Each situation is unique and should be treated as such.
If your insurance company is going to represent you in litigation pursuant to your accident, then you probably do not need to retain an accident attorney.
However, this is not always the case.
It might be that the other party involved in the accident is insured by the same company, which might leave you in a position of getting less than you should.
The insurance company is not likely going to take itself to court to get you the largest possible settlement.
You insurance company might have a position that they will only represent you in order to defend you.
In other words, you have been involved in an accident and the other party is claiming that the accident is your fault; in this case, your insurance company will represent you out of self interest.
They want to keep the settlement low in order to minimize the amount of money they might need to provide to the other party.
Other situations might not need the services of an accident attorney.
If you were involved in an accident that did not result in personal injury or property damage, then chances are you do not need to retain an accident attorney.
There are certain situations that might require you to retain an attorney.
One of these situations is when you are involved in an accident and the other party involved was under-insured, un-insured, or had insurance through a newly obsolete insurance company AND you were injured or suffered personal property damage as the result of the other party.
In these types of situations, you should contact an attorney since the other party will not have an insurance company representing them either legally or financially.
The only way you will recover any damages or costs you have incurred is through the other party in a private manner.
In most cases, this will mean litigation, for which you will need to be properly represented.
If you have been involved in an accident involving multiple vehicles, then you would be wise to contact an attorney to represent you.
When multiple insurance companies get involved in a single claim, the legal waters will become very murky and turbulent.
You will need someone with experience to help you get through the ensuing months and to ensure that you will get a fair settlement.
An experienced accident attorney will be able to give you advice as well as represent you in such a situation.