Maison Law represents car accident victims in California. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, the personal injury attorneys at Maison Law can help you get the compensation you need. Contact Maison Law today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
What is Included in a Car Accident Settlement?
An experienced personal injury attorney will help you receive a settlement to cover all damages related to your accident. One of the damages you can recover is economic damages. These damages refer to things that can be calculated to an exact amount. Economic damages generally include the following:
- Present and future medical expenses
- Loss of income, as well as the reduction in your earning capacity you’ve suffered from your car accident
- Cost of living with your injury, such as making your home disability accessible, purchasing a wheelchair or crutches, hiring a nurse or housekeeper
- Damage done to your property during the accident
A second form of damages you can recover from your accident is non-economic damages. Non-economic damages are intangible losses that are not monetary. Non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering caused by your injuries
- Stress and anxiety due to the nature of your accident
- Your mental state after a life-changing accident
- Loss of ability to enjoy life
- Loss of companionship or consortium
- Scarring, disfigurement, and permanent physical disability
A third form of damages includes punitive damages, however, these are rarely rewarded in a personal injury case. For punitive damages to be rewarded, your injuries must be as a result of another person’s intentional actions to do harm, or from extreme recklessness. An example of this in the context of a car accident would be drunk driving or road rage.
What Factors Can Influence My Settlement?
There are several factors that can impact the value of your car accident claim. The following factors can significantly influence your accident lawsuit settlement:
- If your injuries are permanent or not, or if they led to physical disfigurement
- Whether or not the injuries will permanently deprive you of earning an income in the future
- Your age
- Your occupation
- Whether you have a spouse, children, or other family members who can bring a loss of consortium claim
- What the driver was doing prior to the accident
- How poorly the driver was operating the vehicle
- The total amount of damages
- The “at-fault” party’s available insurance
- Percentage of liability assigned to each party
How to Maximize Your Car Accident Settlement
If you’ve suffered injuries in a car accident, there are certain steps you can take to help you maximize the amount you can recover. Maximizing your settlement is an essential part of recovering from your accident. After an accident, most insurance agencies will try to get you to settle for a much lower amount than your damages are worth. Insurance adjusters do not consider the long-term effects of major injuries and all the aspects of your life they impact. To ensure a fair settlement for your accident, it is recommended to do the following:
- Get examined by a medical professional. Suffering major injuries is not a time to act tough and attempt to “walk it off.” If you are injured, get examined by a doctor. Without a professional diagnosis, the insurance company will have just cause to assume you were never injured.
- Follow your doctor’s orders. By sticking to a treatment plan, you give yourself the best shot at a full medical recovery and show the insurance company how serious your injuries are.
- Keep and organize your receipts. Keep all documentation associated with your injury, especially documentation of your medical treatment.
- Get a quote for your vehicle damage. Reimbursement estimates for vehicle damages will be relatively low unless you provide proper documentation for what your damages are worth.
- Don’t wait to file your lawsuit. Time is limited when making an accident claim.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer in California
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident in California, our skilled team of accident attorneys at Maison Law will seek the maximum amount of compensation for your damages. Car accidents are complicated and traumatic situations that no one deserves to manage alone. For expert legal counsel, contact Maison Law today for a free consultation and case evaluation. We don’t charge our clients upfront and you will not pay a cent until we’ve won your case.
