Car accidents are traumatic. A car accident can leave you feeling alone and unsure where to turn for help—and you may still be in pain, physically and emotionally. Our Buford car accident lawyers understand, and we’ve helped accidents victims in the same position for decades. Let us help you get the care—and the money—that you need.
Our attorneys do just one thing: we help accident victims recover money for their injuries. We can talk with you about your accident and help you understand your options, at no charge. Your consultation is always FREE, and we won’t charge you anything unless we get you paid. Don’t wait. Call us at (404) 341-6555 or fill out the form to the right to get your free consultation today.
What does a car accident claim pay for?
In general, a car accident claim will pay all the costs you’ve had – or expect in the future – because of the accident. This includes your doctor and hospital bills, plus the cost of filling prescriptions and getting physical or occupational therapy. It also includes the cost of being out of work because of the accident. If you couldn’t go to work and didn’t get paid, you can recover your lost wages. And an accident claim will pay for the damage to your car.
Some accident victims are eligible for other types of money as “damages.” There are three main types:
- General damagesare an effort to compensate you for losses that aren’t necessarily financial, but that have a serious effect on your life. For example, you may have to adjust to life with a disability, or you may not be able to parent your child as fully as you used to. Or you may simply be in pain. These types of damages often are combined as an award for “pain and suffering.”
- Punitive damagesare awarded to you, but their purpose is to punish whoever caused your accident. Punitive damages are only available if someone’s conduct was especially outrageous. The most common reason for awarding punitive damages in a car accident case is that the driver at fault was under the influence.
- Wrongful death damagesare paid to close family members of a person who has died in a car accident. These damages cover many of the same types of things as ordinary car accident claim and also include the value of the deceased person’s life.
I still have trauma from the accident. Will my accident claim pay for me to see a counselor?
In some cases, a car accident claim will also cover the cost of any mental health treatment you need. If you suffered physical and emotional injuries, your costs will be covered. But if your injuries were only emotional, they will not. For example:
- If you suffered whiplash because of a rear-end accident and you now are afraid to drive again, your emotional trauma is covered along with your physical injuries.
- If you escaped without injury but you are still reliving the accident in your mind and having trouble getting through daily routines and doing your job, your mental health treatment would not be covered.
This is one benefit of seeing a doctor soon after your accident. A doctor can diagnose and treat your injuries, even if they are relatively minor. And if you then develop psychological symptoms, it is more likely that your insurance claim will cover that treatment too.
My injuries were minor. Should I still file a claim?
Yes, for two reasons:
- The law allows you to recover all the costs of the accident.Health care is expensive, and even a minor injury can leave you with hundreds of dollars in medical bills. There is no reason for you to pay those costs yourself when the accident was someone else’s fault.
- “Minor” car accident injuries can grow worse over time.Some injuries, like whiplash, may not have any symptoms at all until several days or weeks after the accident. Just because your injuries seem minor right now doesn’t mean they won’t turn into conditions that need expensive, ongoing care. Filing a claim protects your rights in case your injuries turn out to be worse than you thought.
What if the insurance company wants me to give them a statement?
It’s natural to want to be cooperative and help the insurance company resolve your claim quickly. And if the accident wasn’t your fault, you may feel you have nothing to lose by letting the insurance company record a statement from you. In fact, you have everything to lose, because the recorded statement is designed to find ways the insurance company can avoid paying you.
Insurance companies make money by denying claims. They train their representatives to ask you questions that may confuse you or trip you up, causing you to apologize or say things that make it look like you weren’t really injured. You do not have to give the insurance company a statement, no matter what they tell you. The best response is to tell the insurance company that you need to talk to your lawyer first. Then schedule a consultation with an Atlanta Georgia car accident lawyer.
A lawyer can tell you whether you should give the insurance company a statement. A lawyer can handle the insurance company negotiations for you, making sure you don’t get taken advantage of. A lawyer can put together the kinds of information and evidence the insurance company wants to see before it will make a reasonable settlement offer. With a lawyer on your side, you stand to win a much larger financial recovery.
Talk to a Buford Car Accident Lawyer for Free
Our lawyers know how to get the insurance company to pay you what your claim is worth. Let us give you a free consultation and put our decades of experience to work for you. We won’t charge you if we don’t get money for you. Call us at (404) 341-6555 or fill out the form to the right to get your free consultation today.