Personal Injury

As soon as you are involved in a car accident, the clock starts running on the amount of time you have to file a claim. The longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes to get your medical bills paid and your property damage covered by insurance. Here’s how to get the process started as soon as possible.

Even if you think that it was a minor fender-bender and everybody seems to be okay, go ahead and call the police. The police report will be needed by your insurance company to file a claim. In addition, you should always get checked out by a doctor, even if you think you feel fine. After you get your injuries taken care of, contact us so we can start helping you handle the legal matters of filing a claim. Your car wreck attorney can help you contact the insurance companies, request your police report, ensure you get the treatment you need, and gather records that are needed to help in your case.

Damages you may be eligible to recover in your car accident case include medical expenses, lost wages and future earnings, car repair costs and loss of property use. We can help you understand which damages may be available to you in your case.

Economic damages are damages paid to compensate you for things that have a clear cost. Common examples of economic damages include: auto repairs (i.e., repair or replacement of your vehicle), loss of use of your vehicle (if it is repaired), medical expenses, lost wages for time out of work due to injury/medical care, and future medical expenses.

Non-economic damages compensate you for things that don’t have a price tag. You may have heard of someone being compensated for “pain and suffering,” which is one example of non-economic damages. There’s no amount of money that could make up for a life-changing injury, disfigurement, trauma or losing a loved one (wrongful death). But non-economic damages are a way for the court to compensate you for those things.

Punitive damages can be awarded in a civil case. If a person is found guilty of doing wrong, the court may award punitive damages to punish them and make an example of them. Some examples of the type of wrongdoing where punitive damages can be awarded are: driving under the influence, hit and run, reckless driving, etc.

Sometimes it’s a single thing, while other times it is a combination.