Car accidents can lead to devastating injuries for both drivers and passengers. In a forceful collision, an accident victim's body might move forward and backward or from side to side in a highly abrupt manner, resulting in various injuries. A part of the accident victim's body can also strike a vehicle part, such as the headrest or steering wheel, leading to debilitating injuries.
When other drivers are negligent, they can cause different types of car crashes, from tailgate accidents to direct, head-on collisions. If you sustained injuries in one of these accidents, you need to have a car accident attorney on board in your case, aggressively advocating for your legal rights to maximize your monetary damages.
A car accident attorney can answer all your legal questions and handle every step of the process. In addition to handling negotiations with insurance company adjusters, your lawyer can file a lawsuit and litigate your case in the state court system if the insurance company refuses to compensate you fairly.
Finally, your lawyer can advise you to make intelligent and informed decisions to maximize the monetary damages you recover for your car accident losses.
Common Injuries in a Car Accident
The injuries that a car crash victim suffers will depend upon various circumstances, including the type of accident that happens in the force of the collision, The accident victim's location in the vehicle, as well as their bodily movements at the time of the crash, may also dictate the nature and extent of their injuries.
Some of the most common injuries that car crash victims suffer include open lacerations, soft tissue neck and back contusions, bone fractures, rib fractures, mouth and teeth injuries, eye injuries, traumatic head and brain injuries, complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries, full or partial paralysis injuries, and death.
If you suffered any of these injuries in a recent car crash, get the medical treatment you need and complete your treatment regimen in full.
While you focus most of your attention on getting better and making a full recovery from your car accident injuries, your lawyer can gather the necessary documents to prove your claim and advocate for your legal interests.
Categories of Car Accidents
Car accidents come in all shapes and sizes. They can also occur in various locations, from busy interstate highways to rural country roads to parking lots and garages. Negligent and inattentive drivers are everywhere, so a severe car crash can happen just about anywhere that motor vehicles are present. The type of car accident will usually depend upon the extent of the other driver's negligence and the roadway and geographical circumstances.
Some of the most common types of car accidents include:
- Tailgate or rear-end accidents, where the front of one vehicle hits the rear bumper of another car, usually because the rear driver is speeding or not paying attention to the road
- Head-on collisions, where the front of one vehicle hits the front of an oncoming car, usually because the negligent driver inadvertently crosses the centerline or attempts to pass other vehicles in a no-passing zone
- Sideswipe accidents, where the side of one vehicle strikes the side of another car, usually on a busy, multilane highway where the at-fault driver is not paying attention or is intoxicated
- T-bone or broadside accidents where the front of one vehicle hits the side of another car, usually at a highway merge lane or traffic intersection when the negligent driver does not yield the right-of-way to another vehicle on the intersecting roadway
- Rollover accidents, when a vehicle speeds around a sharp curve or drives too fast for the prevailing weather or traffic conditions, causing their car to overturn and bringing about a series of collisions with other vehicles
While car accidents may occur differently, they can all lead to devastating and debilitating injuries that require significant medical treatment for accident victims. If you recently suffered injuries in one of these accidents, contact experienced legal counsel immediately about your options.
Your attorney can take care of all preliminary matters and file a personal injury claim or lawsuit for the monetary recovery you deserve.
Common Reasons for Car Crashes
Unfortunately, negligent driving is on the rise, and when people do not drive carefully, they are more likely to cause serious accidents.
One of the most common causes of local car accidents is driver inattentiveness. Drivers frequently become distracted when using cell phones or other devices instead of carefully watching the road in front of them.
A driver may even become distracted when they listen to loud music, adjust the volume, turn their head to reach for something in the back seat, or pay more attention to vehicle passengers while driving. All these activities tend to take a driver's eyes off the road and prevent them from driving safely and carefully.
Car accidents may also happen when drivers negligently violate prevailing traffic laws. For example, they might drive too fast for the current weather or traffic conditions, pass slower vehicles in a no-passing zone, fail to yield the right-of-way to other traffic at the appropriate time, or fail to use their turn signal when executing a turn or switching lanes on a multilane road. All these activities are a recipe for a serious multi-vehicle crash.
Additionally, some traffic accidents happen when people drive under the illegal influence of alcohol or drugs. Any amount of drugs in a driver's system can result in significant impairments. However, a driver is legally intoxicated from alcohol if their blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, measures at least 0.08 percent. While this standard applies to most drivers, the law is stricter for underage or commercial drivers.
Drugged and drunk driving is hazardous because these substances can seriously alter a driver's mindset. It may lead to confusion or disorientation, preventing the driver from being safe on the road.
Alcohol intoxication may cause blurred vision and other physical impairments, preventing the driver from noticing other nearby cars, cyclists, or pedestrians. A drunk or drugged driver might also experience a limited reaction time, preventing them from hitting the brakes on their vehicle in time to avoid a severe accident.
Finally, motor vehicle accidents are common when drivers exhibit various types of road rage. An angry driver may resort to multiple aggressive driving behaviors, including repetitive horn honking, tailgating other vehicles, attempting to pass another car or group of vehicles, or failing to use their turn signals.
When a driver is angry and in a hurry to get ahead of other traffic, they may inadvertently cause a single accident or series of collisions, causing many other drivers and passengers serious injuries.
If you sustained injuries in a motor vehicle accident that resulted from another driver's reckless or careless behavior, you do not have to determine what to do alone. As soon as possible after your accident, you should contact a skilled personal injury attorney who can handle the various legal aspects of your case, file a personal injury claim, or pursue litigation in court on your behalf.
Proving a Car Accident Claim or Lawsuit
To recover monetary compensation for your injuries following a car accident, you must satisfy various legal elements of proof. Your personal injury attorney can ensure your case meets this legal burden by retaining experts and gathering essential documents (including medical records, medical bills, and lost income documentation) to prove your case.
First, you must demonstrate that the at-fault driver violated the legal duty of care they owe you. In most instances, this means the other driver must have violated one or more traffic laws or regulations.
Next, you must demonstrate that as a direct and foreseeable result of the other driver's negligence, both the car accident and your injuries occurred.
To prove the causal connection between the car accident and your injuries, a medical expert can draft a report and, if necessary, testify at a deposition or civil jury trial in your case. The medical expert must state, based on a reasonable degree of medical probability, that your injury or injuries directly resulted from the car accident.
Your attorney can satisfy these legal elements of proof so that you can recover the monetary compensation you need for your injuries. Economic damages in a car accident claim may include compensation for your related medical expenses, lost income, inconvenience, pain, and suffering.
Taking Legal Action Following a Car Crash
After a motor vehicle accident, you can pursue the monetary recovery you need for your accident-related losses.
Complete Your Medical Treatment Regimen
Following a car accident where the accident victim suffers injuries, a medical provider will usually prescribe the accident victim a medical treatment regimen. For example, the accident victim might need to follow up with a medical specialist, such as an orthopedic doctor, or consult their primary care physician. Additionally, they might need to undergo surgery or other medical procedures and attend follow-up physical therapy sessions.
After your accident, you must complete your medical treatment regimen, increasing your chances of making a full recovery from your injuries. Additionally, continue treatment until a medical provider formally discharges you from care; you should not self-discharge.
If you fail to complete all your medical treatment, the at-fault driver's insurance company may argue that your injuries predated the accident. By seeking the ongoing medical treatment you need, you assure the insurance company that your injuries are severe and that they occurred because of the car crash.
Contact an Experienced Car Accident Attorney in Your Area
In addition to completing your medical treatment regimen following a car accident, you need to involve a skilled car accident attorney in the process as quickly as possible. Your lawyer can enter an appearance on your behalf, gather essential documents in your case, negotiate with insurance company representatives, and pursue litigation if the insurance company refuses to compensate you fairly.
Gather Important Documents
Once you retain an attorney to represent you in your case, they can begin gathering essential documents. These documents may include copies of your medical records and bills, lost-income documents from your employer, photographs of your injuries, photographs of property damage to your vehicle, police reports, and pictures of the incident scene.
Your attorney can assemble these documents into a settlement demand package and forward that package and a formal settlement letter to the insurance company for review. Once the insurance company accepts fault for the car crash, your attorney can then negotiate with the adjuster in your case.
Settlement Negotiations
During settlement associations, your attorney will go back and forth with the at-fault party's insurance adjuster to reach a favorable monetary settlement. Your attorney can advise you on a fair offer for your case, given the nature and extent of your injuries and other accident circumstances.
If the insurance company does not make a favorable settlement offer in your case, your lawyer can prepare for litigation and, if necessary, actually file a lawsuit in the court system on your behalf. Even after filing suit, the case may still reach a resolution at some point up until the time of trial.
Litigation in the Court System
If settlement negotiations do not work out, your lawyer can file a lawsuit and litigate your case to a conclusion. If your case goes to trial, a jury will decide the final outcome. However, your lawyer can consider various alternative dispute resolution (ADR) options in your case, including mediation or binding arbitration.
Speak with a Knowledgeable Car Accident Lawyer Right Away
If you recently sustained injuries in a local car accident, an experienced personal injury attorney can be an invaluable benefit. Your lawyer can handle every step of the process and maximize the monetary compensation you ultimately recover via settlement or litigation. Do not delay in protecting your rights by hiring the best possible law firm in your area.