The first option is to do nothing. Many times, people who have been in accidents don’t want to deal with the hassle of calling and sitting on hold with insurance companies, having to figure out how to get their car fixed, and they don’t want to sit around in doctor’s offices every day of the week for six months. I don’t blame them.

I will be the first lawyer to tell you that sometimes – you don’t need to hire a lawyer after a car accident. That’s right! I said it!

If the damage to your car is less than the deductible on your insurance and you were not injured in the accident (Read: How to Know if You Have a Personal Injury Claim in Florida?), then there is little a car accident lawyer can do for you. If you are trying to figure out who will fix your car in Florida after a car accident, watch my video and read my blog post in which I explain the 5 Different Drivers in Florida Who May be Responsible for Fixing Your Car After an Accident.

The second option is to try and handle the claim yourself. If you were in a car accident, and you were left with an injury such as a fracture, a burn on your wrists from the airbag deploying, or you began to experience pain and discomfort or stiffness after the accident (Read: Can You Have an Injury Claim After a Minor Impact in Florida?), then you may have a valid car accident claim for personal injuries. That said, many people want to get checked out medically, get their car fixed, and get their medical bills paid for by the insurance companies but they don’t want to share 1/3 of the money with a lawyer. This concern is fair.

If someone falls into this camp, they should know a few things right off the bat: 

(1) In Florida, injury victims have 14 days to get checked out medically by a doctor in order to qualify for PIP benefits which pay up to $10,000.00 towards injury related treatment. 

(2) Not all medical providers will agree to provide treatment to injury victims through their PIP benefits and will want to instead bill the person’s health insurance.

(3) If health insurance pays for injury related care, the injury victim is responsible for paying back their health insurance company for any amounts paid by health insurance if they make a financial recovery on their case. 

(4) There are other qualifying events which injury victims must meet in order to remain eligible for certain insurance benefits related to their injuries so its important to study any applicable insurance policies and stay on top of any correspondence sent by the insurance companies. 

(5) Many insurance companies have a financial interest in defeating your injury claim one way or the other so its critical to be careful in what you say to them or what information you send to them. 

The third option is to pay an experienced lawyer by the hour for step-by-step advice in handling your injury claim. This is rarely ever done but there are some lawyers who will agree to provide you with legal advice by the hour for injury claims. This route is great if you want to remain in charge of your case but need the legal advice to handle it effectively. There a re a few downsides however. Lawyers who are paid by the hour generally require a retainer up front and bill for every call, text message, email, meeting, or document review. The time (and the bill) could add up quickly and an injury victim may end up paying more for a lawyer then their claim is worth. Also, many injury victims don’t have the money to pay a lawyer up front for advice after an accident. Paying a lawyer up front may also erode the lawyer’s incentive to help you maximize the value of your financial recovery since their income is not tied directly to the outcome of your case.

This is the most common route that injury victims take in hiring a lawyer for their car accident injury claims in Florida. First, there are no upfront fees or costs due and injury victims only pay a lawyer if the lawyer helps them recover money for their injuries. Since the lawyer’s income is tied directly to the outcome of the case, both the victim and the lawyer are on the same page. Also, injury victims can spend more time speaking with the lawyer or the lawyer’s staff without worrying about incurring more costs since the contingency fee is a flat rate of 1/3 of the recovery.  Second, there is no doubt that hiring a lawyer helps injury victims maximize the value of their injury claims. I have written an article on How to Hire the Best Personal Injury Lawyer for Your Case in Florida for injury victims who are thinking about hiring a lawyer on contingency.

If you live or work in Boynton Beach, FL and are considering hiring a personal injury lawyer after a car accident, Waring Law takes cases on contingency, meaning we only charge clients a flat rate if we help them make a financial recovery on their claims. Waring Law provides legal representation for car accident victims in Boynton Beach, FL. Initial consultations are free and we are happy to answer any questions injury victims may have – regardless if they want to hire us or not.