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What You Get From an Auto Accident Settlement

The amount you receive for a car accident settlement depends on the degree of your injuries. Medical bills are higher for more serious injuries.

Documenting these losses can help you maximize your settlement. Your lawyer can create an inventory of damages, including doctor’s notes, wages, and eyewitness testimony.

Medical bills

When someone is injured in an automobile accident medical bills are often at the forefront of their minds. In the majority of personal injury cases, the law covers the costs. auto accident law firm elizabeth may take months or even years before the driver at fault is found to be responsible by the court or settlement agreement, however. In the meantime, victims are able to accrue medical bills that must be paid.

Car accident injuries usually require extensive medical attention which includes surgery and physical therapy. Medical bills can be expensive. It is essential for the victims to know that they should not be required to shoulder the financial burden of paying their own medical bills following an accident, and that the driver who caused the crash should be accountable for settling them as part of the settlement they received for their accident.


In some instances the at-fault party will pay the victim’s medical bills directly. In other cases the victim’s health insurance or medpay insurance will cover these costs as they grow. Based on the individual’s situation and type of insurance coverage, these bills could be covered under rolling claims.

In certain instances, the hospital or health insurance provider might make a lien on a portion of the victim’s eventual settlement. Fortunately, an experienced attorney can help negotiate these liens in order to increase the amount of money in the pockets of the victim.

Lost wages

A car crash can wreck financial havoc. In addition to your medical bills and property damage you could have to cover the cost of lost wages because of your injuries. New York law requires that your car insurance policy reimburse you for the loss of income, up to a certain amount. Your attorney will help you receive the full amount you are entitled to for the lost wages.

Paystubs or other forms of documentation for wages are the most common way to prove the loss of income. If you were self-employed, or worked on commission, other relevant documents include profit-and-loss statements receipts, invoices, bank statements, and other financial correspondence. It is also essential to have an official letter from your employer, which confirms the number of days or hours you missed due to your injury.

If you have a permanent injury which reduces or prevents the ability to earn, your lawyer will consult an economist or financial advisor to determine your earning potential. In this kind of situation the expert will evaluate your age, education, training, credentials and career progression, as well as the job duties you are unable to no longer carry out.

At Michaels Bersani Kalabanka, our Syracuse car accident lawyers often see clients who are severely injured in accidents and can not work. Not only are they entitled to compensation for lost wages due to accidents that weren’t their fault, but they may also be able obtain additional compensation through the insurance company of the driver or car owner who was responsible.

Pain and suffering

Following a collision, car accident victims should be compensated for their emotional stress and pain. However, because emotional distress and physical pain cannot be captured in a photograph or documented by x-rays insurance companies often deny these losses. It is important to have an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side when dealing with the insurer of the driver at fault.

Your Queens injury lawyer can assist you gather evidence that supports your claim. For instance, a patient’s medical bills and official diagnoses can be used to prove the severity of their injuries. A diary or a journal, which begins on the date of an accident and continues throughout the healing process, can record physical and emotional discomfort as well as emotional turmoil.

The severity of your injury will affect the settlement you receive. For instance, a serious spinal cord injury or a severe brain trauma may result in a larger payout than a minor concussion that resolved in three weeks.

Your settlement for an auto accident will be impacted by the value of your injuries. Your lawyer will help you determine the extent of your injuries and build a strong case to get the maximum amount of compensation you are entitled to. Contact an experienced lawyer today to find out more about the various types of damages in the event of a New York car accident lawsuit.

Damages

As we have discussed above, settlement awards aim to pay victims of car accidents for their financial losses. The amount awarded will be contingent on the severity of a victim’s injuries and how much they have lost due to lost work or property damage.

Additionally, an award will also include non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. These damages aren’t easily quantifiable, but insurance companies use a formula to determine they will be able to pay for these damages. To determine the amount to be paid for non-economic damages, a multiplier will typically be dependent on medical expenses. Major injuries and permanent impairments are typically rewarded with higher amounts than minor injuries or temporary injuries.

A car crash is a devastating event and the financial losses that come with it can be life-changing. Although a settlement will not eliminate the losses, it will provide compensation that helps the victim to overcome their financial burdens and bring some order back to their lives.

An experienced car accident lawyer can assess your case and fight for the best settlement possible. Although it may be tempting to settle for a lesser amount than you’re entitled to however, it could be detrimental to your future recovery. If you sign the settlement agreement, you are giving up the right to file further claims or seek justice for any additional losses related to the accident.