Thomas C. Grajek | May 5, 2025 | Car Accidents

Should I Hire a Lawyer After a Minor Car Accident?

When you’re involved in a major accident, you might face tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial losses between medical bills and lost wages. Chances are that you can’t afford that large a financial hit. To protect yourself and improve your chances of securing fair compensation, hiring a lawyer is your best bet.

But what if the impacts are less serious? Is there any reason to hire a lawyer after a minor car accident?

While you may think that legal advice is only needed after a major car accident, there are many circumstances where it is in your best interests to hire a lawyer.

In Florida, all drivers are required to purchase a minimum amount of insurance to drive on public roads. These requirements are directly tied to the state’s no-fault insurance system. Under this system, when a driver is involved in a car accident, their insurance policy pays all necessary compensation unless they meet the state’s serious injury threshold.

Based on that regulation, you might think there’s no reason to hire a car accident lawyer after an accident resulting in only minor injuries. If you can’t file a lawsuit against the other driver, what benefits can you get from seeking representation by a personal injury lawyer?

In such an instance, the main benefit is that a lawyer can help you get the maximum compensation the law allows from your insurance company.

How Minor Injury Lawyers Increase Insurance Payouts

Without a reliable car accident attorney, your insurance company will have near-total control over the claims process. It will evaluate the damage to your vehicle and the severity of any injuries you’ve suffered. Once adjusters have determined the value of your claim, they’ll offer you a settlement.

Unfortunately, your insurance company has a financial incentive to undervalue your claim: The less compensation it gives you, the more profit it makes.

Even with minor injuries, an inadequate payout can lead to financial ruin. Healthcare is costly in Florida. Even if you only receive minimal treatment, a trip to the emergency room can easily cost you several thousand dollars. Follow-up care could add a few thousand more to that total. In the end, your total bill could easily exceed $10,000.

Your insurance company has the power to strip thousands of dollars off that total. While that doesn’t compare to the hundreds of thousands you could be out for something like a traumatic brain injury, it’s still a financial hardship that you and your family don’t deserve.

An experienced car accident attorney can prevent you from getting unfairly underpaid by your insurance company. They’ll determine the true value of your claim, preserve key supporting evidence, and negotiate to get you a fair settlement that covers your injuries.

When considering whether to retain a lawyer, one of the biggest concerns you might have is cost. Such concerns are completely understandable. However, there are a couple of reasons why you shouldn’t worry about securing the legal advocacy you need.

First, most car accident lawyers offer free consultations. During this initial meeting, your prospective attorney will evaluate your case to determine what it’s worth. Once you have this information, you can make an informed decision about how to proceed, knowing how much compensation you stand to receive and what fees would be involved.

If you decide hiring a lawyer isn’t worth the time and effort, you can walk away at no cost. You can even return later if the insurance company makes an offer that’s well below the attorney’s evaluation.

Second, and more importantly, personal injury lawyers in Florida don’t charge an hourly rate. Instead, they charge a contingency fee. This means that you’ll only pay your lawyer if they succeed in obtaining compensation for you while pursuing your personal injury claim. Their fee will be a predetermined percentage of your total award.

How Can a Car Accident Lawyer Help Me Get More From My Insurance Company?

If you’ve never been in a car accident before, you might not realize everything that happens afterward. While that’s understandable, it can put you at a real disadvantage when it comes time to deal with the insurance claims process.

Without prior experience filing insurance claims, you’re more likely to make mistakes or miss important deadlines. Even small errors can impact the value of your settlement. For example, if you forget to provide your insurance company with a receipt for a particular medical treatment, you may not ever see repayment for that cost.

A trusted car accident lawyer in Lakeland will be familiar with different insurance companies’ claims processes. As such, they’ll know what steps to take and how long they have to take them, and they’ll get to work immediately upon accepting your case.

Many insurance companies delay payments as long as they can get away with it. The way they figure it, the longer they can drag things out, the more likely you are to drop your claim or accept an insufficient amount. Your car insurance attorney will push for fair and adequate compensation while keeping the process moving forward steadily.

Finally, even though filing a lawsuit after a minor car accident isn’t common, having a lawyer shows the insurance company you’re prepared to take legal action if needed. This pressure often leads them to offer a fair settlement to avoid the expense and risk of going to court.

There’s No Risk in Hiring a Lawyer After a Minor Car Accident

If you suffer a minor injury in a collision in Lakeland, a car accident attorney may be able to help you increase your eligible compensation.

Whether you should hire a lawyer depends on your particular circumstances. However, it’s always a good idea to take advantage of a free consultation when making this decision, as you have nothing to lose — and potentially much to gain.

Contact the Lakeland Car Accident Law Firm of Thomas C. Grajek, Attorney At Law Today For Help

For more information, please contact the Lakeland and New Port Richey car accident law firm at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.

We serve Polk County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:

Thomas C. Grajek, Attorney At Law Lakeland
2306 Florida Ave S
Lakeland, FL 33803
(863) 999-9000