In the aftermath of a car accident, there are a number of factors that may have a significant impact on your ability to secure compensation for your injuries, damages and losses. It is important to know which of these factors may affect the value of your car accident settlement. The decisions you make at this time may determine your family’s financial future. If you have suffered catastrophic injuries, you may be struggling with other issues such as losing your ability to earn a future livelihood. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2015, nationwide, 32,485 people were killed and 2.4 million were injured as a result of car accidents.
Here are four major factors that can affect the value of your car accident settlement:
1. The Nature and Extent of Your Injuries
How severely you have been injured is certainly a component that will determine the value of your car accident settlement. Car accidents often lead to catastrophic injuries such as brain injuries, spinal cord trauma, internal organ damage and amputations that may result in lifelong disabilities. So, if you have suffered major injuries that hamper your ability to work, provide for your family and perform everyday tasks, you may be entitled to a bigger settlement than if you were slightly injured. Regardless, this should not stop you from seeking compensation if you believe the injuries you have sustained are relatively minor. Often, complications and symptoms of other issues may arise days, weeks, or months after your accident. If you have received medical treatment and had to miss days of work because of your injuries and incurred other expenses as a result of your car accident injury, you are entitled to seek damages.
2. The Details in Your Medical Records
It is important to remember that your medical records are one of the most crucial pieces of evidence that can help bolster your case and substantiate your claim that you were injured. This is also why it is critical to seek medical treatment and care as soon as possible after your accident. This will enable you to not just document your injuries and treatment received, but also lets you get back to the physical state and condition that you were in prior to the accident. It is important that you preserve every piece of medical evidence from record of doctor’s visits, doctor’s reports, hospitalization records, bills for medication, medical equipment, etc. The more detailed your medical records, the greater your chances for securing a favorable settlement.
3. Proof of Negligence or Fault
When you can show evidence that the other driver was negligent and at fault, your chances of getting a substantial settlement goes up significantly. Evidence of fault or negligence might be contained in a police report, surveillance footage of the accident or in eyewitness accounts of the incident. That is why it is important to secure as much evidence as possible from the accident scene.
4. Getting an Experienced Lawyer on Your Side
Study after study has shown that victims who retained the services of an experienced personal injury lawyer did end up receiving a much better settlement than those who did not. A personal injury lawyer who has the skills, knowledge and experience obviously has a much better chance of securing a favorable outcome in a car accident case. Also, getting a lawyer on your side early on helps you avoid the mistakes people generally tend to make that may jeopardize their car accident claim. A car accident lawyer can offer you the counsel, support and guidance you need during this difficult time.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, or if you have lost a loved one in a car accident caused by a negligent driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For over 46 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com