When people are seriously injured in a car accident, they’re confronted with expensive medical bills, loss of income, physical pain and suffering, financial distress and emotional frustration. All the while, they must continue to treat for their injuries, and those bills continue to grow and keep coming in the mail.

If you or a loved one was involved in a car accident in Missoula or anywhere in Montana, contact us today for a free, confidential consultation and case evaluation. We will only offer you advice which is in your best interest and we have a long track record of helping our clients obtain the maximum amount of compensation available to them after a crash.

Don’t Relinquish Control

When the crash was the fault of somebody else, victims should be fully compensated for all of their damages and losses. What comes to issue is the fact that the insurer of the person who caused the accident makes money by cashing premium checks, investing that money and paying out as little as possible or even nothing on claims. They’re cheap and they’re stubborn.

When an accident victim thinks that he or she can control their injury claim without an attorney, the opposing insurer has them right where it wants them. It’s the adjuster for the insurance company who will take control of the claim. That’s why we want to step in as your Missoula car accident lawyers as soon as possible.

Don’t Help Insurer Set Up Its Defense Against You

You can expect that a claims adjuster for the opposing insurance company will be contacting you shortly after your accident. That individual will sound friendly and genuinely sympathetic with your plight, but that’s simply not true. The purpose of that phone call is to set the stage for devaluing or even denying your personal injury claim. The law doesn’t require you to give that opposing insurer any information at all about how your crash occurred or your present medical condition. The best thing that you can do is to politely tell that adjuster that you’ll get back to him or her, and then, call us to arrange for a free consultation and case evaluation. Anything that you say to us is confidential.

The Statement

If you give that insurance adjuster an inch, he or she will try and take a mile. In that initial phone call, you can expect that the adjuster will ask you to give a recorded statement. There’s no reason to give one, especially without an attorney being present on your behalf. The adjuster already knows how the accident happened, and it’s far to early to remark on the full nature and extent of your medical condition. Any inconsistencies or deviations from what you told the police after the accident will be used against you. Your credibility will be attacked, and the opposing insurer will use that against you in order to devalue your claim. That can ultimately cost you thousands of dollars. Here are some other ways that the other insurer will try to save money:

• By making a quick and low settlement offer in the hope that it gets you before you know the full extent of your condition.
• By monitoring your social media accounts looking for inconsistent statements or even photos to allege that you weren’t injured to the extent claimed.
• By making statements or promises that will cause you to ignore the statute of limitations in your case.

Negligence

In order to prevail on a personal injury claim or lawsuit, the person who suffered injuries must prove that the other driver was careless and negligent. Here are some common examples of negligent driving:

• Distracted driving while talking on a cell phone, texting, using an infotainment center, eating or attending to personal grooming while driving.
• Causing a rear-end collision by following too closely for weather or traffic conditions.
• Failing to stop at traffic signals or stop signs.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any combination of the two.
• Making unsafe, abrupt or erratic lane changes.

Call 911 after an Accident

Call 911 right away after an accident. Ask for police to come the scene and since you’re hurt, ask for paramedics too. The police will investigate the accident and compile a written accident report. Paramedics will document complaints of pain, document your injuries and transport you to the nearest emergency room. You’ll be examined and treated there. The records of the paramedics and emergency room personnel will start a line of medical records that will be relied on by both sides to the injury claim.

Contact a Missoula Car Accident Lawyer

Don’t think that you can’t afford a quality Missoula car accident lawyer to represent you for your injuries and losses. It won’t cost you a penny to hire us to represent you. That’s because we’re retained in car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you incur no legal fees at all unless we obtain a settlement or verdict for you. Don’t give control of your case to the opposing insurer. Take advantage of our free consultation and case evaluation offer, and contact us right away after any accident. We’re respected, experienced and aggressive Missoula car accident lawyers.