In the unfortunate case that you are in a car accident, the first thing to do is getting checked out at a hospital. Even if you feel like you are 100 percent ok, injuries can come about months after the accident occurred. When you go to the hospital don’t just settle for a simple check on your vitals and an X-Ray, request an MRI or Cat-Scan. They will tell the full story of any soft tissue damage that can occur from even minor car accidents.
The next thing you will want to do is obtain legal advice and possibly retain a law firm to represent you. They know best what types of compensation you are entitled to after going through a car accident. This is true for both the party at fault as well as the victim. We pay very high premiums to maintain our car insurance, and in many cases you should seek legal assistance in getting the help you need for your property and health.
When seeking compensation for an accident there are a few categories that things fall into. You can seek help for your pain and suffering, replacement of services, wage loss, medical expenses, property damage, even the loss of value of your property. It is important to keep a paper trail when seeking compensation for your losses. Keep all receipts, medical documents, and any piece of paper relating to your accident for that matter.
Medical Expenses
When seeking compensation for the injuries you sustained in your accident, do not accept the low hanging fruit that your insurance company will offer you up front. They will claim to have an estimate of your projected medical costs and be willing to immediately cut you a check to get them off the hook for ongoing medical treatment. This is why it becomes important to retain a lawyer. They will know the ins and outs of what you can seek compensation for. Car accidents can result in serious back and neck injuries that may require multiple doctor visits for physical therapy, surgery, or even psychological help. You can get compensated for all of these services as well as the gas it took you to drive to your appointments.
Wage Loss
More than likely you will be forced to take time off of work at some point after your accident occurred. A person may only file a law suit one time after they are involved in a motor vehicle accident. If you feel fine at first, already settle with your insurance agency or other party involved then you cannot go back and seek compensation in the future. If an injury results in you having an inability to work or perform certain tasks you can get help through money or treatment to account for this. Make sure to keep record of all time that you miss at work due to the accident itself, doctor visits, and pain and suffering that prevents you from being present at your job. Tally all of this together and you will be happy you were diligent in doing this when the problems begin to arise later.
Property Damage
This is the most obvious and sought after type of compensation. Repairing a vehicle after an accident can be very expensive and in many cases insurance companies will total out the vehicle as being un-repairable. You will then be forced to get a completely new car unless you decide to repair it yourself and seek no compensation. Obviously you don’t want to take that rout and should seek the maximum amount you can be awarded for your repairs, rental vehicle, or replacement vehicle.
David Incorvaia is a Rollins College Senior. He majored in Music performance/business administration and currently performs around the southeast at various venues. Other then performing David enjoys trading options, reading, and cooking. He highly recommends the legal services of David R. Heil, P.A.
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