There were over 30,000 fatal car crashes in the United States during 2019. This means the chances of having to deal with not only a crash but also the legal battle afterward is high.
Luckily, you can usually get a decent settlement for car accidents if you have the right insurance policies and the best car accident lawyer by your side.
But what goes into a car accident settlement? How do they really work and what should you know about them before meeting with a lawyer?
That’s what we’re going to look at today. Read on to find out more about car accident settlements.
Table of Contents
Who Is Responsible?
One of, if not the most crucial factor for car accident settlements, is determining the responsible parties. Settlements can only be determined in your favor if you can prove that you weren’t responsible for the accident.
Who was responsible for the crash? Whose irresponsible and dangerous actions led to the accident?
This is exactly where car accident attorneys come in. The best car accident attorney will come in and determine those factors while finding ways to frame your case to the insurance agency or the judge.
Let’s break down what lawyers look at to help you win your car accident settlement:
Who Owes Duty of Care to the Injured Parties?
Duty of care is basically someone’s obligation to not put other people’s lives or safety at risk. This is a legal and moral obligation that drivers especially need to follow.
Drivers must follow the rules of the road so no lives are endangered. Car manufacturers also have a duty of care to ensure their vehicles aren’t going to cause any unnecessary accidents.
Lawyers consult with their injured clients to determine who owed them a duty of care when the accident occurred.
Who Showed Negligence and Dangerous Behavior?
Following off of the duty of care concept, car accident attorneys must then look at who showed negligence in this department. Who acted out in a way that threatened the safety of others?
This is often determined by the client’s accounts of the incident. Maybe a driver cut off another driver and caused a crash. Maybe they didn’t follow the stoplight signal. Maybe a driver’s mechanic didn’t fix their brakes properly and caused an unwarranted crash.
Whose Breach of Safety Caused the Accident?
Sometimes it’s not just one person who breached their duty of care. People make mistakes on the road all the time, and complicated situations pop up whenever multiple people make an auto mishap.
That said, one person usually bears more responsibility for individual accidents. This could even happen outside of the car or off of the roads.
Obviously, drivers have a legal responsibility to drive safely. Employers also have a responsibility to hire good drivers for their commercial vehicles.
Restaurants and bars hold some responsibility in terms of preventing driving under the influence. Governments can also be held liable for poorly constructed public roads.
As such, multiple parties can be held responsible for car accidents. Attorneys look through each party and inform you on how to press charges and make the right moves.
Settlement Amounts
Another big question as it relates to car accident settlements is the amount you receive from a successful case. Attorneys will work with you to determine the right amount based on a few factors.
This includes medical expenses, loss of wages, and other expenses here and there. Let’s break each of these down here:
Medical Expenses
You can seek reimbursement for your medical expenses through settlements, and there aren’t many limits on what you can seek out. Anything from emergency room bills, prescription expenses, or even the cost of transport from the site of the crash to the hospital is fair game.
Hospitalization, rehabilitation, and other medication also cost money. You can certainly seek out compensation through settlements for those as well.
Loss of Wages
If you suffer even a mild injury, you’re going to need some time to recover. This means you can’t go to work, meaning you can’t earn money unless you have copious PTO.
As such, car accident attorneys help you get compensated for those losses in wages. They seek out the right amount of money to cover you for the wages you should’ve been earning but can’t because of your injury.
Future Earnings
If a car accident is serious, it could very well impact your future. This means the job you hold right now and your future career prospects could change drastically.
Car accident lawyers can look at those potential earnings and incorporate them into your settlement agreement. If you lost the ability to earn a higher wage or get better jobs because of a permanent disability, your attorney can certainly make a case for you.
Other Non-Economic Damages
There are plenty of other consequences of car accidents that you can be compensated for. This includes modifications made to your house to accommodate for any injuries.
Maybe you need day-to-day services after the accident. Perhaps you need mental or physical therapy because of your injuries. Whatever the case may be, the best car accident lawyers can prepare a case to get the right settlement for you.
If you need a good reference or starting point for great car accident lawyers, follow this resource to know more.
Get the Right Car Accident Settlement
While you never know when a car crash might happen, you can always have the best people ready to act in your corner. Use this article to understand car accident settlement procedures and get the best support available.
For more articles on the law and other informative topics, check out the rest of our site!
