subject: Working With A Car Accident Attorney To Determine Compensation [print this page] It is quite likely that a car accident attorney could be the best person to speak with when you are suffering from significant injuries or losses because of a vehicle incident. Often times, as the victim of such an attack, it is clear that individuals need to receive a settlement. However, the amount of such a settlement will range widely. What affects how much you get? What can you do to get the biggest possible end result? If you take the time to learn about your options by talking to an attorney, you will wind up better prepared when speaking to an insurance company.
What Factors Affect Your Compensation?
Your car accident attorney will tell you that numerous things contribute to the amount of compensation you can get for your incident. Of course, you have to show that you suffered the types of losses you are claiming. That is why medical bills, property damage repairs, and loss of work time all require documentation. Aside from this, though, you also need to consider other factors.
For example, what amount of pain and suffering can you claim? This is dependent on numerous factors including your specific losses. In some cases, if you were injured so badly that you no longer can do your job or you are forced to live with documented chronic pain, these will weigh heavily on the amount of compensation you should receive. You may also want to consider factors related to your loss of ability to do your job, such as the inability to stand for long periods or the loss of use of a limb. If these are factors affecting your life, you should speak about them with your lawyers.
What About Negligence?
Often, the police report will provide blame in the case. If not, it will be up to the insurance companies to determine who is at fault, unless you work with an attorney who can help you to prove your case. Additionally, there is the element of reckless behavior to consider. If the road was wet and slippery, the incident may really be an accident that was not preventable. In other cases, such as the rate of speed the other person was traveling, are well within the control of the other individual.
It is hard to say how much compensation you will receive for a case you were involved in and the victim of no matter how similar it is to other cases. However, it is best to work with a car accident attorney to find out what your options are. Talk about how your life has changed because of this incident and how they can affect the outcome.
