You can claim compensation for all the expenses that you have incurred in a road traffic accident. They can be quantifiable, like car repair bills and lost wages, or less certain, like pain and suffering. Our solicitors can help you find out what kind of expenses you can claim for in your case. They will also arrange a medical assessment and report back on your injuries and future prognosis.
Damages
A car crash can result in significant personal injuries and expenses. A settlement may cover everything from medical bills to lost wages, property damage, and other related damages. However, calculating how much compensation you might receive can be tricky. This is because there are a variety of factors that determine the value of your damages, including the scope and extent of your injuries, the amount of damage to your vehicle and other property, and whether the at-fault driver was distracted or under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the collision.
A seasoned tort attorney can help you establish the full scope of your injury and losses. The most common types of damages are “special” and “general.” Special damages are payments for specific costs associated with your accident. These can include costs of medical treatments, mileage to doctor’s appointments, physical therapy sessions, and other related expenses. Your attorney will review receipts, invoices, and other financial documentation to determine the true value of your special damages.
General damages, on the other hand, are payments intended to compensate you for the broader harms you have suffered. These can include emotional distress, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and even a diminished quality of life. These are often harder to calculate, which is why it is important to work with a skilled tort attorney.
Medical expenses
Many car accident injuries require immediate medical treatment, and these bills can be steep. The amount of money that car crash victims spend on their health care is an important factor in determining the overall value of their settlement.
If you have health insurance, this may pay your medical bills initially. However, co-pays and deductibles may still apply. If you don’t have health insurance, or if it does not cover all of your medical bills, the at-fault driver’s insurer can reimburse you for those expenses as part of your damages.
In some states, called no-fault states, drivers are required to purchase personal injury protection (PIP) coverage that pays for medical expenses, lost wages, and other reasonable losses incurred after a crash. This is an important safety net for car accident victims who do not have the means to cover their losses from other sources.
At United Solicitors, we work to preserve all relevant evidence and identify all liable parties in the case of a traffic accident. We can help you recover a full range of legal damages including past and future medical costs, payment for lost earnings or disability, and “non-economic” damages such as pain and suffering, loss in quality of life, mental anguish, and more. Contact us to discuss your options. We can also help you file a timely claim to ensure that your rights are protected.
Loss of earnings
Whether you were injured as a driver, passenger, cyclist or pedestrian, if the accident was someone else’s fault, then you may be entitled to compensation. The amount of money you could claim could be very substantial, covering costs like hiring a replacement vehicle, travel expenses and the impact on your future ability to work.
Road traffic accidents can cause physical, financial and psychological damage. Compensation can be sought for both economic damages (for tangible costs such as medical bills, lost income and property damage) and non-economic damages (to cover emotional and psychological suffering).
It is worth remembering that a successful RTA compensation case may result in you losing out on the wages you would have earned had you not been injured. Your solicitor will need to gather evidence of your loss, which might include paystubs or other wage documents, details of any other benefits you would have earned, and proof of your injuries.
It is important that you get in touch with a solicitor as soon as possible after an accident. Not only will this mean that memories of the incident will be fresh in your mind, but also that an investigation can begin while the evidence is still available. This will give you a better chance of success, as it will mean that more tangible evidence can be collected to back up your claim.
Pain and suffering
It is a lot easier to quantify things like damage to your car and medical bills but it can be more difficult to put a value on subjective harm such as pain and suffering. An experienced car accident lawyer can help to determine what a fair amount would be for this type of compensation.
An expert can use evidence such as your medical records and the statements of your doctor to show how severe your injuries are. Eyewitness testimony is another important piece of evidence to use. It can be very persuasive when an eyewitness describes exactly what they saw at the scene of the crash.
A common method for calculating pain and suffering is to take your actual damages and multiply them by a number based on the severity of your injury. Other methods can include assigning a dollar amount to each day from the date of the crash until you reach maximum medical recovery.
You can also claim for lost wages. This will account for the time you spend missing work due to your car accident injuries. In addition, you can claim for future losses of earnings if your injuries will prevent you from working as you did before the accident. Documentation and expert evidence such as employment records, tax data, and economic expert testimony are often used to support these types of claims.