We’re often asked by potential clients if they should hire us now or if they should wait and see if they can handle their insurance claim on their own.  Here’s the short answer:  Hire a lawyer as soon as possible.  The sooner you hire a Hawaii car accident attorney, the sooner they can begin to protect your rights.  The longer you delay in hiring a lawyer, the greater the chance there is of doing something wrong that will mess up your case.

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If we begin working on a case right after the accident, then we can make sure that everything goes smoothly and that you don’t do anything that could either ruin your case or significantly reduce the settlement amount you’ll receive.  Many people are surprised that although we were willing to take their case right after the accident, we are not able to take their case if they wait too long to hire us.  We would much rather take a case where we know everything is being done right than to take a case knowing that we are going to have to clean up a lot of mistakes that the client made by waiting to call us.  

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Hawaii accident injury laws are very complicated. Don’t let the insurance adjustors fool you into thinking that you don’t need a lawyer and that they will “take care of you.”  They will do everything they can to reduce the amount that you’re entitled to.  Hawaii car accident lawyer is so complicated that many years ago, we stopped doing medical malpractice, assaults, dog bites, workers’ compensation, etc., in order to focus solely on car accident cases and some slip and fall cases in stores.

You may think that you’re a smart person and can figure out what you need to do when you’ve been injured in an accident in Hawaii.  We don’t doubt that you’re smart; however, the fact is that there is a lot to know when it comes to dealing with car insurance companies.  The problem is that people don’t even know what they don’t know when it comes to making an injury claim in Hawaii.  I’ve been practicing accident injury law in Hawaii for many years, but if I were injured in another state, even I would hire a local injury lawyer who is an expert when it comes to local accident injury laws.  

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Some of the most important decisions that you’ll make regarding your accident case will happen during the first few days after the accident.  The first big decision you should make is whether to hire a lawyer or not.  The answer to this question is simple:  if an injury lawyer takes your case, then you should hire a lawyer.  Many people aren’t sure whether their case is serious enough to involve attorneys. The quickest way to find out the answer to this question is to start calling some lawyers.  Any injury lawyer who has been in business for more than a few years should know whether a case is worth pursuing or not.  Most injury lawyers offer free consultations.  So you have nothing to lose by calling around to a few lawyers to see whether you have a good case or not.  

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The next big decision to make involves whether you should communicate with the insurance adjustors or not.  If you’re going to hire a lawyer, you should not contact the insurance companies.  You should have your lawyer contact them.  If you aren’t hiring a lawyer, then you will need to communicate with the insurance companies.   Just be sure to be on your toes when you do.  Never forget that they’re the enemy.  They will make you think that they’re on your side and ready to pay you everything you’re entitled to, but don’t be fooled.  Insurance companies are in business to make a profit.  They are not in business out of the kindness of their hearts.

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Another big decision during the first few days will be what treatment you should receive.  All auto insurance policies in Hawaii have $10,000 in medical benefits, so you do not need to worry about medical bills.  If you need to call an ambulance, then you should do so.  They are usually only about $900 to $1200, so you will still have plenty of medical benefits for other treatments.  If you need to go to the emergency room, then go for it.  Just keep in mind that ER bills can add up quickly.  Just to walk into an ER will start at $2,000 to $3,000, and then it just goes up from there depending on what diagnostic tests you do and whether you’re admitted to the hospital or not.  If you don’t do a lot of tests in the ER, then you should still have about $5,000 left to get follow-up treatment, such as seeing an orthopedic doctor and getting physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic treatment, and acupuncture treatment.  

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Whether you decide to hire our Honolulu car accident law firm or if you decide to hire someone else, just make sure that you do so as soon as possible.