On Behalf of Buckley Law Offices, P.C.
Quick Summary
Not every accident needs an attorney. A minor fender bender in a parking lot with no injuries and clear fault is frequently something you can handle on your own. But if you're asking this question, if you're unsure, if you're hurt, if the other driver's insurer has already called, the answer is almost certainly yes. You need to at least talk to one.
When You Probably Don't Need A Lawyer
If the accident was truly minor, no injuries, no medical bills, property damage under a couple thousand dollars, fault clearly on the other driver, you can likely handle it through insurance directly.
File the claim. Get your car fixed. Done. No attorney needed.
But the moment you have any injury, even something that seems small right now, the calculation changes. Whiplash symptoms frequently don't peak until 48 to 72 hours after a crash. A "sore neck" on Tuesday can be a herniated disc by Friday.
When You Almost Certainly Do Need A Lawyer
You went to the emergency room or urgent care. Your injuries are real and documented, and you're going to have medical bills. If you're paying for treatment, you need someone in your corner making sure you're compensated for it.
The other driver was uninsured or underinsured. New Hampshire does not require drivers to carry auto insurance. It's one of only two states in the country where that's the case. If the at-fault driver has no insurance, your own UIM coverage is your route to compensation, and handling that requires knowing what you're doing.
You're getting pressure to settle fast. If the insurance company is calling repeatedly and pushing you toward a quick number, they see value in your case that they want to lock down before you realize it. That's a signal.
The accident was on a commercial vehicle, a large truck, or involved a government entity. These cases involve different insurance structures, different regulations, and frequently different timelines for filing.
You missed work. Any income loss, present or future, is damages that need to be calculated and documented properly.
What An Attorney Actually Does For You
A personal injury attorney handles the insurance company so you don't have to. No more pressure calls. No more worrying about what to say. Your lawyer manages the communication.
They build your claim, gathering medical records, documenting damages, working with your doctors to understand what your long-term prognosis looks like. They calculate the full value of what you're owed, including things you'd never think to include.
They negotiate. And if the insurer won't pay a fair number, they file suit and prepare your case for trial.
All of this happens on contingency. Dave Buckley takes no fee unless you win. You don't pay anything to find out where you stand.
The Cost Of Waiting
New Hampshire has a three-year statute of limitations on personal injury claims. Three years sounds like a lot. It goes fast, especially if you're dealing with ongoing medical treatment, and evidence gets harder to gather as time passes.
More immediately: every day you wait without legal representation is another day the insurance company is working the case without opposition. They're collecting information. You should be too.
One Conversation. No Obligation.
If you were in an accident in Nashua, on Daniel Webster Highway, near the Pheasant Lane Mall, on the Everett Turnpike, a conversation with Dave Buckley costs you nothing. You'll leave knowing exactly where you stand.
Call Buckley! Call (603) 716-9598
