Is a Lawyer Necessary in a Car Accident Property Damage Claim?

The question is: Should you hire a lawyer for a car accident property damage claim in North Carolina? Does having legal representation speed up the insurance claims process? Here is how property damage claims work and what you can do to protect your interests.

Personal Injury and Property Damage Are Separate Claims

Personal injury and property damage are separate claims in North Carolina.

This is good news for you and your car. You can typically seek compensation for bodily injuries upon completing your full medical treatment. In the meantime, you are personally responsible for paying your medical bills as they come in.

You can, however, file your property damage claim and be paid in full immediately after the crash. In fact, property damage claims are often the first claims insurers handle after an accident. Accepting property damage payment doesn’t interfere with your ability to recover for personal injury later.

You Don’t Typically Need a Lawyer for a Simple Property Damage Claim

Property damage claims are relatively simple. Your losses have a clear monetary value, making them easy to prove and calculate. Additionally, North Carolina law requires insurers to pay you full and fair compensation for car repairs and total loss claims.

All this leaves insurance companies with little room for maneuvering to try to reduce your payout. It also makes hiring a lawyer for a simple car accident property damage claim in North Carolina somewhat unnecessary. An attorney’s involvement typically would not increase your claim’s value or the size of the payment.

However, this only applies to claims that are exclusively about property damage. If your claim also involves personal injury, you should always speak with a lawyer first before cooperating with claim adjusters, and in most cases, you will be far better off hiring a lawyer to pursue your personal injury claims.  Personal injury law is complex, and calculating your damages can be challenging without professional legal help.

Also, remember that insurance companies are not your friends. Their ultimate goal is to protect their bottom line, not pay you fair compensation, and they have no duty to act in your best interest. So, while you may not need an attorney to handle your property damage claim, investing time to speak with an attorney for a free consultation will help you know what insurance companies owe for property damage and injury claims, how to maximize your claim payments, how to avoid pitfalls that reduce or destroy claim value, and how to speak safely with a claims adjuster. 

Contact an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer Today

At Nagle & Associates Personal Injury Trial Lawyers, our sole focus is on serving motor vehicle accident victims throughout North Carolina. With over 25 years of experience, Nagle & Associates Personal Injury Trial Lawyers are here to help you protect and enforce your legal rights following any roadway accident.   Our founding attorney, Carl Nagle, is a former insurance claims adjuster and former insurance company lawyer.  He stands ready to help you navigate the insurance claims process and to make sure all responsible parties pay full value for all legal claims arising from a collision.

Call today at (866) 944-4257 for a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney.