Car accidents have all sorts of costs associated with them physical, mental and financial. Each car accident is unique, so it isn’t easy to make generalizations. However, certain types of injuries are more common than others during car crashes.
INJURIES THAT ARE USUAL IN CAR ACCIDENTS
Depending on the type of accident and how bad it is, a crash can cause injuries that range from not too bad to very bad. But there are some kinds of injuries that happen more often than others.
- Cuts, scrapes, and bruising
- Broken bones
- Back and spine injuries, some of which can cause paralysis,
- Whiplash and other neck injuries
- Damage to the head and/or brain
- This is called compartment syndrome.
- Burns that hurt
Some of these injuries are pretty minor and may only take a few weeks or months to heal, but others can cause amputation, disfigurement, chronic pain, and/or permanent disability. All of this could make it hard for you to make a living and do your normal things, so it should be part of your injury claim.
Even if you don’t feel any pain right away, it’s usually a good idea to see a doctor after a car accident. This is especially true if your neck or back hurts when you first start. Remember that it is your job to limit the damage. Often, the first signs of injuries like whiplash or a concussion aren’t too bad. If you don’t treat these problems right away, they could get hard to deal with and hard to prove were caused by the crash.
HOW MUCH IS MY CAR ACCIDENT CASE WORTH?
Early on, it’s often hard to know how much a car accident case is worth. This is because the value of a case depends on a lot of different things (e.g., the extent of the injuries suffered, liability issues, insurance coverage available, etc). Talking to someone who deals with car accidents like yours every day is the best way to get a general idea of how much your case is worth. The Dallas car accident lawyers at Montgomery Law are happy to look at your case for free and tell you what kinds of damages you can get.
When we say “damages,” we mean injuries and losses caused by the accident. This is what you want to be paid for. Damages include both economic and non-economic losses. Economic losses include things like medical bills, lost wages, and property damage (like pain & suffering and reduced earning capacity). Sometimes, if the facts of the case call for it, victims may even get punitive damages.
Most of the time, a car accident victim’s economic damages will include their medical bills (including what they expect to pay in the future), property damage, and lost wages. Non-economic damages for a typical car accident victim usually include money for pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of consortium, loss of enjoyment of life, and more.
Pain and suffering can be hard to put a price on, but our law firm has a lot of experience with personal injury cases, so we can put together a strong case for why the insurance company should pay you what you’re really owed.
It’s also important to remember that accident victims should never think about settling until they’re done getting treatment and know how much their medical bills will be (including the possibility of future medical care or rehabilitation). Imagine that an insurance company offers you $10,000 to settle your case quickly, but you counter with $20,000.
They’ll still say no, but let’s say your condition doesn’t get better or gets worse enough that you can’t go back to work. Your losses could now be in the hundreds or thousands. Since they have a recording of you agreeing to take $20,000 over the phone, they have no reason to ever give you a penny more, and they won’t.
SETTLING OUT OF COURT VS. GOING TO TRIAL
In the United States, about 95% of all injury claims from car accidents are settled before going to court. In other words, it’s not likely that you’ll ever step foot in a courtroom. Instead, your lawyer for a car accident will try to reach a settlement with the other party before filing a lawsuit. If you and the other person can’t come to a deal, your lawyer will file a lawsuit and represent you in court.
As your lawyer, we will tell you exactly what to expect at each stage of the case. We will give you our advice and suggestions and keep you up to date as the process goes on. We’ll always look out for what’s best for you, and we won’t agree to a settlement offer unless you say so. The best part is that you won’t have to pay us anything unless we win your case.