A car accident can be a devastating experience. Not only can it create costly damage to a vehicle, but it can also cause serious, life-altering injuries. These injuries can create a mountain of medical bills and even lost wages. When that accident was caused by another person’s negligence or recklessness, they should be held responsible.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult and even confusing for many people to pursue a claim for compensation, especially when the injuries are severe and the medical costs are significant. In these cases, it is often recommended that the injured party get help with this issue.
Who Can Help?
The best option for getting assistance with an injury due to a car accident is an attorney. An attorney understands the legal process and can help get fair compensation for those injuries. The Law Office of Joel A Levine can offer assistance in finding an attorney to help with a car accident injury case.
A consultation with an attorney can provide the injured person with valuable information about their case. They can even help determine an approximate value of the case. If a case is determined to be viable, individuals can utilize the assistance of the attorney to seek a fair settlement with the driver and their insurance company.
What are the Costs?
Most attorneys that deal with injury cases provide free consultations. This allows the injured person to discuss the details of the case and find out the best options forward. Even if a person is unsure if they want to pursue a case, a consultation is always a good idea. It is a no-cost, no-risk option to find out information that may assist them with getting help for their injuries.
If the attorney is hired, many injury attorneys work on contingency. Contingency means that all fees and costs of the attorney’s work on the case are only charged if compensation is received. This helps ensure that the injured party is not further injured by these costs if by chance the case is lost.
What Can be Claimed as Damages for Compensation?
When pursuing a car accident case, it is important to know what kind of damages can receive compensation. When an accident with an injury occurs, there are financial and personal losses suffered by the accident victims. The types of damages that can be claimed in a personal injury case are broken into two categories. These types of damages are general damages and special damages.
Special damages are damages that are financial losses that are directly related to the injury and can be easily proven with documentation. These damages include medical costs, lost income, out-of-pocket expenses, and personal property damage. Medical bills, pay stubs, receipts, and repair bills can easily provide documentation of all these costs and losses due to the accident.
General damages, however, are a little more difficult to show a direct dollar amount that has been lost. These types of damages include pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment or consortium, and punitive damages.
If the car accident caused a death, not only can the family seek compensation for the medical costs and burial expenses of the decedent, but they can also seek compensation for the losses they have suffered due to that death.
How an Attorney Can Help
An attorney can assist with nearly every aspect of a car accident injury case. They can help gather additional evidence to help prove the cause of the accident. They can even find and interview witnesses to the accident. The more evidence and witnesses, the easier it is to prove the fault of the other driver.
The attorney can also assist in gathering medical records and other information needed to help prove the damages in the case. These records are important in reaching a fair compensation to help offset the damages caused by the accident.
An attorney can even speak to the insurance company of the at-fault driver. This can help ensure that no mistakes are made when providing statements for the claim. They can also negotiate a settlement amount with the insurance company on behalf of the injured party.
If a fair settlement cannot be reached, the case may go to mediation or court. An attorney can accompany the injured person to either of these proceedings and represent their case to reach a fair agreement or verdict.
An attorney will work hard to protect the rights of their client. They will also help to ease much of the burden this case can have on the injured person. This can allow them to focus on their recovery while the attorney handles their case.
The Insurance Company
When injured in a car accident, it is often the at-fault driver’s insurance provider that will pay the costs of damages. Unfortunately, insurance companies are for-profit businesses and will do whatever they can to keep their claims payments as low as possible. In some cases, they may even deny legitimate claims in hopes the injured party will just give up.
Very often, when an injury claim is made, the insurance company will come back quickly with a settlement offer. This offer is usually pretty low and can sometimes be offered before the full extent of a person’s injuries is even known. Unfortunately, if the settlement is accepted, even if the injuries are found to be worse, there will be no recourse to get further compensation.
This makes it very important for those with serious injuries to get the assistance of an attorney. The attorney is experienced with insurance companies and can fight for the rights of the injured person. They can also speak directly with the insurance company to prevent any mistakes from being made during the negotiations.
Being injured in a car accident can be a difficult situation for anyone. Not only does the person have to deal with the injury and all that goes with that injury, but they also have to fight for compensation to cover the costs of that injury. This makes it important to get help where it is available. An attorney can be that needed help to get through this difficult time.
