Once you have notified your own insurance company and hired a Columbia car accident attorney, the legal process will begin. Your attorney will thoroughly investigate your car accident until proof of liability is clear. He or she will then file a claim for damages on your behalf after comprehensively figuring out all your costs related to the accident. Negotiations will ensue between your lawyer and the insurance company. If a fair settlement offer cannot be reached, your attorney will go to trial, arguing your case in front of a jury for a verdict that benefits you and your future.