Will the Other Driver Need to Hire an Attorney Too?

October 24, 2020

It seems strange, but it’s extremely common to have a victim asked if the other driver will hire an attorney as well. The good news is that in most situations the at-fault driver already has a legal representation. Victims can take some peace in knowing that they will often only pay contingency fees in the event that they win some compensation.  No matter what, it is crucial that you seek an experienced South Carolina car accident lawyer if you’ve been injured in a crash.

 

However, everyday people worry about that other driver and if they’ll experience troves of legal debt. It would be extremely easy to say that the victim of a crash should never worry about the at-fault driver. But that goes beyond Human Nature. After working with victims of car accidents for some time, we know and understand that there are always common concerns and this is one of them. Will the other driver need to hire an attorney? Yes, but their insurance provider will probably provide them with an attorney.

Do You Need to Hire an Attorney After an SC Car Accident?

Most victims do need to hire an attorney because insurance providers simply don’t have their best interests in mind. Almost every car insurance company explains in their marketing that they are there for you when you need them most. But anyone who’s been through the insurance claim process knows that isn’t true. Car insurance companies make their money by collecting on insurance payments, and then they keep their money by providing absolutely minimal payouts. They would go to great lengths to avoid having to hire an attorney

 

Your car insurance company does not want to provide you compensation, and the other driver’s insurance company does not want to provide you compensation. These companies don’t want to payout. But, with a skilled South Carolina car accident attorney, it’s possible that you can fight for fair compensation. The approach that most car accident attorneys have used is to opt for contingency fees in which they only take a relatively small percentage of the insurance award.  That way, if victims aren’t stuck paying attorney fees out of their pocket. This makes it affordable if you want to hire an attorney.

When Do South Carolina Car Accident Attorneys Come Into Action?

The other driver involved probably won’t need an attorney unless the entire issue moves to court. Typically, a victim will bring in a South Carolina car accident attorney and then that attorney will represent their interests during negotiations and in presenting evidence from the crash. That does not mean that the other person needs to have an attorney there because their insurance provider is representing them.

 

If things do move forward to court, then almost every auto liability insurance provider covers lawsuits and attorney and court fees under auto liability coverage.

Who Will Represent the Other Driver?

Typically, the other driver representation will be a team of attorneys from their insurance provider. This is one of the biggest challenges that people face when they pursue a lawsuit against the driver without an attorney that specializes in auto accidents. It is easy for inexperienced attorneys to get intimidated by these teams of high-powered attorneys representing Progressive, Geico, Allstate, and other major companies.

 

That is what you will be up against if things moved forward to court. It is rare for car accident cases to make it to a courtroom because typically the parties can resolve it through settlement negotiations or mediation. If the two parties can’t reach an agreeable settlement through one-on-one negotiations, then it goes forward to mediation. A third-party sits in and tries to establish when one side is asking for more than what is fair. Or, to identify when one party isn’t being reasonable in the negotiations. South Carolina experiences about $1 billion in losses each year because of car accidents, and someone needs to cover some of those costs.

Get Started with Connell Law Columbia Auto Accident Attorneys

It’s extremely common to have some concern over exactly what you should expect during crash resolution. Not only are you concerned about yourself, but about what exactly will happen to the other driver. See victims often think about the possibilities of what could have happened if it were them that caused the accident.  It’s probably more common than you think, but we encourage victims of car accidents to keep the focus on their crash resolution and their medical recovery.

 

It can be a dangerous game wondering what will happen to the other driver. It is very likely the other driver will hire an attorney to protect their interests. The fact of the matter is that the at-fault driver did not give proper care or attention to the road and posed a danger to you and everyone else.  You were the one who was injured and you are the one now going through this process because of that driver. Contact Connell Law and we will help put your concerns at ease while moving forward with the crash resolution.