If you’ve been involved in a car accident, it is likely that you have sustained some type of injuries and damages. While some of the initial action typically involves filing a police report, contacting your insurance company, and being evaluated by a physician, you also have the legal right to sue for damages.
There are several types of damages that you can seek compensation for after a car accident. With some background knowledge and the help of a car accident attorney, you’ll have a good shot at settling your claim.
Table of Contents
Medical Expenses
Automobile accidents can result in physical injuries that require hospitalization and continued medical care. If an accident directly resulted in a medical condition, then you can seek compensation for both current and future medical expenses. This includes reimbursement for the cost of ambulatory transportation, hospitalization, medications, surgery, and rehabilitative physical therapy.
Property Damage
In addition to medical conditions arising from an automobile accident, most people also experience damage to their vehicle. While some damages may be covered by your auto insurance, you can also sue for reimbursement of vehicle repairs and replacement. When seeking this form of damage, it’s wise to look up the Kelley Blue Book value on your vehicle and save documents from your mechanic including diagnostics and receipts for repairs.
Loss of Wages
Medical conditions resulting from a car accident could place you out of work temporarily while you recover. Although you may struggle to pay the bills for a while, you can seek compensation for the wages that you would’ve earned had it not been for your injuries. In cases where the accident resulted in developing a permanent disability, this claim can become more complex and your attorney would have to calculate your estimated future wages.
Pain and Suffering
This claim is sought to compensate for damages unrelated to economic impact. It goes without saying that many people suffer in a variety of ways following a car accident. While factors such as the severity of your diagnosis and the duration of suffering would have to be taken into consideration, you may be eligible to receive a substantial amount of compensation for claiming pain and suffering.
If the accident results in disability or disfigurement that has impacted the overall quality of your life, you can also add this into your claim as a form of pain and suffering that occurred due to the accident.
Wrongful Death
In car accidents that led to the death of a loved one, relatives and estate holders can file a claim for wrongful death. As in any civil claim, it would have to be proven that the incident occurred due to another party’s negligence or intentional actions that resulted in damages. With wrongful death claims, these damages would include loss of life and the monetary award would likely be substantial.
Consulting an Accident Attorney
Although this guide provides an overview of the types of damages that you could claim after an automobile accident, you would still need to have legal papers filed and undergo proceedings to obtain compensation. Simply put, you need to hire a car accident lawyer.
An attorney would be able to review your specific case and further advise you of the types of compensation that you qualify for. They would be able to guide and support you through the legal process and handle all the paperwork for you so that you can focus on recovering.
Automobile accidents can turn your life upside-down, but with support and the help of compensation, it is possible for you to heal from the accident and eventually get back on your feet.