Common Car Accident Injuries and How a Lawyer Can Help

Instantaneous life changes can occur due to car accidents. One moment, you’re driving down the road without a care in the world. The next, a reckless driver smashes into your vehicle and sends your body violently careening inside the car. In that crucial moment, injuries can occur that will forever alter your physical abilities and financial future.

This article provides insight into the injuries that commonly arise from car crashes. We’ll also go over how a skilled personal injury attorney can manage your recovery by battling for the full amount of money you’re entitled to.

Common Types of Car Accident Injuries

Injuries from auto accidents can take many different forms. Impact injuries and penetrating injuries are the two main categories into which injuries typically fall.

Impact injuries occur when a person’s body strikes an interior part of the vehicle or exterior objects during or after the collision. For example, hitting one’s head on the side window or being ejected and hitting the ground.

Penetrating injuries happen when loose objects inside the vehicle puncture or cut into a person. Shattered glass can cut skin.

Both impact and penetrating injuries require proper medical diagnosis and documentation, as victims may pursue compensation.

Tragically, some accidents prove fatal. Survivors of an injury may file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover damages if the injury causes death.

Head and spinal injuries warrant particular concern due to their severity and healing challenges. Traumatic brain injuries result from the head striking surfaces or whiplashing. Concussions also need treatment. Spinal cord injuries like paralysis could be immediate or delayed.

Facial injuries commonly involve scarring, bruising, broken bones, or eye damage. Injuries to the neck and chest often arise from forceful impacts with restraints or the steering wheel. Broken or bruised ribs can endanger internal organs. Whiplash twists the neck. Accident stress may trigger heart issues, especially for seniors.

Soft tissue injuries encompass sprains, strains, and bruising, which sometimes threaten internal health. Broken bones or dislocated joints commonly involve the arms and legs. Severe wrecks may necessitate amputations requiring prompt medical care.

Penetrating injuries can occur when sharp objects puncture the body during impact. Blunt force or punctures risk organ damage, sometimes causing internal bleeding.

Not all harm is physical. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a recognized mental health consequence for any trauma survivors, including car accidents. Symptoms warrant attention.

How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help?

Protecting Your Legal Interests

The main responsibility of a personal injury attorney is to safeguard your legal rights throughout the legal process following a car accident.

Fairly assessing relative fault is important when pursuing compensation through a settlement.

For example, recently, in Atlanta, in a head-on collision that resulted in one fatality and one critical injury, an experienced Atlanta car accident lawyer could help navigate the complex issues around liability and damages. They ensure your side of the story receives full consideration, even where others may have differing accounts of what transpired.

According to the Atlanta Personal Injury Law Firm, when multiple parties are involved in an accident, sorting out what happened and who is at fault can become quite complicated. Your lawyer will make certain your version of events and responsibility is properly represented against any other conflicting interests.

The goal in retaining counsel is to optimize the outcome and protect your ability to obtain suitable reparations for injuries, losses and suffering. Letting a legal expert advocate on your behalf prevents others from overshadowing your rights and potentially limiting a fair resolution.

Dealing with Claims After a Car Accident

After being involved in a car accident that was someone else’s fault, you will likely need to interact with their auto insurance company. The insurance company’s goal is to keep claim payouts as low as possible in order to maintain profits. They use claims adjusters whose job is to investigate what happened, assess any damages, and determine an appropriate settlement amount.

While claims adjusters may seem friendly, their true loyalty lies with their employer – the insurance company. As a result, they may try to downplay injuries or argue that you shared some responsibility for the crash in an attempt to reduce settlement costs.

This is where retaining an experienced car accident attorney can provide significant benefits. A lawyer can advocate on your behalf during negotiations with the claims adjuster, helping to ensure you receive full and fair compensation for your losses and injuries.

In states with no-fault insurance systems, you usually submit claims to your own auto insurer first, regardless of fault. These states require personal injury protection (PIP) coverage for injury claims.

You can only sue another driver in no-fault states if certain criteria are met, such as suffering serious injuries. In no-fault states, there is still room for property damage claims against the at-fault party’s liability coverage.

Outside of no-fault systems, optional auto insurance options like PIP and medical payments (MedPay) coverage remain available to provide funds for injury treatment costs for yourself and your passengers. Working with an attorney can help navigate the insurance claims process following a car crash.

Understanding Contingency Fee Agreements for Car Accident Cases

Most attorneys who represent clients in car accident injury cases utilize a contingency fee payment structure. This means the lawyer only gets paid if they are successful in obtaining compensation for the client. The percentage of the entire amount recovered is used to compute the fee.

Typical contingency fee percentages range from 25%-40%, with 33% (one third) being very common. For example, with a 33% fee on a $90,000 settlement or award, the attorney would receive around $30,000.

The specific percentage may vary depending on how far the case progresses. Settlements obtained before a lawsuit is filed may carry a lower percentage in the 25-33% range. If the case requires filing a complaint, negotiating with insurance companies, and potentially going to trial, the fee may increase to 40% of any recovery.

It’s important for clients to review and understand their fee agreements carefully. Things like applicable percentages based on the case stage should be clearly explained. The terms are negotiable, so clients can potentially obtain a reduced fee if their case appears to present minimal legal challenges.

The contingency model provides injury victims access to legal support without large upfront costs. However, clients must take an active role in understanding fee obligations to ensure they receive maximum compensation for their damages and injuries. An experienced personal injury attorney can assist in these contractual matters.

FAQs

1. How can you help a person injured in a car accident?

A: It’s important to be cautious and gentle when helping someone injured in a car accident in order to avoid doing more damage. Turn the individual over onto their side and gently place them on the ground. Any tight clothing around their waist, chest, and neck should be loosened.

2. How can someone cope after a severe car crash?

A: Apart from consulting a professional, there are a number of free coping techniques that one can practice at home. Maintaining a journal can be a useful tool for processing feelings, spotting triggers, and tracking symptoms.

Prioritizing mental well-being after a traumatic car accident is extremely important.

3. What psychological issues can arise following a car accident?

A: Motor vehicle collisions are the leading civilian cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the United States. Car accidents can be highly traumatic experiences, often leading to prolonged feelings of panic, anxiety, and stress long after the physical injuries have healed.

In summary, car accidents can cause injuries, both physical and mental, that impact victims for life. By obtaining the services of a personal injury lawyer, individuals can ensure their legal rights are protected, their side of the story is properly represented, and they receive the full and fair compensation needed to pay for the care required due to another’s negligent actions.

A legal advocate is crucial to overcoming pressures from insurers and navigating the complex claims process following a crash.