end up in a direct collision.

Following a car accident, your best bet is to contact Pittsburgh Car Accident Attorney right away. Let them handle the legal process while you call the ambulance and get treated for your injuries. Once you are out of the hospital, you will be able to seek compensation for your injuries, damage to your property, medical bills and your lost income (or the ability to work).

For more information, call an attorney today and schedule a free consultation.