What Types of Compensation Can I Get if I Was Injured in a Car Accident?

Originally published: May 3, 2018

Updated: July 30, 2018

You only have one chance to get the compensation you are entitled to after a car accident. Getting the maximum amount of money you deserve plays a vital role in your recovery.

Auto accidents are often life-changing moments in a person’s life – and typically not for the better.

Crashes not only impact your means of transportation, but they can also be the root cause of severe bodily injury. The effects a crash can have, both to your possessions and your health, can be debilitating and tend to take an extreme toll on your wallet. If you’ve been in a car accident, shouldn’t you be focused on your physical recovery, rather than worrying about your medical expenses, property damages, and lost wages?

Yes, you should. After all, those are the things that are most important. Unfortunately, dealing with insurance companies is often a hassle, and they may end up offering less than what you need to recover. It is important to remember that you only have one chance to get the compensation you deserve when filing an auto accident claim. Once you sign a settlement agreement, you will be closing yourself off to any future negotiations.

Before making a decision or taking actions you may later regret, we urge to reach out to our team at Lovett Law firm, where you will have the chance to speak with a car accident attorney. We can help protect you and inform you of your rights while also pointing out some of the potential costs you may not have considered.

Compensation you may be entitled to after your car accident

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than six million car accidents occur each year in the United States. These accidents leave close to three million people suffering from serious injuries while proving fatal for more than 35,000 others.

When considering the amount of money you need from an insurance company settlement, many important factors are often overlooked. These may include:

• Current and future medical expenses. These are medical expenses that you’ve yet to pay. Yes, you need money to pay the bills you’ve already accumulated, but you also need to consider your recovery time and the amount of money it will take to pay for your pending treatments in full. These expenses typically include the costs of follow up visits, additional diagnostic testing, medications, and physical therapy.
• Your current and future lost wages. When you’re involved in a severe accident, there’s a good chance you’re going to need to take time away from work; and sometimes, depending on the injury, that time off becomes permanent. In many cases, this sudden, drastic change in your life will result in a temporary salary decrease, which many people cannot afford to live with. That said, you need to calculate the amount of money you could lose as a result of your estimated time off. Remember that even minor injuries can wind up impacting you for years into the future. You have to brace yourself for the possibility that you might eventually have to limit your work hours or switch professions, and this could result in lost earnings and benefits.
• Property and other types of damages. In addition to the damage to your vehicle and the cost of a rental while yours is being repaired or replaced, you may also eventually incur additional costs around your home, such as having to hire someone to perform tasks like cleaning or cutting grass. While not generally included in insurance settlements, your pain, suffering, and loss of quality of life is certainly a factor, as well as the impact your injuries have on your family members.

In some situations, you may be better served by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver. Under the Texas Statutes, you have up to two years after your accident to file a claim.

Do not settle for less than what you are entitled to in your car accident claim. For more information on how we can help you or your child in the wake of an accident, visit https://lovettlawfirm.com/ and call our auto accident attorneys at 915-757-9999 (El Paso, Texas) or 575-523-5555 (Las Cruces, New Mexico).