Almost everyone has either been in an auto accident in Greenville, SC or knows somebody who has. Further, the majority of the population thinks that they know a lot more than they actually do about auto accidents. Many of the things that you think are true about car accidents are just myths, widely perpetuated and difficult to argue against, because they may seem like common sense. Following are the most common myths that you should be aware of that are not actually true.
Injured Parties Will Receive Compensation for Damages
It is a very common myth that you are sure to recover compensation for your injuries and damages after an auto accident, as long as it was somebody else’s fault. Unfortunately, this is not a guaranteed outcome. Examples of situations where the injured party never recovers any compensation at all include those where the at-fault driver had no insurance and the injured party had no uninsured/underinsured coverage on their own policy, and situations where the injured person was rightfully or wrongfully found to be partially at-fault.
Fault Can Be Easily Proven By Producing the Police Report of the Accident
Another frequently repeated myth that is hard to argue against, although it isn’t actually true, is that you can easily prove fault by producing the police report associated with your auto accident. If that police report cites wrongdoing on the part of the at-fault driver, then it seems like common sense that this is enough to prove your case. This is some powerful evidence, but it’s not powerful enough to prove liability or to prove that you were not at least partially at fault for the accident. The police report might indicate that the at-fault driver was speeding, but it doesn’t prove that you weren’t distracted or that you weren’t also speeding. In fact, in most cases the Police Report is not even admissible in court, since the investigating officer most likely did not actually witness the collision. It is therefore important to know that you’ll need much more evidence than just the police report.
You Can Recover Fair Compensation Without Hiring An Attorney
The next myth that we’ll address is that you can recover fair compensation without hiring an attorney. The reality is that you can recover compensation on your own, but it is not likely to be fair or adequate to cover all of your damages. Studies show that injured victims who work with an attorney recover 3.5 times the compensation of those who don’t. Further, the insurance company will have an attorney that will be doing his best to disprove or minimize the value of your claim. For that reason, you should absolutely contact David R. Price, Jr. P.A. for a free consultation.
The Attorney Fees Will Greatly Reduce the Amount of Compensation You Recover
Finally, perhaps the most common and detrimental belief that people hold about working with an attorney after a South Carolina auto accident is that they can’t afford it because the attorney’s fees will take the majority of their settlement. The reality of working a South Carolina auto accident attorney, that you might not be aware of, is threefold:
- Most auto accident attorneys do not get paid unless you get paid.
- Your attorney will not take more than 30% to 40% of your recovery.
- You will still receive more, after attorney’s fees, than you would without an attorney.
These facts are associated with what is known as a contingency fee. That means that the attorney’s fees are ‘contingent’ on whether or not your recover compensation. Furthermore, as mentioned above, you will recover an average of 3.5 times more with an attorney than you will without one, so even after the attorneys’ fees are paid, you still end up with far more compensation than you would have if you handled the claim without a lawyer. The bottom line is that insurance companies are willing to pay you what they believe they would lose at trial if you sued the at-fault driver. Until you hire a lawyer, the insurance company will have no real fear of losing money at trial.
What Can Your South Carolina Auto Accident Attorney Do For You?
When you contact a experienced South Carolina auto accident legal team like they attorneys at David R. Price, Jr. P.A. for a free consultation, they will evaluate your case, answer your questions, and get you started on the right foot. If you hire him to represent you, then he will investigate the claim just as thoroughly (if not more so) than the insurance company, gather the necessary evidence to prove liability and the rightfully owed value of your damages, file your claim for you, negotiate for fair compensation, and even take your case to court if all else fails (though most cases don’t go to court and are successfully negotiated for a fair settlement agreement). So don’t fall for the common myths associated with auto accidents. Call David R. Price, Jr. P.A. today.
David Price is a Personal Injury, Civil Litigation, Collections, and Criminal Defense Attorney who practices in Greenville, SC. He graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law, and has been practicing law for 12 years. David Price believes in helping those who have been injured. Learn more about his experience by clicking here.
