Icecream or a trip to the hospital?
It was a late Friday night when Tracy started craving ice cream. Getting in her car, she began the 5-minute drive to the grocery store. However, Tracy never got to buy her treat, because a drunk driver rear-ended her car going about 80 MPH.
Sadly, stories like this happen all the time. A total of 54% of nighttime car accidents are the result of drunk driving. If you were recently in a car accident, hiring a lawyer could be in your best interest.
What car accident type warrants hiring a lawyer? Read on to find out.
What’s Your Car Accident Type?
What car accident type are you dealing with? Here are some of the most common types of car accidents:
- Rear-end collision
- Vehicle rollover
- Side impact collision
- Multiple car accident
- Single car accident
- Head-on collision
If you’re the victim of a rear-end collision, it’s likely, the other driver wasn’t paying attention to the road. Oftentimes, even if the impact of the accident isn’t extreme, the injuries can still be complex and expensive. Thankfully, a lawyer could help you sue the at-fault party for their negligent driving behavior.
Next, vehicle rollovers tend to be incredibly violent and traumatic types of crashes. Rollovers are usually the result of some type of distracted driving.
Were you the passenger in a vehicle that rolled over? Then you should look into suing the person who was driving carelessly.
Moving on, side-impact collisions tend to take place in parking lots and at intersections. Depending on the severity of your injuries, and property damage, you may need a lawyer to help you get enough compensation to cover your crash-related expenses.
Multiple vehicle car crashes can be complicated and complex, and the insurance companies can have trouble deciding who’s liable for what. To avoid being falsely accused of having any part to play in the accident, you should look into securing an attorney with experience handling multiple vehicle accidents.
Lastly, head-on collisions usually result in severe injuries and extensive property damage. If you’re the victim of a head-on collision, it’s probably because the other driver wasn’t staying in their lane. By failing to obey traffic signs, the other driver was choosing to drive recklessly and should be held responsible for all of your damages.
Did You Sustain Injuries?
If no one was hurt from the car accident, and the property damage was minor, it’s not worth your time to hire a lawyer. However, when there’s a lot of property damage or injuries, personal injury attorneys can help you fully recover from your loss.
Here’s a shortlist of car accident injuries a lawyer can help with:
- Broken bones
- Whiplash
- Disfigurement
- Soft tissue injuries
- Chest injuries
- Lacerations
- Brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
Did you lose a loved one during a car accident? If yes, then a lawyer could help you get a wrongful death settlement. While the compensation won’t fill the hole in your heart, the funds can help make it easier to piece your life back together.
You can also request that the lawyer seeks out punitive damages from the at-fault party. Punitive damages are a type of punishment to help discourage the responsible party from behaving the same way in the future. For instance, if a drunk driver caused a fatal car crash, punitive damages would be a way of seeking out money and justice at the same time.
Has the Accident Disrupted Your Life?
Not all injuries from car accidents are physical. They can be mental too. If the car accident you were involved in has disrupted your ability to enjoy everyday life, you could be suffering from emotional distress.
Examples of emotional distress include things like feelings of anxiety, grief, fear, or depression. By hiring a lawyer, you’ll be able to get the money you need to undergo treatment for your psychological damages.
How Is the Insurance Company Handling Your Claim?
While insurance companies care about getting the facts, they also care about paying out as little as possible for car accident claims. If you feel like your insurance company is offering you a low ball number for your claim payout, an attorney could help seek out the maximum amount of compensation you’re entitled to.
Damages an Accident Lawyer Can Help You Recover
Car accidents cost over $11 million every year, including nonfatal, fatal, and property damage cases. By hiring an attorney well versed in accident law, recovering financially from your accident will be easier than if you try to do things on your own. Your lawyer can help you receive compensation for medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, and more.
Are You Being Held Liable?
If you’re being held responsible for the car accident, you’ll want to secure legal representation as soon as possible. Even in car accident cases where it seems clear who’s at fault, tiny details can help save you thousands of dollars.
For instance, let’s say you rear-end someone during a high impact crash. The police and insurance companies might be quick to assign 100% of the accident’s liability to you.
However, the driver of the car you hit could be partially responsible for the crash if they stopped abruptly, or didn’t have working taillights. Instead of having to foot the entire bill by yourself, you can get help from a lawyer who might be able to assign a portion of the liability to the other driver.
Get the Help You Need
No matter what car accident type you’re dealing with, when there are injuries involved, it’s in your best interest to hire an attorney. You shouldn’t have to spend your time fighting with insurance companies or fretting over how you’ll cover your crash-related medical expenses.
Instead, reach out to a lawyer today to get a free consultation, and find out the strengths and weaknesses of your case. The sooner you get a lawyer, the faster you’ll be able to get your life back on track.
For more ways to set yourself up for success, read another one of our other articles.
