Should I Get a Lawyer For a Minor Car Accident in San Bernardino?
Should I Get a Lawyer For a Minor Car Accident in San Bernardino?
Getting into a minor vehicle accident may not seem like such a big deal, at least not first. However, it is not uncommon for individuals to realize that they have sustained either more severe injuries than they thought or substantial unseen property damage. Here, we want to discuss why you may actually need a lawyer after a minor car accident in San Bernardino.
When You May Not Need an Attorney
We do want to say upfront that there are situations where you may not need an attorney, or when an attorney may not even be able to help you with your claim at all. If your vehicle accident resulted in no injuries whatsoever and no property damage (or property damage of only a few hundred dollars), then it is unlikely that an attorney will be able to help you move forward with your claim. In these situations, simply reporting the incident to your insurance carrier will likely suffice.
Why Your Crash May be Worse Than You Think
For anything more than a very minor vehicle accident, you may need to consider contacting a skilled San Bernardino car accident lawyer for help. First, there is nothing wrong with calling an attorney and getting a free consultation. Most attorneys will examine the facts of your case and the evidence that has been gathered and determine whether or not they will be able to assist you.
The reality is that vehicle accidents are often much worse than people realize at first. Initially, adrenaline courses through our body when a vehicle accident occurs. This can mask the signs and symptoms of certain injuries and lead to people not seeking immediate medical treatment after the incident occurs. Sometimes, the signs and symptoms of more serious injuries do not show up until hours or days after the crash occurs. That seemingly “minor” vehicle accident can quickly turn into a major incident for unseen internal trauma, including organ damage, internal bleeding, whiplash, traumatic brain injuries, and more.
One often understated issue after “minor” vehicle accidents is property damage. All too often, individuals look at their vehicle after a crash occurs and see minor scratches on the bumper or elsewhere on the vehicle. In some cases, there may not even be any visible damage at all. However, we need to understand how modern vehicles are built.
Most modern vehicles are meant to buckle and collapse in certain locations in order to reduce the overall impact on the individuals inside of the vehicle. Even though there may not be much outward visible damage, the frame of a vehicle underneath very well could have sustained significant damage. All too often, individuals simply shake hands with the person who caused a crash, take a small cash payout, and then later realize that there are thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in property damage that they cannot see.
Work With a Lawyer
If you or somebody you care about has been involved in what you think is a minor vehicle accident, we encourage you to reach out to a San Bernardino car accident attorney just in case. Yes, you may be told by an attorney that they will not be able to help you, but you may also discover that there are significant issues that you have not thought of. An attorney with experience handling car accident claims can walk you through this process and determine the best steps moving forward for your particular situation.