Maryland Accident Lawyer can help car crash victims with a variety of issues that may arise after their accident. From dealing with insurance companies to addressing complex legal and medical issues, attorneys can be invaluable in helping victims get the compensation they deserve.
Document everything after the accident, including internal and external injuries. Seeking medical attention immediately can help bolster your case by providing documentation of your injuries.
Car accident victims frequently face financial hardship as they cope with expensive medical treatments, vehicle repair or replacement costs, and lost wages. While state and federal laws like speed limits, distracted driving regulations, and seat belt requirements aim to prevent crashes, these collisions still happen. Injured motorists may be eligible for compensation to help pay for these costs.
Your lawyer can assist you in obtaining the necessary documentation to support your claim. This includes documentation of the crash itself, police reports, witness statements, repair estimates, medical bills, wage loss statements, and expense records. It’s important to keep all documents related to the incident and your injuries, including copies of insurance policy information, license plate numbers, and any photos or video footage.
It’s essential to seek medical treatment as soon as possible after a crash. Not only does this allow for your doctor to diagnose and treat your injuries, but it also bolsters your case. Some injuries don’t show up on initial diagnostic tests, and the adrenaline rush from a crash can dull pain. If you go too long without medical attention, insurers and juries could suspect that your injury wasn’t caused by the accident or that it isn’t serious.
A good accident lawyer will hire specialists to help build your case. This can include vocational rehabilitation experts, economists who can calculate your current and future financial losses, and life care planners who can illustrate what your needs will be in the future. The more your attorney can demonstrate the impact of the crash on you, now and in the future, the greater the chance of receiving full compensation for all your expenses. A competent attorney will also consider non-economic losses, like emotional pain and suffering.
Lost Wages
Car accident injuries can often lead to time away from work, and the inability to work results in lost income. Whether you file a claim through the at-fault driver’s insurance company or through a personal injury lawsuit, you can receive compensation for the lost wages you experience during your recovery period. This includes not only your actual missed earnings but also the loss of benefits such as vacation days, sick days, and retirement contributions.
An experienced attorney can help you determine your lost earnings and put a value on your future lost earning capacity. They can also assist you in submitting a demand package, which is a compilation of documents that prove your lost wage claim. They can even offer pre-settlement funding, which can help alleviate your financial burden while you wait for your case to settle.
Getting the right legal representation can make all the difference when it comes to recovering the full amount of compensation you deserve for your damages. Often, insurance companies will try to lowball you in order to avoid paying out large settlements. However, an experienced car accident lawyer knows how to negotiate effectively and can prevent you from accepting a lowball offer.
Your accident lawyer can also help you recover additional damages such as property damage, pain and suffering, and future medical expenses if your injuries are permanent or debilitating. They can also assist you in filing claims against multiple liable parties, including the manufacturer of the vehicle or its components, the auto dealer, and the car repair shop.
Property Damage
Whether it’s a car accident that damages a fence, a falling tree that destroys your home, or a natural disaster like hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, earthquakes, or lightning strikes that ruin expensive equipment, property damage can have serious financial implications. A knowledgeable accident lawyer can help you recover compensation for your damaged property from the person or party who caused the accident.
Using their knowledge of property damage laws, accident lawyers consider a variety of factors when building a claim. These include medical treatment expenses (current and future), loss of earnings due to time missed from work, costs for repairing or replacing the damaged property, and non-economic losses such as pain and suffering.
In addition, a skilled accident lawyer can assess the potential for obtaining fair compensation from the at-fault party or their insurance company. This includes evaluating the insurance coverage available, determining the likelihood of a successful negotiation, and considering the possibility of taking the case to trial.
One of the biggest issues with property damage claims is that insurance companies seek every opportunity to deny, undervalue, or delay payments to their policyholders. Your experienced accident lawyer understands how to level the playing field by dealing with insurance companies on your behalf and demanding fair compensation for all of your losses.
Another issue is when a lien holder, such as a health care provider or mortgage holder, gets paid before you do. Your accident lawyer will work to reduce or eliminate liens so that you receive all of the compensation available to you.
Lastly, your lawyer will handle all of the legal paperwork involved in your case and ensure that it is submitted to the appropriate parties. This is especially important in hit-and-run accidents, where the at-fault driver may not be identified or located. In this scenario, your attorney can file a civil lawsuit against the negligent party to recover damages for your injuries and property damage. They can also advise you of your options if criminal charges are filed in connection with the accident, as this can impact the outcome of your civil suit.
Pain and Suffering
Unlike economic damages, which address tangible losses, pain and suffering is more subjective. It is often based on the severity of a victim’s injuries and how those injuries have impacted their lives. It is important that victims detail all physical and emotional suffering that they have experienced in order to receive a fair settlement. The more details that a victim provides, the more likely it is that the insurance company will pay a full and reasonable amount.
Emotional distress, anxiety, fear, sleeplessness, humiliation, depression and post traumatic stress disorder are all types of mental pain and suffering. They can result from bodily injury accidents and medical malpractice.
Some injuries, such as broken bones and torn ligaments, can cause immediate pain that needs treatment. Other injuries, such as herniated discs in the spine, may take longer to become painful. However, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible for two reasons. First, many injuries do not manifest immediately because of an adrenaline rush and second, failure to obtain treatment could result in a more serious condition that will be difficult, if not impossible, to treat down the road.
A lawyer will be able to gather all the evidence that supports your claim, including medical bills and records, photographs, prescriptions and any other proof of loss. They will then use this to present your case to a judge or jury. The judge or jury will determine the amount of pain and suffering that a victim is entitled to. There are a few methods that can be used to calculate the amount of pain and suffering, such as the multiplier method and the per diem method.
It is also possible for a court to award compensation for the loss of companionship as a result of an accident and injury. This type of damage is less measurable than other forms, but it can be just as devastating as the financial losses that occur because of an accident and injury. The loss of a loved one can change the entire course of someone’s life and the grief that they experience should be compensated.