Auto accidents are very common, and put many people’s lives at risk. Many individuals face car crashes due to other people’s fault and bear hefty losses. Serious injuries, vehicle damage, property damage, and loss of life are only some hazards that car accident victims face.
When anybody suffers an auto accident they didn’t cause and suffers serious damage because of it, they can file a personal injury claim. The outcome of the legal process depends largely on the cause of the accident.
In any sort of auto accident, though, you should consult an experienced car accident lawyer who will assist you in recovering the fullest possible compensation for your losses from the person responsible.
Experienced legal professionals who often handle auto accident claims can efficiently analyze your case, gather your evidence, calculate your overall losses and damage due to the crash and negotiate with the insurance carriers involved.
If necessary, a lawyer will represent you with court, but only after all other avenues for settlement have been exhausted.
Types and Causes of Crashes Also Play Crucial Roles
Many factors affect the legal process one must follow to file a personal injury claim and recover damages. One crucial factor that determines outcomes in this process is the cause of the crash and the type of accident you endured.
If you are the victim of an auto accident, you must always act prudently. Be sure to get medical assistance by calling an ambulance from the accident site, then call the police to report the crash. If you are able to do so, take pictures or video to record the damage from the accident, and to preserve a record of the site.
Note the phone number and insurance information of the other party, and get the names and contact information for any witnesses. If it is necessary to take legal action, these details will be important for your case. Afterwards, continue to act prudently. Visiting a medical doctor is essential as injuries are often quite subtle. If your doctor suggests a particular treatment for your injuries, be sure to follow that advice.
Common Accident Scenarios Include:
Head-On Collision: Head-on collisions happen when the front-end of cars collide. It is a very common type of crash. Due to the force of two vehicles ramming each other at speed, the damage can be enormous.
Wrecked cars, damage to other vehicles on the road, pedestrian bystanders can all be injured in such a collision, and fatalities are quite typical in such events. For a head-on collision to occur, one of the vehicles must come into the proper lane of the other vehicle.
Distracted driving and fatigue are common reasons for such crashes, as the driver at fault must fail to notice that it is unsafe to proceed. Legal fault is usually fairly easy to determine in such a collision.
Rollover crashes: A car rolling over multiple times either after colliding with another vehicle, or for any other reason, is considered a rollover crash. This can happen with a single vehicle if the driver contacts a vertical object (like a curb or gutter) at high speed, or takes a turn too quickly.
In a collision, it can happen when a large truck or other heavy vehicle is involved in the accident; flipping the smaller car. In the first case, the fact the vehicle rolled over suggests the driver of that vehicle is at fault. In the second case, the issue suggests damages which might be more severe than otherwise.
Side-Impact Collision: In a side-impact collision, one vehicle bangs into the side of another. It is sometimes seen in improper passing, when one vehicle passes another too closely and scrapes the side. More commonly, it is seen when people run a stop sign, or a traffic light, or drive into an uncontrolled intersection in front of an on-coming vehicle.
Sometimes, a vehicle making a turn can cause a side-impact collision by turning in front of on-coming traffic. In each case, liability is usually fairly clear.
A driver has to keep his car a safe distance from any other vehicles, especially when passing; should not pull into or cross a street in front of other vehicles, and can only turn when it is safe to do so.
Rear-End Collision: Rear-end collisions occur when one vehicle bumps into the vehicle in front of it. This sort of collision can create a lot of chaos, and can set off a chain reaction. Injuries can be both severe, and quite subtle as back and neck injuries often take some time to show up.
Vehicle damage is also often severe, as the back end of the vehicle has little mass and is usually quite weak structurally. Legal liability is usually quite simple as a driver must keep a look out to the front, take note of any vehicles in front, and adjust his driving to their speed and behavior.
In any type of crash, if you are the victim, you must take care of recovering from your own physical injuries first. Once you feel a bit better, you can consult with a legal professional to seek compensation.
Keep all of your evidence organized and safe, so that if you need to take legal steps, you already have things sorted for your consultation. If you have gathered some evidence, it will be easier to recover monetary compensation for your injuries and economic damage.
If you haven’t had a chance to gather evidence, then an experienced personal injury lawyer can assist you. He can investigate the case, go to the accident site, meet and interview witnesses and take all necessary steps to get and preserve evidence.
He can sit with the at-fault party’s insurance companies to negotiate and settle the matter, and resolve the case with the responsible party out of court also. He can evaluate your losses and help you recover the fullest possible compensation for them.
How To Decide If Your Case Should Go To Trial
Deciding to take a case to trial can be a tricky task. You may have faced a lot of injuries and other damages in the accident. Bearing those damage costs can be a difficult task, and you might prefer to settle the case to receive compensation as soon as possible. Financial pressure after an accident can turn the world upside down for an accident victim’s entire family.
If an insurance company refuses to pay enough to settle the damage amidst this chaos, you might need to take the case to trial. The decision will depend on the amount of settlement offered, and the level of evidence you can bring showing the extent of damage you have suffered from the crash.
Take professional help from an attorney who has experience handling personal injury claims, and get advice before you make a decision. A skilled attorney will be able to guide you through the necessary steps and do everything necessary in your favor.