Unfortunately, accidents and injuries happen way too often and have serious consequences. After an accident, you can suffer from a variety of injuries and losses. Sometimes, you need a financial recovery after getting hurt to help cover your losses and get your life back on track.
Pursuing compensation can be an uphill battle for most accident victims. With the help of a Miami Lakes personal injury attorney, however, you can ensure that the person or business that caused your injuries is held accountable and that you get the money you deserve.
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Common Injuries After An Accident
Injury-causing accidents are unfortunately common across the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), injury-causing accidents are now considered a public health emergency.
Car accidents, in particular, caused the death of thousands of people and cost emergency departments nationwide millions of dollars.
Some of the most common injuries after an accident include:
- Arm and Leg Injuries
- Shoulder Injuries
- Scrapes and Cuts
- Broken Ribs
- Neck Injuries
- Lost or Reduced Range of Motion
- Back Injuries
- Whiplash
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Headaches
- Broken Bones
- Head Injuries
- Soft Tissue Injuries
- Bruising
- Burns
- Concussion
- Bone Fractures
- Chest Injuries
- Knee Trauma
- How Much Does Paying for My Injuries Cost?
The final cost of paying for accident-related injuries can include paying for many different types of losses. Remember, every case is different, so you might have more or different losses, but the following are common examples of the types of injuries that run up a bill after an accident.
Doctor Appointments
Even if you have health insurance, doctor appointments can be expensive. Co-pays can add up, especially if you need to have multiple visits to fully treat your condition. You should never have to pay for something that you did not cause. An attorney can aid in the recovery of the cost of doctor's appointments.
Hospitalization, Medical Bills, and Surgeries
Some injuries require extended hospitalization or surgery to treat; in such cases, your medical expenses will significantly increase. Remember to pursue fair compensation to cover current medical costs and the potential ongoing expenses of your recovery.
Prescription Medications
The cost of prescription medications can come as an expense that does not fit into your budget, especially if you are in an unexpected accident. Some medications are necessary and expensive. You need financial compensation to pay for your losses.
Rehabilitation
Especially if you undergo surgery, rehabilitation care may be necessary for a full recovery. You will be responsible for room and board and medical care if you opt for inpatient rehabilitation. Always factor in these costs when seeking compensation for your injury.
Diagnostic Testing
Diagnostic testing is part of getting to the bottom of the cost of your medical care. You might need a CT scan, X-rays, or other medical care at an additional cost.
Medical Devices, Prosthetics, and Assistive Devices
Some injuries leave accident victims with temporary or permanent disabilities. If your injury is so severe that you need a medical assistive device to get back to normal, you might be entitled to compensation for the device and the effects of the injury.
Ambulance Services
Most people do not realize that an ambulance ride to the hospital after an accident is a separate charge from their bill for medical services. Any accident victim offered a settlement by an insurance company should consider the cost of the ride.
Home Care
Sometimes, accident victims require in-home care to help them through their recovery. Home health care aides are expensive. The cost of their care is separate from other medical expenses. You might need these services, but you should not pay for them if you suffered an injury because of someone else's negligence.
Lost Income
Some injuries keep you out of work. Lost income can be considered an injury after an accident. Your attorney will itemize your losses after an accident and determine how much you should ask for in lost income compensation.
Funeral Costs
Perhaps the most tragic result of an accident is wrongful death. Wrongful death happens when a person dies because of the negligence of another. The person or business responsible is responsible for paying for your injuries.
Despite them holding responsibility, getting them to take accountability can be tough. That is why you need legal counsel after an accident. Hire an attorney if you lost a loved one after an accident.
Wrongful death law is one of the most complicated types of law, so having a professional helps you get what you need to get the compensation you need.
How Can A Personal Injury Attorney Help Me?
The right attorney and legal team can be critical to a successful accident case. Going after compensation alone after an accident can leave you without the full compensation you deserve. A personal injury lawyer and their team can support you in the following ways.
Negotiating a Settlement
Insurance companies are for-profit companies. They are only concerned about their bottom line. Because insurance companies want to protect their profits, they will do nearly anything to save money, including denying your claim.
The insurance company might be unwilling to offer an adequate settlement to you. However, if you have legal representation, you might fare better when getting a final settlement amount. A lawyer can help protect you from common tactics that insurance companies use to avoid payments.
Identifying Your Damages And Losses
Some accident victims downplay the severity of their injuries. It seems natural for people to avoid telling others how badly they suffered an injury, even if they are suffering greatly. Consequently, some accident victims do not identify all their losses and damages.
An attorney can sit with you and discuss what you have suffered and go through the facts of your case with a fine-toothed comb to ensure that you claim each of your losses.
Building a Strong Case
Your legal team's primary goal is to get you the recovery that you deserve after an accident. Interviewing witnesses, examining medical records, engaging with police officers, and assisting in presenting your case most effectively to secure the financial recovery you need will be part of their comprehensive approach.
Ensure You Do Not Miss Any Deadlines
Many procedural rules bind civil cases. Following each procedural rule is crucial, as failure to do so puts your case at risk of dismissal. For example, every civil litigant must comply with the statute of limitations.
The statute of limitations sets a deadline for filing a lawsuit after an accident. Failure to comply with the deadline can destroy your case. Having a legal team keeping track of these procedural requirements takes the pressure off you so that you can focus on your physical recovery.
Represent You At Trial
Although most accident cases are settled during negotiations, if the insurance company is unwilling to provide an adequate settlement offer, the case will proceed to trial.
Presenting your case at a trial can be scary, but having an attorney sitting beside you will reduce the anxiety and present your case persuasively to the judge or jury.
How Can I Choose The Right Attorney?
There are things to consider before hiring an attorney. You should take your time to consider the pros and cons of an attorney and whether they will maximize your final settlement amount.
Here are some things to consider before hiring an attorney:
- The attorney's experience
- The attorney's record for a successful outcome
- Whether the attorney has handled cases like yours before
- How the attorney and their office communicate with their clients
- Whether you feel comfortable with the attorney and their team
Get the best legal team around you after an accident. Contact an attorney immediately after an accident if you have suffered an injury.
Which Insurance Company Should Pay My Medical Bills After an Accident?
Finding out what insurance company is responsible for paying your medical bills after an accident is critical to your financial recovery. The negligent party is typically responsible for paying for the injured person's medical bills.
An attorney can help guide you through the claims process and ensure you get the money you deserve after an accident.
An experienced accident attorney can get the compensation you need after an accident. For most accident victims, filing an insurance claim is the most common way to get the financial recovery you deserve. However, it is hard to deal with insurance companies alone.
Despite all states requiring some form of minimum insurance coverage, there are times when some drivers do not carry insurance. Sometimes, another person's insurance coverage is insufficient for all your medical issues.
You might need to file a claim against your insurance company when that happens. An attorney will guide your understanding of the insurance claim process in this situation.
In the case of a car accident, for example, if you need to file a claim against your insurance, it will likely be for uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
Uninsured motorist coverage applies when you get into an accident with a driver who does not have insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage applies when you get into an accident with someone whose policy limits are insufficient to pay for your medical expenses.
An attorney can aid in your understanding of your rights to insurance coverage and ensure that you get the compensation you need.
Types of Damages Available After an Accident?
Generally, two types of damages are available to compensate for your injuries. These categories include economic and non-economic damages. Economic damage typically includes physical losses like medical expenses. Non-economic damages can include pain and suffering.
In some cases, punitive damages are available. Punitive damages do not compensate the victim but rather serve to punish the defendant. Courts usually limit awarding punitive damages to defendants who have acted outrageously. Speak to your attorney to learn if punitive damages are available in your case.
What Is Pain And Suffering?
Pain and suffering are compensable for accident victims, but it can be hard for many accident victims to understand.
Pain and suffering damages are intangible and are considered non-economic damages. These losses consider the interference that the accident-related injuries caused to your life.
The following examples are compensable as pain and suffering damages if they accompany an injury:
- Emotional trauma
- Mental anguish
- Inconvenience
- Discomfort
- Physical pain
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Reduced quality of life
Because pain and suffering damages are hard to prove, having a personal injury lawyer with experience can allow you to build a case for damages, which is the best way to receive compensation.
Like with all damages after an accident, you will need to present evidence to get a financial recovery. An experienced lawyer can gather evidence to get you everything you deserve after an accident.
How Have The Injuries Disrupted Your Life?
Sometimes, injuries can change the way that a victim lives their life. For example, your injuries might prevent you from returning to work. When you cannot work, it can quickly leave you financially devastated.
In addition to the lost income, you can recover from the disruption itself. An attorney can aid in your understanding of your right to compensation for having injuries that disrupted your life.
Do You Have Debilitating Physical Impairments?
An injury can be so severe that you have temporary or permanent physical impairments. Some disabilities can mean you must re-learn life skills like walking, talking, or dressing. Your settlement should include compensation for the injury and the cost of re-learning these skills.
How Have Your Injuries Affected Your Life?
Your injuries might have affected your life in other ways. Speak to an attorney and discuss how your injuries have affected your life. It is also a good idea to keep a journal to document your experiences so you do not miss any details.
Contact A Personal Injury Attorney Today!
You need a legal team to surround you after an accident. An experienced accident attorney can mean the difference between getting the financial recovery you deserve and getting a bad deal that will not cover your losses. Contact a personal injury lawyer today if you have suffered an injury in an accident.