Car accident lawyer
Devastating car crashes occur every minute in all areas of the country. A serious crash can leave victims with serious injuries that require extensive treatment. Then, these injury victims can be left with significant medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, and lost income as a result of missed work.
If you find yourself in this situation, a car accident lawyer is here for you. Car accident attorneys are prepared to represent your claim to insurers and if need be, in court so that you can seek fair compensation for your injuries and other losses.
How much does it cost to hire a car accident lawyer?
Many attorneys listed on LawyerUp take cases on contingency, meaning you won’t owe a dime unless and until your car accident lawyer wins your case. This way, you can focus on your full physical recovery while we focus on your full financial recovery. When your attorney wins your case, you’ll owe an amount that’s agreed upon at the start of the relationship – no surprises and no hidden fees.
What should I do after being in a crash?
1. Get to a safe location, but leave your vehicle
Staying in the road or in your car is extremely dangerous. If you can move, try and get to a quieter place away from the flow of traffic, but don’t move your car. Combustible fluids, sharp metal, and other dangerous elements could worsen your injury. You should also leave the car as it is in order to take photos as evidence.
2. Call 911 and ask for an ambulance and the police
The 911 dispatcher should send an ambulance once you tell them the extent of your injuries. Ask them to send a police officer, too, so they can investigate the collision. The officer will file a report that could be very important to your case.
3. Gather evidence at the scene
Collecting evidence at the scene of a crash is as simple as taking pictures on your phone. Try and get photos of the scene from multiple angles. You should also try to get the contact information of any witnesses at the scene.
4. Notify your insurance company
You should report the collision to your own insurance company. Don’t delay; insurance companies will try anything to try and deny or devalue your claim, so putting off calling them is just giving them a reason to not give you the compensation you deserve.
5. Meet with a car accident lawyer
Without an attorney by your side, you’re a prime target for the insurance company’s tactics. The already stressful situation of being in a car accident is made much worse when the other party’s insurance company keeps calling, trying to get you to slip up and say something you shouldn’t.
Don’t give the insurance company the opportunity – meet with a car accident lawyer as soon as possible and protect your right to compensation.
What kinds of damages can I claim?
In the personal injury world, “damages’” are the losses, both financial and mental, that you experienced as a direct result of the crash. Here we’ll discuss the two most common types of damages: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages
Economic damages are tangible and are easily proven with appropriate documentation. These include medical expenses and lost wages from being unable to work.
Non-economic damages
Non-economic damages are different — they’re subjective so they’re harder to prove. You’ll need a skilled car accident lawyer to prove non-economic damages, which include:
- Loss of quality of life
- Mental trauma
- Pain and suffering
Common car accident injuries
The injuries resulting from car wrecks can be devastating. These are just a few examples:
- Severe head injuries
- Amputations
- Burns
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
The true cost of collisions
Nationally, the NHTSA estimates that motor vehicle accidents cost nearly $1 trillion annually in terms of lost productivity, loss of life, and overall damages. Figures from the Insurance Research Council (IRC) show that the average bodily injury claim after an accident was $15,443 in 2013.
Car crash statistics like these depict just how costly car accidents can be and the potential financial impacts they can have on victims’ lives.
The potential losses are so great that individuals may feel motivated to pursue their options for recovering damages from any at-fault parties. By working with a qualified car accident lawyer, you can explore your options for pursuing an injury claim and possibly a lawsuit so that you can recover the maximum amount of compensation available given your injuries, medical costs, and other losses.
How your car accident lawyer will prove negligence
To qualify for an insurance claim from a third-party source, car accident victims must have had a few things occur leading up to their crash.
- First, another driver must have made a negligent accident or decision that directly contributed to the accident.
- Second, the incident caused by this individual’s negligence must be directly responsible for your injury and the subsequent costs of treatment.
- Third, the injury claimant must have contributed anywhere from zero to less than half (49%) of fault to cause the accident.
- Finally, the injured plaintiff can only claim the costs necessary for the treatment of the injuries caused by the crash according to the best available medical knowledge.
A trusted car accident lawyer can assemble the components of your claim and possible lawsuit using available evidence as well as a knowledge of prior court rulings involving similar cases. They can also develop a strategy to counteract defenses that can attempt to poke holes in the above assertions, such as a driver claiming that they were not truly at fault for an accident or an insurance company claiming that some of your treatment costs were unnecessary.
In this way, your car accident attorney can provide invaluable services that decrease your stress and uncertainty while raising your chances of a successful, fair injury claim.
How a car accident lawyer can help
Injury victims should generally not trust insurers to handle all of the details of their claims. Representatives of the allegedly at-fault driver may offer you an unreasonably low settlement that does not account for the full extent of your past and future losses. They may also convince you to disclose details that they will use to assert your own liability for your injuries or dispute the extent to which your injuries are directly attributable to the accident.
You can put someone in your corner with the legal qualifications and past experience needed to handle your case effectively and efficiently. They will be there for you to answer any questions you may have, advise on the best course of action to take, and handle all of the tasks needed to make your claim complete and compelling.
Fight for your own rights to fair compensation for your car accident injuries by seeking out injury lawyers with a proven case history.
Connect with a top-rated car accident lawyer today
Do not hesitate to exercise your legal right to seek representation for your personal injury claim. Just one quick call can help you uncover the next steps needed to pursue a strong claim backed by evidence that establishes liability as well as the full costs of your injury, past and future.
You can connect with car accident attorneys using LawyerUp today in order to have your case evaluated. Exploring our directory will help put you on the right track to get your life in order and avoid financial uncertainty after your car accident.