Salt Lake City Car Accident Lawyer

Choosing a Lawyer Who’s Not the Best Fit for Your Claim

Don’t rush through the process of hiring a lawyer, assuming any lawyer can handle your claim with the same results. We’ve covered why you need a lawyer, but hiring “just any lawyer” is not much better than going it alone.

It’s best to look for a lawyer similarly to how you would look for a surgeon. A cardiac surgeon and a neurosurgeon are both doctors, but wouldn’t you have a preference if you needed heart surgery?

Like doctors, lawyers often specialize in specific practice areas. Each has its own area of expertise, deadlines, and challenges. Don’t call your aunt’s estate attorney to handle your personal injury claim.

In addition, it’s best to hire a trial attorney for your claim. This doesn’t mean your claim will go to trial— most cases are resolved through settlement. But if your claim doesn’t settle, you are going to need someone who knows how to win in court.

In addition, the risk of facing a successful trial attorney in the courtroom sometimes gets stubborn insurance companies to reconsider the possibility of a fair settlement. Either way, you’ll have the best chance at maximum compensation when you hire a personal injury trial lawyer.

Salt Lake City Car Accident Client Story

The story below is intended to help you get a better idea of what to expect in a car accident claim. The details and client names have been edited to maintain client privacy, but the story should provide you with valuable insight just the same. Please read it all the way through. When you’ve finished, please consider giving us a call to schedule your free legal consultation.

On a chilly night in January not so long ago, Jason Berg and his wife Tricia left home for a night at the theater. Jason had surprised his wife on their anniversary a week earlier with season tickets to a performing arts theater in the Salt Lake City area. Tricia, an avid theater-goer from the East coast, was ecstatic. They’d agreed to make time together to get to each production throughout the year.

They held hands as they drove through the streets toward the theater, reminiscing about other productions they’d seen at various theaters. On this particular night, they were on their way to see “West Side Story;” one of their favorites. Though, truth be told, if someone asked them to list their favorite productions, they’d be hard-pressed to choose.

The past few years had been financially difficult. Jason had been unexpectedly laid off in the middle of their youngest son’s college years. It was a scary ride, but Tricia and Jason were always supportive of each other. Through it all, Tricia always said, “It’s not the destination that matters, it’s the journey and those you share it with.”

Things were looking up now. Jason had found a stable job he enjoyed even more than the one he’d been laid off from. Tricia had always looked forward to getting out and seeing her friends at the hospital where she worked in medical billing. With the kids out of high school, she was able to go from part time to full time. They’d gotten through it.

Tricia squeezed Jason’s hand and smiled at her husband.

The roads were icy, so they took the surface streets to the theater instead of heading south on the 15 where the big trucks rumbled. They took Towne Ridge west and turned south on Monroe. As they made the short run down to the theater, headlights behind them suddenly grew in size as a car approached, going much too fast for road conditions.

Jason stayed in the right lane to give the car a wide berth as it gained on them. The lights grew impossibly bright as two lights became four, stretching in a line across both lanes almost on their bumper now. Jason shielded his eyes trying to grasp the situation in the rearview as Tricia anxiously looked over her shoulder.

Two cars. Racing. Black Ford Mustang and yellow Camaro. Jason tapped the brake. A lot of black ice tonight, but tricky to slow down with the cars so close. Almost to the curve now, where the road became divided. Not much room to get out of the way.

Suddenly, both cars shot forward attempting to pass an SUV lumbering in the left lane from both sides at once.

The Mustang lunged into the oncoming lane as the Camaro swooped around the SUV on the right, barely missing Jason’s Hyundai as it cut in front of him and sped off.

As the median loomed, the Mustang careened back into the southbound fast lane, cutting off the SUV.

The SUV lurched right, slamming into the front quarter panel of the Hyundai as both vehicles slid off the road together, flipping into the gravel and rock landscaping of a bank not a quarter mile from the theater.

Jason woke up in the hospital, asking for his wife. His oldest son, Chris was by his side.

Chris told his dad Tricia had survived and was in a room down the hall. They both had cuts and bruises.

Jason had a neck sprain, a broken left clavicle, and two broken ribs on the same side. Tricia had a broken right femur and right arm, and a traumatic brain injury.

Their daughter Mary was driving down from Idaho and their youngest, Sean was flying in from Minneapolis.

Released after 24 hours, Jason relocated himself down the hall in Tricia’s room.

The doctor said Tricia would need to remain in the hospital for the next few weeks for observation. He was reluctant to make promises early on, and cautioned that Tricia would almost certainly need to go to a rehabilitation facility before being cleared to resume her recovery at home.

For the time-being, it was a waiting game. Tricia was awake and gave every indication of recognizing Jason and the children, but appeared unable to speak. She’d try to speak but could only mumble, tears of anxiety and frustration spilling down her cheeks.

Jason gave his wife a pen and pad, but with her broken arm in a cast, writing was not only impossible, it was painful. She gave up.

Luckily, Tricia seemed to understand what was going on and what was being said to her. Jason was able to quiet her fears by maintaining a steady, soothing presence, holding his wife’s hand and talking quietly to her. The doctor explained that brain injuries were tricky, but he was hopeful that she’d regain the ability to speak before going to the rehabilitation facility.

On the fourth morning after the accident, Chris suggested his parents call us.

At first, Jason balked. “We can’t afford a lawyer,” he insisted, waving off the idea. “We just got back on our feet!”

Chris said, “Dad, it says right here on their website they provide free consultations. And you know what Mom always says, ‘You don’t know until you ask.’”

Overwhelmed, Jason resisted. “I can’t even think about this right now, Chris!” He would have been shouting now, had his voice not caught in his throat. The tears finally came and he sat quietly for a minute. Unable to turn his head in the neck brace, he turned his body away, covering his face with his right hand.

“Call.”

Tricia’s voice. Jason opened his eyes to see Chris staring at his mom. Tricia blinked, smiled, and repeated, “Call.”

When Jason scheduled a free consultation for the both of them, he told us his main concerns were how much it would cost to hire us, what his and Tricia’s claims might be worth, and how long the whole thing would take.

What does it cost to hire a lawyer?

We sat down in Tricia’s hospital room the next day. Jason wasted no time confirming that the consultation was indeed free of charge (it was), and asking about the cost of hiring our firm to represent them.

“It’s a completely valid question,” our lawyer told the couple, explaining that the firm uses a contingency fee model. “We don’t get paid unless we are able to resolve your claim successfully,” he told the Bergs.

What is my car accident case worth?

Relieved, Jason looked to Tricia. She winked. “So, what is a case like ours usually worth?” He asked next.

We told them that there really isn’t a “usual,” because no two claims are the same.

“Look at you two. You were injured in the same accident in the same vehicle, yet you sustained different injuries. So, it’s really not possible to predict the value of a claim at the very beginning.

“What needs to happen in order to understand the value of your claims is two-fold.

“First, we need to conduct a thorough accident investigation. We’ll talk to witnesses and gather evidence. Of course, the drag racers were apprehended, so that helps. We’ve got police reports and a bunch of witnesses.”

“Yeah, the accident was all over the news,” Chris nodded.

“We can start the investigation immediately,” the lawyer continued.

“The other determinant of your claims’ value is your damages— the ways in which the accident has impacted you economically and non-economically.

“To figure out your damages, we’re going to need both of you to put all your energy toward recovery,” the lawyer told Tricia and Jason. “This means getting all the rest you need and following the doctors’ treatment plans carefully.

“You need to reach maximum medical improvement. This means recovering to the point that you are medically ‘back to normal.’ If you aren’t able to recover to that extent due to your injuries, then your doctors are going to determine what your ‘new normal’ is, and you’ll work toward that.

“When you’ve reached maximum medical improvement, we’ll know what your damages are, and understand the value of your claims.”

How long will my car accident claim take?

“I think we understand, right, Honey?” Jason asked Tricia, who rewarded him with a small nod and a smile. “How long can we expect the case to take?” he asked.

“That too will depend on a couple of factors,” said our lawyer.

“You may have guessed that one of these factors is how long it takes you to reach maximum medical improvement. We need to know those damages to proceed with your claim. Once we do, we’ll send a demand letter to the insurance companies of the drivers.

“From there, your case timeline will depend on whether the insurance companies respond in a manner that is reasonable and fair. If they do, we’ll arrive at an acceptable settlement and wrap things up.

“If they refuse to settle, we’ll take them in front of a jury. Please don’t let this possibility worry you, though. Most cases settle before getting that far. If yours doesn’t though, our experienced personal injury trial lawyers will move ahead with a lawsuit.

“Funny enough, just seeing our name on your claim may work to get the insurance company to negotiate. They know who we are, and I doubt they’re in any hurry to meet us in the courtroom.

“Either way, we’ll be ready. That’s why no matter whom you choose to be your lawyer, we recommend you go with a personal injury trial lawyer with a winning record handling car accidents,” our lawyer said.

Tricia and Jason were reassured by the answers they received in their free consultation. They retained our firm, and today we can happily say that we were able to get them more than six times what the insurance companies initially offered.

Call Our Salt Lake City Car Accident Lawyer Today

We hope that this story has given you some clarity on the car accident claim process. That said, no two cases are the same. Please contact us as soon as you are able to schedule your free legal consultation. It’s time to get answers. Let us help.