Do I Even Need a Lawyer for My Accident?

You'd expect someone in my line of work to say everyone needs a lawyer. I won't. Plenty of accidents don't need one, and pretending otherwise is part of what gives this business its reputation.

What matters is knowing which kind of accident you're in. Here's how I'd think about it.

When you may not need a lawyer

You can often handle it yourself if all of these are true:

• No one was hurt, or any injury was minor and fully healed within a few weeks.
• Fault is clear, and the other driver's insurer has accepted it.
• The damage is mostly to your car, and the insurer is paying a fair amount for the repair or its value.
• You haven't missed meaningful work.

In that situation, a lawyer's fee may take a bigger bite than the value they add. Be organized, keep your receipts, be patient with the adjuster, and you may do just fine on your own.

A good lawyer should be able to tell you how they'll add more than they cost. If they can't, keep looking.

When you almost certainly do

Get a lawyer's advice if any of these apply:

• The injury is serious. A hospital stay, surgery, a broken bone, a head injury, or treatment that's still going on.
• You're missing work, or you may not be able to do your job the same way again.
• Fault is disputed, or the other side is blaming you.
• A commercial vehicle was involved, like a truck, delivery van or rideshare. These cases often involve more insurance, more parties and more complicated rules.
• A government vehicle or a public road was involved. Claims against government entities can have very short notice deadlines.
• The other driver had little or no insurance.
• The insurer is stalling, denying, or offering an amount that doesn't cover your bills.
• Someone died, or a child was hurt. These cases carry special rules and much higher stakes.

The math most people miss.

A serious injury isn't just today's medical bills. It's the treatment you'll need next year, the income you'll lose, and what your life looks like afterward. Insurance adjusters are trained to settle for what you can see today. A good lawyer looks at what you'll need tomorrow, and has seen how cases like yours tend to unfold.

When you're not sure, don't decide alone.

Write down what worries you most, your injuries, your bills and what the insurer has told you, and put it in front of a lawyer before you accept anything. An honest one will tell you which side of the line you're on, even when the answer is that you don't need them.

Where Lexmatch fits.

We'd rather tell you that you don't need a lawyer than help you hire one you don't need. When your accident does call for one, a Lexmatch attorney reviews the search and sends you a short list matched to your injuries, your county and the insurer on the other side, so you're choosing among lawyers who have handled accidents like yours.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different, and deadlines vary by state.