Having legal counsel is the greatest course of action you can take to maximize your financial recovery, even though you are not obligated to do so in order to file or settle a claim with an auto insurer following a car accident. The insurance company wants to pay you the least amount of money possible for your claim. A lawyer will have the expertise needed to fight back against the strategies insurers employ to reduce your compensation and to accurately value your claim so that you will understand what a just settlement of your claim looks like.