***Disclosure*** This post is sponsored by Hutchison & Stoy PLLC. All opinions and stories expressed are my own. 

Have you ever sought assistance from an attorney? Trust me, I know this is a question that you probably don't get asked every day but it's still important. Some of you may remember that last month was an extremely difficult time for me. 

A normal ride home from the grocery store, turned into one of the worst nights of my life. I was only five minutes away from my home when my car was hit by a hit and run driver. Everything happened in a blink of an eye. Thankfully, I wasn't injured but I can't say the same for my car. 

Due to some quick thinking, I was able to take a picture of the vehicle that hit my car. This was extremely helpful when submitting my insurance claim. However, since I was unable to identify the driver, I was told that I couldn't file any criminal charges. The entire process of submitting claims against the other driver's insurance was a disaster. Their insurance provided minimal assistance and didn't accept liability until almost three weeks after the accident had occurred. It's been almost a month since and the claims process is ongoing. 

This accident left me with many questions. What if I was able to identify the driver? What would've happened if I was seriously injured? If so, should I have contacted an attorney? Should I have contacted an attorney because it was a hit and run?

The next time I find myself in a situation where I need legal representation, I'm going to contact Hutchison & Stoy PLLC. The firm has over 33 years of combined trial experience and handles cases ranging from car accidents, harassment, and even disability. They also provide free consultations which would've been extremely beneficial after my accident. I definitely made a few mistakes during the insurance claim process that I wouldn’t have made with an attorney’s guidance.

I had no idea what many of my rights were as a victim in the accident. Hutchison and Stoy PLLC has an extremely helpful section on their website about your rights and what you should do after an accident that you can view here. Did you know that you don't have to provide an insurance adjuster with a recorded statement? I had no idea until I looked at their Q&A section. 

I'm committed to making better decisions the next time I'm involved in any future situation that may require legal representation.

Knowledge is power, and sometimes it's important to gain that knowledge from a qualified legal professional. Have you ever contacted an attorney after a car accident? If so, how did it go?