Car accidents can be scary and draining. But unfortunately, even after the nerve-racking accident, a situation of prolonged stress can continue. This is because the health and financial problems caused by a car accident can be extensive and severe.
Car accidents create unexpected and tremendous medical expenses. They can inflict substantial and expensive property damage and can often leave you in a physical condition that limits or prevents you from working. If so, how can you cover these unplanned and overwhelming costs?
You can collect damages from your accident. The compensation you obtain can help you overcome these financial obstacles, but only by legal means. Please contact Norris Injury Lawyers. We are here to help.
Our Alabama car accident attorneys can assist you in taking the steps needed to collect damages after a car accident. Call us at (800) 477-7510 for a free claim analysis or complete our free consultation form.
What Compensation Can I Collect After a Car Accident?
A car accident can vary considerably in damage. Collisions and accidents are affected by the angle of the impact, the speed of the vehicles, and road conditions. As a result of these and other factors, an accident can be minor, severe, or worse yet, even deadly.
In Alabama , if you are the victim of an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you can file a lawsuit against the guilty person. In this lawsuit, you can seek damages or restitution for the injuries and economic losses caused by the accident. These losses can include both the present financial losses you are experiencing and those in the future because of the accident.
If you win the lawsuit, the judge can require the at-fault party or their insurance company to pay you a compensation amount. This amount will compensate you for such things as medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Additionally, if the judge determines that gross negligence contributed to the accident, the judge may impose punitive damages.
Let us examine in closer detail several of the damages that can be collected in a car accident case.
Medical bills
Among the damages that a specific dollar amount can be associated with are medical costs. Included in these costs can include:
- Costs of surgeries
- Hospital stays and care
- Transportation by ambulance or other emergency vehicles
- Doctor’s visits
- Cost of medical devices
- Medications, prescriptions (over-the-counter medication)
- Rehabilitation
- Therapy
- At-home care
These costs can vary greatly. Much of the amounts associated with the above-listed items can be affected by the severity of your injuries.
Lost wages
After an accident, if your injuries prevent you from returning to work or you can only work at a diminished level, you can be entitled to compensation. This amount can make up for the income you have already lost.
It can also include the income that you are unable to earn going forward because of injuries from the accident. Future bonuses and promotions that you will not qualify for because of the accident can also be factored into the compensation amount.
Property damage
An additional mensurable loss is property damage. This type of economic loss can be connected to a specific amount and can be determined by the cost of the bills to repair damaged items. This may include, for example, repair costs to your vehicle.
If other items were damaged or destroyed, their costs could also be established. In addition, while your vehicle is being repaired, it may be necessary for you to use public transportation, ridesharing companies, or taxis. If so, the expense of these forms of transportation can be obtained in a settlement or lawsuit.
Pain and suffering
Pain and suffering are non-economic types of damage that can receive compensation. Although they are not quantifiable with receipts and bills, you can receive a financial amount for these difficult issues in your life caused by the accident.
Types of damages that can fall under the category of pain and suffering are:
- Mental suffering
- Emotional agony
- Physical pain
- Reduced life enjoyment
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
The above list does not isolate all the possible pains and sufferings a victim can experience. It is best to speak with a personal injury attorney about your specific turmoil and discomfort. A skilled attorney can correctly assess and categorize your pain in legal language so you can receive compensation.
Punitive damages
In the case of your accident, if it is demonstrated that extreme negligence played a part in your injuries, the judge may award punitive damages.
For example, it could be determined that the accident happened because the guilty party was driving when under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In this case, the court may want to impose punitive damages on them to strongly penalize and deter similar blatantly gross behavior.
No two accidents are the same. Although there may be similar factors and circumstances in cases, the exact effects of an accident on your life will be unique. Thus, it is crucial for you to include a car accident attorney in your efforts to obtain damages.
A skilled attorney can determine how the factors of your accident and the unique circumstances of your life relate to an appropriate and fair compensation amount.
Actions You Can Take to Help You Collect Damages After a Car Accident
Taking action to help you obtain damages can begin immediately after the accident. If it is safe to do so and your health permits, the following actions can aid in your recovery of damages.
Take photos – Photos of the accident can be key evidence in establishing what damages you are entitled to receive. Therefore, take photos of the accident location. Doing so from various angles. Have photos that are close-up and others with a wide view. Capture pictures of all the vehicles involved, accident debris, skid marks, and all damaged possessions.
Collect contact information – Be sure to get the contact details of all the persons involved. This includes names, phone numbers, addresses, and insurance information. Don’t forget to obtain the contact information of any passengers and other witnesses to the accident.
Report the accident to the police – As soon as possible, call the police and inform them of the accident. It might be necessary for an officer to come to the scene of the accident. An officer can make an accident report that contains details of the accident details.
The police officer will also likely mention his assessment of which parties seem to be at fault. This accident report, including the observations and evaluations of the officer, can serve as pivotal documentation that may assist in establishing the damages that you are entitled to receive.
How Insurance Companies Can Be Opponents to You Collecting Damages?
Car accidents can create serious injuries that cause painful physical headaches. Additionally, conversations with challenging, obstinate insurance companies can create additional headaches and frustrations after the accident.
Unfortunately, insurance companies often try to do what is in their best financial interest rather than yours. They may attempt to minimize the severity of your injuries. They might try to reason that inferior care is adequate for your needs. They may even attempt to downplay the value of your abilities at work to reduce the value of your lost future earnings.
In a car accident, it could be that several factors or parties contributed to your collision. When an accident is so complex, insurance companies may try to take advantage of this and attempt to confuse the issue of accountability. They may endeavor to wrongly attribute the accident to you.
These tactics can discourage and demoralize an injured person trying to attain adequate compensation. Insurance companies want to wear down an injured victim or have him or her give up entirely. Yet, this does not have to happen to you.
A resolute, knowledgeable attorney can go head-to-head with a difficult insurance company and protect your legal and financial interests.
The attorneys at Norris Injury Lawyers are poised and ready to confront the manipulative efforts of any insurance company that tries to muddle the issue of who is at fault and what is fair compensation. While you focus on your recovery, we can take on the liable parties and insurance companies to get you fair compensation.
Norris Injury Lawyers Can Help You Collect Compensation for Damages After Your Accident
Expenses can pile up in an instant following a car accident. There can be unanticipated costs ranging from medical appointments to car repairs. In addition, your time away from work and your pain and suffering can cause you anxiety.
You deserve to be compensated for these and other negative effects after a negligent person has caused you to be in a car accident. A car accident lawyer can assist you in recuperating the damages your situation demands.
Norris Injury Lawyers can help you analyze the details of your accident, determine the damages you deserve, and fight with at-fault parties on your behalf. This will help you get fair compensation for your car accident and injuries.
Get the help you need today. Call us at (800) 477-7510 for a free claim analysis or complete our free consultation form to contact our Alabama personal injury attorneys with your personal injury cases 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
