If you are thinking about suing after a car accident, it’s worth your time getting the right legal advice as to how to proceed.
The unexpected has happened and you have been involved in a car accident. Not something you wanted to have to go through, but there you have it. Your car is a wreck and you have been piling up some hefty medical bills. So, now it turns out that besides being upset over the accident and its consequences, you have begun accumulating quite a bit of anger. Why do you have to keep on shelling money out of your pocket for some things that your insurance doesn’t want to cover? Shouldn’t the other driver be the one to pay? And, that is when you realize that the best course of action for you is to file a lawsuit.
If you have decided on this course of action, here are some items to help you along:
Stay away from social media
No matter how tempting it is to constantly update your status, don’t do it now. Attorneys will look for any evidence that may contradict your claim that you are injured and need to be compensated. A picture of you on a nice sunny beach may not work in your favor at this time. And, if your voicemail message makes you sound too chirpy, change it to a more somber tone.
Collect all evidence
Keep a detailed log of all your property and medical expenses. It’s also recommended that you save all prescriptions and medical devices you have used, and pictures of the injuries when they happened and as they have progressed.
Get a lawyer to represent you
As soon as possible after the accident, contact a car accident attorney. If you want to get the full monetary compensation you are entitled to, having the right legal representation can make all the difference. They will work arduously to make sure that all your medical expenses, pain, and suffering plus all the income you missed by not being able to go to work, are included in the final settlement.
How much can you expect to get if you sue?
The value of your claim depends on the type of damages sustained during the accident. Each item plays a specific role in the value of your claim.
You can add up all of your medical expenses, adding to that number the expected medical bills you will incur in the future. These can be surgeries, treatment, rehabilitation, medications, and medical devices, just to name a few.
Another big amount may come from your loss of income. That is, both the amount you have lost for not being able to go to work so far plus the amount you will not receive if you continue to be unable to work in the future.
The third section of this puzzle is called pain and suffering and this is much harder to quantify. Yet, it can be the largest contributor to the value of your claim.
Your car accident attorney will stress the importance of keeping a thorough record of all the above expenses to establish the amount of damages you are claiming.
If you are thinking about suing after a car accident, it’s worth your time getting the right legal advice as to how to proceed. There are certain time limits and actions you need to follow to have a successful claim. Your car accident injury attorney is the best weapon to have by your side.
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