Visalia Car Accident Lawyer
Car accidents happen every day and are a frequent source of serious personal injuries. When the other driver is at fault for your wounds, you can seek a settlement and hold the other party accountable. In order to do this, it is best to work with a Visalia car accident lawyer so that they can help you get the maximum compensation to cover your damages. With legal advice, you can be guided through how to handle your Visalia car accident. To find out how a local California law office can help you, contact Grossman Law Offices today for a free consultation.
What Can I Claim On My Car Accident Settlement?
Car accident lawyers can help you determine what you are owed according to personal injury law. Typically, you can claim both economic and non-economic damages after a car accident. If applicable, you can also claim wrongful death damages to cover anyone who died.
Economic Damages
Economic damages can include lost wages and property damage. Because you’ve been wounded, you may have to stay home from work. You can also include the income you would have made had you been working full time but couldn’t due to your injuries. If you have property damage that wasn’t covered by your insurance company, it is also possible to include this in your settlement.
Non-Economic Damages
After you’ve been injured, you may be experiencing pain and suffering such as depression, anxiety, shame, grief, and other forms of emotional trauma. Visalia car accident lawyers can guide you on what can be considered pain and suffering. The insurance company will use a multiplier to help calculate how much non-economic damages you are owed. This amount can be anywhere between one to seven and is based on how severe your car accident damages are. Non-economic damages are added to your total settlement amount.
How Does The Settlement Process Work?
Once you’ve been in a car accident, you should call the police and take pictures of the accident scene before contacting car accident attorneys. With important information, such as photographic evidence of your crash, a police report, and other data, you can approach Central Valley car accident lawyers. With their help, they can initiate the settlement process for you.
Initial Consultation
All car crashes are unique, which means that Visalia car accident lawyers have to review how your car accident happened and whether or not you are at fault. For example, if distracted driving was the cause of your Visalia car accident, then it is likely that you are not at fault. Based on whether the other party can be held responsible, your lawyer will decide whether you should pursue a settlement or not.
Investigation of Evidence
If your attorney takes your case, they will begin investigating how the car accident happened. They will get footage from any nearby traffic cameras if possible, obtain the police report, contact any witnesses that you provided, and more. Your attorney will try to identify the type of negligence that may have caused your Visalia car accident. If the other party did an improper lane change, didn’t yield, or was speeding based on your testimony and other evidence, then this can prove that you are not at fault for your damages.
Representation and Drafting of Documents
Visalia car accident lawyers will draft documents and represent you professionally. They include all of the calculations concerning your damages and explain why you are due damages for your personal injury. Your Visalia car accident lawyer will also represent you before the other party’s insurance company and contact any other involved parties on your behalf.
Negotiation With Other Parties
Attorneys have strong communication skills, allowing them to negotiate and explain why you are owed compensation. Your Visalia personal injury attorney will reach out to other parties and keep in touch with them. They provide you updates on what the other party’s responses are and will guide you on how to proceed.
Helpful Advice
Car accident claimants sometimes make mistakes, such as talking about their personal injury on social media or agreeing to an inaccurate settlement amount offered by the other party’s insurance company. The advice of an attorney can protect you from simple errors. You can receive guidance on what steps to take during the settlement claim process.
What Factors Might Increase or Decrease the Settlement Amount?
Your settlement amount may be higher or lower than another car accident settlement based on the unique circumstances surrounding your claim.
Severe Injuries
You may end up with wounds that are slight and temporary or permanent with a heavy impact on your life. For example, if you suffer a permanent disability, it will be difficult for you to continue living normally, and you may even be unable to work. The severity of your wounds can vastly increase your settlement.
Pain and Suffering
Your pain and suffering can deeply impact your emotional and mental wellbeing. Being injured for a long time can cause depression and other emotional problems. If you have a long-term impact due to your wounds, your settlement may increase based on how badly you were affected.
Wrongful Death
Victims of a fatal car accident may leave behind surviving family members that depend on them. Wrongful deaths are compensated far higher than other personal injury cases due to the expenses family members have to endure after the victim’s passing. This amount also can increase if the victim has dependents. Lost earning capacity, funeral costs, and burial expenses can all add up over time. For this reason, it is likely that the settlement will be far higher if someone passes away after a car accident.
Find Out Additional Information on Visalia Automobile Accidents
After a life-threatening car accident, you should seek the help of a law firm that can help you get compensation. They can also prove that the other party was negligent and should provide you fair compensation. Lawyers can be especially helpful in using evidence to show how the other party was negligent. The advice of an attorney is priceless, in addition to the countless resources you can receive from an experienced law firm with a strong track record. To get the help you need, call Grossman Law Offices for a free consultation. You can receive the representation, guidance, and advice you need to get fair compensation.