If you have suffered injuries from a car accident, you know how frustrating it can be to manage the claims process while trying to keep up with other responsibilities and still find time to get better.
Focusing on your health is the most important thing you can do right now. In the meantime, you can let a car accident lawyer in Haymarket, VA at the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC handle the problems you are facing because of the accident.
If you have suffered injuries from a car accident, call the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC at 571-229-1800 for a free consultation about your rights and options.
How a Car Accident Lawyer in Haymarket Can Help You
Pursuing an insurance claim can be both time-consuming and disheartening, even if the accident clearly seems to be someone else’s fault. And at first, it might seem as though the insurance company is on your side. It might offer you a quick settlement, maybe within days of the accident. You might be tempted to take it. However, by accepting it, you forever give up your right to pursue injuries of which you do not now fully know the extent.
If the other side is disputing fault, the process becomes even more fraught with frustration. An insurance company may deny liability altogether and refuse to offer any settlement at all. If the other driver was uninsured or underinsured, you may be able to claim compensation under that provision of your own insurance policy. However, even your own insurance carrier can be difficult when it comes to paying this type of claim.
If you have suffered car accident injuries, you undoubtedly want full compensation. You will need a legal strategist and an advocate familiar with insurance company tricks and tactics as well as Virginia laws. Your case may not resolve without a trial. If your case will end up in a court trial, your best chance of success is to have an attorney begin to prepare the case for trial as early as possible. The amount of compensation you receive can depend on the quality and quantity of admissible evidence. This means both evidence the other party was at fault and evidence of the amount of your resulting damages. Arguments that arise during a car accident may require the opinion of an expert witness. Expert witnesses can be hard to come by for the average person. Jim Parrish has relationships with expert witnesses in all fields of personal injury law.
Making a persuasive case to an insurance adjuster or court can require a presentation of testimony from medical professionals, accident reconstructionists, and forensic economists.
Opinions that can help an insurance adjuster or a court understand your case could include:
- The proximate cause of your injuries and other contributing factors
- Whether your injuries are temporary or permanent
- The reasonableness of expenses for medical care already incurred
- The nature and expense of future medical care needed
- How any loss of wages or earning potential affects a larger picture, such as your Social Security earnings record, retirement savings, etc.
- The amount of emotional distress the accident has caused
The skilled strategists at the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC can assemble information that an insurance company or court needs to see. Attorney Jim Parrish is also a former insurance company defense attorney who can anticipate and navigate the roadblocks that insurance companies may use to avoid paying you.
Compensating You for Your Injuries
An accident can easily exhaust medical payments coverage, if you have it. Escalating medical bills compound the problems of victims whose injuries have prevented them from working. Bills that are past due can create credit problems, further complicating a victim’s life through no fault of his own.
While each accident is different, among the damages for which accident victims can seek damages are:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Future surgeries or medical care
- Lost earning capacity
- Mental anguish due to scars or disfigurement
- “Pain and suffering” and inconvenience
Economic damages, which include medical bills, lost wages, and lost earning capacity are straightforward to calculate. Jim might use your medical bills, paystubs, W-2s, and any other accident-related receipts to value your claim.
Noneconomic damages award a victim for non-financial losses which, though more difficult to determine, are nevertheless an important part of the case. Jim might use your medical records and testimony from yourself, your friends, and your family to demonstrate how your accident and injuries have affected you.
A third category of damages, punitive damages, applies in those cases in which the other driver’s actions were particularly reckless or egregious. Victims often seek punitive damages in drunk driving accident cases.
Haymarket Car Accident Lawyer Near Me 571-229-1800
Proving Liability in Car Accident Cases
Without a negligent party, there is no case and, therefore, no compensation. There are a few avenues we can take to hold a party liable:
Negligence
Negligence is the most common theory of liability in car accident cases. This means that a party failed to exercise a certain level of care when operating a motor vehicle.
Drivers owe other drivers a responsibility to obey all traffic laws and abide by common sense in the absence of published laws and regulations. Companies who hire drivers owe the public a duty of care to make sure company employees have a history of conscientious driving.
Proving negligence means that the other driver owed a duty of care, breached that duty, and that the breach caused the accident. Proving the resulting damages is also an element of a negligence claim.
Manufacturer Liability
Negligent driving is not always the primary cause of an accident. Sometimes an automotive defect either causes the accident or exacerbates its effects. A manufacturer could be liable if the malfunctioning vehicle component had a faulty design or carried an insufficient warning. Involved components typically include brakes, seat belts, airbags, accelerators or engines.
Road Design
A less common but still valid claim could involve faulty design, construction, or maintenance of roads. Improper signage or traffic control devices can also cause accidents.
Get Help from the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC Today
Handling a car accident claim is complex, even when you are not trying to cope with serious injuries. The good news is that you are not alone. Jim Parrish and his team are ready to handle your case from start to finish.
Call the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC to schedule your free case evaluation today: 571-229-1800.
Call or Text 571-229-1800 or Complete a Free Case Evaluation form
