Most of the time, you are a great driver. Today just wasn’t your day. It happened so quickly; one small distraction caused you to pull your eyes away from the road and within a second, you smashed into another car. It’s clear that you had a huge role to play in this accident, but who do you go to for help?
What Kind Of Lawyer Will You Need If You Caused A Car Accident?
The kind of lawyer you will need depends on whether you are going to be handling a civil case or a criminal case. In many situations, you might need both types of lawyers, since you may have both a civil suit and a criminal court date. Here’s how to tell who to call-
You May Need A Criminal Lawyer If…
- The police have arrested you for a DUI, ticketed you, or otherwise penalized you. A car injury lawyer is not going to be able to do much for criminal cases. You will need a criminal defense lawyer here.
- The victim threatened to press criminal charges. This can also be a good reason to get a criminal defense lawyer, even if they haven’t followed through yet.
- You did something illegal that could lead to you being charged. This is a tough one, but can still happen. A good example would be that you had drugs in the car when you crashed.
You May Need A Car Crash Injury Attorney If…
- There weren’t any charges filed or any tickets involved. Police get it. Accidents happen, even if you were abiding by the law. If it doesn’t look like you have any legal issues to worry about, a car accident defense attorney will be fine.
- The victim sued you. When a lawsuit is out there, you absolutely need a car injury lawyer who has specialized in defense.
- You are injured too. Believe it or not, a good attorney can help quash those medical bills, too.
- Your car crash caused a serious amount of damage to a public area or anything else. This is a good way to make sure that you don’t get held liable for charges you shouldn’t have to pay.
When in doubt, the best thing you can do is reach out to a car accident law firm and ask them what they think you should do. In many cases, their skilled approaches will give you the knowledge you need or possibly refer you to a lawyer who is more equipped to help.
