What You Get From an Auto Accident Settlement
The amount of money you receive from a settlement agreement for a car crash will depend on the extent of your injuries. More severe injuries will result in larger current and future medical bills.
Documenting your losses will maximize your settlement. Your lawyer can prepare an inventory of all relevant damages that includes doctors’ notes, wage documentation, and eyewitness testimony.
Medical bills
Medical expenses are usually the first thing people think about when injured in a car accident. In most personal injury cases, the law will cover these expenses. However, it can take months or even years before the motorist at fault is held responsible by a court decision or settlement agreement. In the meantime, victims are able to accrue medical bills that need to be paid.
Car accident injuries often require extensive medical treatment which includes surgery and physical therapy. Medical bills can be high. It is vital that the victims understand that they shouldn’t be responsible for their own medical bills after a crash. Instead the at-fault driver should be responsible for them as part of their settlement.
In some instances, the at-fault party will pay the victim’s medical expenses directly. In some cases, the victim’s health insurance or med-pay will pay for these costs as they become. Depending on the victim’s situation and the type of insurance coverage, these charges can also be covered under rolling claims.
In certain cases hospitals or health insurance company could put a lien on a portion of a settlement made by a victim. Fortunately, a reputable attorney can assist in negotiating these liens to ensure that more money is put in the pocket of the victim.
Loss of wages
A car accident could have a devastating effect on your finances. You could also be required to pay lost wages due to injuries in addition to the cost of medical bills and property damage. New York law requires car insurance policies to reimburse you for the loss of income, up to a specific amount. Your attorney will help you obtain the maximum amount you are entitled to in lieu of your lost income.
The most common method to show lost earnings is to present your paychecks or other wage documents. Other important documents include invoices, bank statements and correspondence when you were self-employed. It is also important to have letters from your employer which confirms the number of hours/days you missed due to your injury.
If you are suffering from an injury that permanently limits or stops your earning capacity your salary, your lawyer will consult an economist or financial advisor to determine your earning potential. In this case the expert will analyze your age, education and qualifications, as well as your career path, and job tasks that you are no more able to perform.
Our Syracuse car accident lawyers often represent clients who were severely injured in accidents, and are unable to work. Not only do they have the right to compensation for lost wages due to accidents that were not their at fault, but they could also be able obtain additional compensation through the insurance of the driver or car owner who was at fault.
Suffering and pain
After a crash, car crash victims must be paid for their emotional distress and pain. However, since emotional distress and physical pain are not captured in a photo or documented with xrays, insurance companies tend to discredit these losses. This is why it’s vital to have a reputable personal injury attorney to represent you when dealing with the insurer of the driver at fault.
Your Queens injury lawyer can assist you in gathering evidence of all kinds to prove your claim for damages. For instance, a victim’s medical bills or written official diagnoses can be used to prove the severity of their injuries. A diary or a journal that begins on the date of an accident and continues throughout the healing process, may record physical and emotional pain as well as emotional distress.
The severity of your injuries will also influence the amount of your settlement. A spinal cord injury or a severe head trauma, for instance, may result in a bigger payout than a minor sprain that heals in three weeks.
The amount you pay for your Auto Accident law firm accident will be affected by the amount of your injuries. Your lawyer will assist you in calculating your damages and building an argument that is strong enough for you to receive the full compensation that you deserve. To find out more about the types of damages that can be awarded in the course of a New York auto accident lawsuit contact an experienced lawyer.
Damages
As we have discussed above Settlement awards aim to compensate victims of car accidents for financial losses. The amount awarded will depend on the severity of a victim’s injuries and how much they’ve suffered due to the absence from work and property damage.
A verdict can also include non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. Insurance companies employ an equation to calculate the amount to pay. These damages are difficult to quantify but they are able to be calculated. In order to determine the amount they will pay for noneconomic damages, a multiplier is usually determined by medical expenses. Major injuries and permanent impairments are usually compensated with greater amounts than minor or injuries that are temporary.
A car crash is a devastating event and the financial losses that come with it can be life-changing. While the amount of settlements won’t completely erase these losses, it should offer a financial aid that can help the victim to overcome their financial burdens and bring some order back to their lives.
A skilled lawyer for car accidents can assess your situation and fight for the best settlement possible. While it can be tempting to accept a lower amount than you’re entitled to but doing so could jeopardize your future recovery. You forfeit your right to sue or file additional claims related to the accident after you sign the settlement agreement.