A car accident can be the beginning of a long, frustrating road. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a car accident, you may be facing economic, emotional, and sometimes relational hardships.
A car accident lawyer in Gainesville, VA with the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC has spent many years helping car accident victims restore their lives. If negligence was involved in the car accident, they can help you seek the compensation you are entitled to collect. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with our seasoned Virginia car accident lawyers.
Can I Afford to Pay for a Car Accident Lawyer Serving Gainesville?
Yes, you can afford our legal services because we work for a contingency fee, meaning there is no upfront, hourly, or out-of-pocket payment due. Your lawyer will be paid at the end of your case when they secure compensation for you. If they fail to do so, no payment is due.
What Can You Recover for a Gainesville, VA Car Accident?
Every case is different, as someone who gets sideswiped on I-66 will probably incur more serious losses than another person who gets in a fender bender in the Virginia Getaway parking lot.
Still, many car accident victims can suffer economic and non-economic damages. The former includes items you can quantify with bills, estimates, invoices, or other documents. You can claim economic damages, such as:
- The ambulance ride
- Hospitalization bills
- Surgery
- Prescriptions
- Mobility aids and equipment
- Home modifications
- Household cleaning
- Lawn care
- Childcare
- Other household tasks that you had to hire someone else to take care
- Future health care services and purchases
Proving and justifying a claim for economic damages often requires expert testimony. Experts can determine who the accident has affected and can forecast, with a reasonable degree of certainty, what the accident has taken away from your future.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages, on the other hand, are losses that do not have a precise dollar amount. “Pain and suffering” and inconvenience are major factors in your case, as they have probably altered your mobility, mood, and overall routine.
When Your Loved One Loses Their Life to the Car Accident
Because car accidents can be deadly, you may have grounds to file a wrongful death action if you lost your loved one to a crash. You can recoup losses for their:
- Memorial service
- Burial plot
- Medical bills
Gainesville Car Accident Lawyer Near Me 571-229-1800
Who Might Be Liable for Your Car Accident?
To recover compensation, you must prove someone was negligent and apply these four elements:
- They owed you a legal duty of care on the road (e.g., abide by all traffic rules, keep the road free of dangers, etc.)
- They failed to fulfill this duty and breached it. (e.g., distracted driving, drunk driving, didn’t clean up debris)
- They caused the car accident
- You have had to deal with non-financial and financial damages
Your car accident lawyer in Gainesville, VA can gather evidence to support each of these claims. We can use police reports, traffic camera surveillance, relevant photos, witness statements, and your medical records. All this proof will show us who is liable for the accident. Liable parties could include:
- The operator of a car in which you were a passenger
- A driver in a separate car
- A third party who negligently entrusted a car to the other driver
- A negligent automobile or automotive part manufacturer
Virginia recognizes joint and several liability, meaning you can pursue damages from multiple negligent parties. The Parrish Law Firm, PLLC will thoroughly review the elements of your case, taking care to evaluate all potentially liable parties (including people or companies you have perhaps not even heard from).
How do You Deal With the Other Party’s Car Accident Insurance Company?
Your policy with your insurance company may require you to speak to them, such as when making a claim for medical payments coverage. However, there is generally no requirement that you speak to another party’s insurance company.
It is a good idea to have legal counsel in place before you speak with any insurance company. At a minimum, however, you should have legal counsel before speaking to an opposing party’s insurer.
Insurance companies already have lawyers in-house. The representative who contacts you has potentially scripted her questions to collect information that the insurance company wants to hear and can use against you.
To recover damages from the other party, you must interact with their insurer. The representative who contacts you has potentially scripted her questions to collect information that the insurance company wants to hear and can use against you. If the insurance company is successful, recovering the compensation you need and deserve will be very difficult.
Even if you have already spoken with an insurance company, an insurance-savvy attorney can further your case and help repair any missteps you may have unknowingly taken when dealing with the insurance company alone.
You do not have to let an insurance company bully you into a settlement for an accident you know is worth more than you have been offered.
Your Lawyer Can Handle Insurance Companies for You
Because working with insurance companies may be unfamiliar territory, it is a good idea to have legal counsel in place before a representative contacts you. Attorney Jim Parrish of the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC has an advantage when dealing with insurance companies: he used to represent them.
He puts this knowledge from the inside of the insurance business to use for the benefit of car accident victims. You do not have to let an insurance company bully you into a settlement for an accident you know is worth more than you have been offered. He can handle all tasks that come with the insurance company, from making phone calls to settlement negotiations.
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What Should I Say to Car Accident Insurers?
Our lawyers will handle insurance negotiations on your behalf. However, the aftermath of a car accident can be confusing; you may have already agreed to speak with the liable party’s insurer. This is what you should avoid saying if you have an insurance meeting coming up.
Don’t Implicate Yourself
Seemingly innocuous statements can suggest that you were partially responsible for the accident. As noted earlier, the liable party’s insurer isn’t on your side. They will do everything in their power to get you to admit fault – their goal is to get you to settle as low as possible. Avoid statements like these to avoid taking on responsibility:
- “I feel bad about the accident”: There’s nothing wrong with feeling bad after a car accident. But be careful expressing this feeling. The liable party’s insurer could use a statement like this to suggest that you were at fault.
- “My car was giving me problems that day”: Faulty vehicles can cause car accidents. Admitting that your car was giving you trouble prior to the accident may suggest that it wasn’t roadworthy. Driving an unsafe vehicle can be a form of negligence, a fact that insurers will likely take advantage of.
- “I feel fine”: The liable party’s insurer may ask about your injuries. This line of questioning is more than common courtesy. They want you to admit that your injuries aren’t particularly serious. The severity of your injuries is an important component of settlement negotiations.
Don’t Reveal Too Much
Avoid sharing information about your accident on social media. The liable party’s insurer will be watching what you post – and use any slip-up to reduce the value of your claim. When using social media after a car accident, avoid these pitfalls:
- Sharing information or photos about your accident
- Accepting friend requests from people you do not know
- Making accusations or admitting fault
When communicating with an insurer, you should reveal as little as possible. Stick to the facts. Any additional comments can be taken out of context and used against you. Saying something as simple as “I was distracted by work that day” could be enough to jeopardize your case.
We Care About Our Car Accident Clients
Our firm will do everything in our power to ensure our clients feel taken care of and heard. Here are a few samples of what our previous clients said about working with the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC:
- “I’ve worked with Jim for years, and he genuinely impressive at his craft. Several others I know have worked with him too, and the feedback has been extremely positive. Do not hesitate to contact him, and please feel free to contact me as a reference.” – Michael S.
- “I was in a car accident last year and I hired Parrish Law Firm to represent me and my family. Mr. Parrish resolved all matters and made sure that all our medical bills and timed missed from work were taken care off. I am very satisfied with the services and help that was provided to us and making sure we did not get bullied by the insurance company.” – Gio R.
Taking Civil Action After a Car Accident in Virginia
When filing a lawsuit, you must consider the deadlines imposed by the state.
- Code § 8.01-243usually gives those filing a personal injury lawsuit two years to take action.
- Code § 8.01-244enforces a general two-year timeline for wrongful death claimants.
Certain circumstances can shorten or lengthen the amount of time you have. Still, getting started on your car accident case as soon as possible is crucial, as adhering to the deadline determines whether you are entitled to collect damages.
Award-Winning Car Accident Legal Service Is a Phone Call Away
Unsure about what to do after a car accident or have questions regarding your auto accident case that remain unanswered? Download our free Virginia Car Accident Guide eBook or contact the firm.
Attorney Jim Parrish has earned Avvo’s “Client’s Choice Award” for his service to car accident victims and other personal injury clients. The American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys has also honored him with a “Client” Satisfaction” Award. For a free consultation about your car accident in Gainesville, call the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC.
Call or Text 571-229-1800 or Complete a Free Case Evaluation form
