The aftermath of a serious car accident in California can feel overwhelming. Victims often struggle with painful injuries, long recovery periods, mounting medical expenses, time off work, emotional strain, and a lot of uncertainty. If you’ve been hurt, you need skilled legal representation to address these matters efficiently and determine whether you can seek compensation for your losses.
The risks of not hiring a car accident lawyer are numerous — the most significant being that you may fail to receive the compensation you deserve due to preventable errors or misunderstandings. At Demas Law Group, our experienced auto accident attorneys can help you develop a strategic approach to pursue maximum compensation from the at-fault party. Contact us today for a free consultation with a car accident lawyer in Sacramento.
Why Going Without a Lawyer Is Risky After a California Auto Accident
Pursuing a car accident claim on your own can be tempting. Many accident victims may see it as a way to simplify things and reduce overall costs. That might be true if the car crash was minor, with minimal injuries and little property damage reported. However, the best practice in any circumstance is to consult a California car accident attorney.
Moving forward without a lawyer is like entering a high-stakes game with unfamiliar rules, facing a team of seasoned professionals who know every move. Insurance companies are highly experienced at protecting their bottom lines, and their adjusters have a long list of aggressive, proven strategies to reduce victims’ payouts. Hiring a car accident lawyer levels the playing field and helps you protect your rights from the start. Furthermore, most law firms provide free, no-obligation consultations, giving you the opportunity to explore your legal options and decide whether hiring a lawyer makes sense with no pressure.
Insurance Companies Take Advantage of Unrepresented Victims
Insurance companies are profit-driven entities. Adjusters employ scripts and tactics designed to reduce car accident settlements and pressure crash victims into accepting unfair offers. Without legal counsel looking out for your best interests, these insurers may feel emboldened to push manipulative tactics that favor them, not you.
Insurers might:
- Offer lowball settlements – Calculating fair compensation requires thorough investigation, deep legal knowledge, and sometimes expert advice. Insurers may start with far too low a settlement offer if they know you don’t have an attorney advising about the full value of your car accident claim.
- Request recorded statements – The insurance company may request a recorded statement to move the case forward. Never agree without consulting a lawyer. Your words could be used against you later in the claims process.
- Delay your claim – As your financial hardship grows, insurance companies may take advantage of the situation by delaying your claim and hoping you’ll accept a lowball settlement.
Common Mistakes People Make When Handling a Claim Alone
People who handle their own car accident claims must navigate a complicated system without guidance, which can lead to unintentional oversights that weaken their cases. Some common mistakes in personal injury claims include:
- Not gathering the proper evidence – Victims may fail to present crucial evidence effectively, such as medical records, accident scene photos, witness statements, and key crash details they may not realize are important.
- Missing deadlines – California law sets strict deadlines for filing car accident lawsuits. Many people wait too long because they expect the insurance company to pay fairly, only to lose their right to seek compensation.
- Accepting the first offer – The pressure to address financial concerns can lead injury victims to accept quick payouts before they have a chance to assess the full value of their claim.
- Giving damaging statements – Adjusters may encourage victims to downplay auto accident injuries or accept some blame, even when the crash wasn’t their fault.
An experienced car accident attorney can take over communications with insurers as soon as you hire one, lifting the burden from you and helping avoid missteps that could harm your case.
Financial & Legal Risks of Not Hiring a Car Accident Attorney
Car accident cases in California involve multiple layers of legal and financial risk. When you try to handle everything on your own, you potentially expose yourself to serious consequences.
Financial risks include:
- Increasing debt from unpaid medical bills
- Lost wages from time off work, straining your budget
- Unexpected long-term treatment costs
- Property damage expenses
- Accepting a settlement that doesn’t reflect the full impact of your injuries
Legal risks include:
- Reduced compensation based on California’s comparative negligence law, which lowers your award based on your share of fault (CACI No. 2904 of the Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions)
- Missing the two-year statute of limitations, which can bar your car accident claim entirely
- Limited access to certain types of evidence, such as private cell phone records
- Miscommunication with the insurance company that could harm your case
A lawyer protects you from these risks by handling communications and negotiations, preserving and gathering evidence, managing deadlines, and helping you address financial concerns as you move through the legal process.
Medical and Personal Risks of Handling a Claim Alone
Managing a claim without a personal injury attorney can strain your health, leaving you to handle paperwork, deadlines, and negotiations instead of focusing on your recovery. In the long term, this could potentially hurt the outcome of your car accident case.
As your case progresses, do not:
- Skip important medical appointments because you fear the cost
- Ignore parts of your medical treatment plan because you’re busy with other aspects of your claim
- Avoid seeking treatment for pain or symptoms that suggest a more serious injury
- Fail to seek help from mental health providers if you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed
Retaining an experienced attorney frees your schedule so you can focus on rehabilitation and your long-term well-being.
What Happens When Car Accident Victims Don’t Hire a Lawyer
Auto accident victims without an attorney may:
- Receive significantly less compensation than they deserve
- Accept a low settlement, only to later realize it doesn’t cover their full losses
- Struggle with medical debt long after the case concludes
- Experience mental and emotional stress from the pressure of managing the process on their own
With the right legal support, these risks can be managed, letting you concentrate on moving forward.
Benefits of Hiring Our California Car Accident Lawyers
Working with a skilled Sacramento car accident attorney from Demas Law Group offers several significant advantages, including:
- Free case reviews – We offer free initial consultations so that you can learn your rights without worrying about payment.
- Comprehensive legal service – From investigating your car accident claim to building your claim and presenting it to an insurance company or jury, our legal team can handle it all.
- Fair valuation of your claim – Placing a fair estimate on your car accident case takes deep legal knowledge and, in some cases, collaboration with medical professionals and financial experts, to calculate the appropriate amount of compensation to pursue.
- Protection from insurers – With our law firm on your side, you won’t have to deal with phone calls or risk saying the wrong thing. Your lawyer takes over all communications with the insurance company.
- Steadfast support – Your attorney will advocate aggressively for the recovery you deserve, whether at the negotiating table or in the courtroom.
Contact a Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer Today
For over 30 years, Demas Law Group has represented Sacramento’s injured with a commitment to seek meaningful compensation for each client. Our proven track record includes millions for past clients, including numerous six- and seven-figure awards for car accident victims. Come learn how we can help. Contact us today to arrange a free case evaluation.
