subject: You Are Entitled To Road Accident Compensation [print this page] When, through absolutely no fault of your own, you suffer serious vehicle damage, personal injury, and property loss in a traffic accident, the law provides for your compensation. Work with your insurance agent and a personal injury attorney to win the full measure of road accident compensation you deserve.
Even minor road accidents may have major consequences.
Somehow, you feel it in the split-second before it happens. As you sit idling at the traffic signal, obeying all the traffic laws and behaving responsibly in every way, you feel the other driver bearing down on you. You can feel the other driver's speed, and you can see his distraction. The other driver has absolutely no idea you are there. And you know that, when the other driver finally does see you, he cannot stop in time. Looking wide-eyed in your rear-view mirror, you watch the other driver's approach with a kind of morbid fascination, bracing yourself at the very last moment for sharp, sudden, devastating impact.
The whole incident takes less than a minute. Its consequences can last for years. You are entitled to fair and equitable road accident compensation for all that you suffer.
The role of common sense in road accident compensation
In the wake of a road accident, gather information about the other driver's insurance, and get names and contact information from all eyewitnesses and emergency services personnel. If you are seriously injured, seek immediate medical attention, and keep all the records from your treatments. If your passengers are seriously injured, make sure they keep records of their treatments, too. All the victims are justly entitled to road accident compensation.
Studies show that accident victims who represent themselves with insurance companies and in legal proceedings typically settle their cases for far less than the law allows. The more eagerly the other driver's insurance company pursues a settlement, the more you should slow the negotiations and retain expert counsel. Look for an experienced, aggressive solicitor with special expertise in road accident compensation.
Naturally, you are entitled to compensatory damages for repair or replacement of your vehicle; and the driver at-fault should pay for all your medical expenses. You also are entitled, however, to incidental costs of the accident: Did you take time away from work? Did you receive trauma counselling? Did you require rehabilitation? Were you subject to panic and anxiety attacks? You deserve compensation for all you endured.
Roadside accident compensation includes compensatory damages for your "loss of the enjoyment of life." Although it seems cold and harsh to assign monetary value to life's pleasures, the courts must quantify the cost of your losses.
If, as a result of your accident, you cannot work in your garden without excruciating pain, the driver at-fault must compensate you for your loss; and the courts also may award "punitive damages," sending other drivers a message that the community will not tolerate recklessness and negligence.
If lower back and neck injuries keep you from your weekly soccer matches, roadside accident compensation must include serious consideration of this loss. No verdict or settlement satisfies equity's requirements without reasonable provision for restoring and maintaining your quality of life.
Seek professional assistance, so that you receive all the road accident compensation you need fully to recover.
