When you set out on your day, your plan may involve a shopping list, meeting up for an appointment, showing up at work, or picking up your kids from school. None of those plans involved getting into a collision with another vehicle.
Sadly, those accidents happen frequently, and when they do, they can upend your life.
One of the quickest ways to get help in the aftermath of a crash is to speak to a qualified Lexington car accident lawyer. Consider the team at Thomas Law Offices. We have decades of combined experience as Lexington car accident lawyers dedicated to helping clients find a fast and fair resolution to their personal injury claims.
You’ll have questions if you’ve been involved in this type of incident. We can provide the answers to help you decide how to proceed with your claim. We can share all the potential obstacles you might face and offer strategies to overcome them. That support begins with a free case evaluation where we can hear what happened and get you the answers to the need to move forward.
How a Car Accident Impacts Your Life
109,291. That is how many Kentuckian lives were upended by traffic collisions in 2021. That is according to data collected by the Kentucky Transportation Center. The immediate impact of a serious crash is that you’ve lost your mode of transportation. You now have to get several estimates for the repairs.
While the car is being worked on, you have to make arrangements to replace it with a rental or adjust the schedule for the shared family car. You might also have to replace the car, which causes even more complications, like starting a new loan.
Problems with your car are not the only way you can be impacted by a car accident. Here’s what else you might be dealing with:
Physical Injuries
As with the severity of your car damages, your physical injuries from a car accident can also vary in severity. You can experience minor bruising, cuts, scrapes, and aches that can be handled with rest and over-the-counter medications. There are also Lexington car accidents that can cause more serious injuries, such as the following:
- Broken bones
- Neck and back injuries
- Head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Lacerations requiring sutures
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Nerve damage
- Internal organ damage
- Burns
- Loss of limb
- Crush injuries
- Financial Strain
The moment you leave the scene of an accident, the financial costs start to add up. They begin with the charges in the emergency room. That can be followed by surgery, hospitalization, return visits to your doctor, medical supplies, prescriptions, and physical therapy. The totals on those bills can quickly become overwhelming. You might find some relief from your personal insurance, but there could be limits to that.
Additionally, your injuries can require recovery time. Even missing one day from work can financially strain you and your family. That can be compounded if your recovery time stretches into weeks and months. In extreme cases, you might be prevented from going back to work. When someone’s negligence causes an accident, you are entitled to seek compensation for all those lost wages, future earnings, and medical expenses.
Psychological Injuries
In addition to the physical injuries, you can also suffer from psychological injuries. The trauma of a collision can have you struggling with depression, anxiety, and stress. There have also been instances where some people are afraid to drive again. This mental anguish can interfere with your work and relationships.
The total of these damages will be calculated by your Lexington car accident lawyer and presented to the at-fault driver’s insurance company. It is essential that the amount presented is reasonable but also will cover all your current and future losses.
Who Pays for Car Accident Damages?
Kentucky operates under the concept of a pure comparative state when settling accident claims. That means more than one person can be assigned blame for the accident. As a result, there is the potential that your final settlement amount could be reduced based on the percentage of blame you are assigned.
This is another reason you need a skilled Lexington car accident attorney like the team at Thomas Law Offices. We have a team of experienced investigators that we bring into every case to help assess who is at fault. We will examine the following possible causes of an accident:
- Speeding
- Driving under the influence
- Distracted driving
- Aggressive driving
- Failure to stop or yield
- Ignoring traffic lights
The burden of proof is on the car accident victim. The other driver can state it wasn’t their fault. That means you and your attorney have to prove otherwise. In civil complaints, the burden of proof is by “a preponderance of the evidence” and not “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
That preponderance is often easier to prove because you’re asking a jury to believe that the evidence presented supports the idea that the driver is more likely than not to have caused the accident.
Here are some of the typical pieces of evidence our team will collect in support of your version of the accident:
- Police crash report
- Witness testimony
- Medical records
- Cell phone photos
- Surveillance and dashcam videos
- Expert analysis
- At-fault driver’s DMV history
- Road and weather conditions
There might also be additional parties that can be named in a personal injury lawsuit. That will often be the case with collisions involving trucks.
With those accidents, there could be issues with the trucking company that hired the driver, the crew that loaded the truck, or the mechanics that service the truck that can be held accountable in the accident.
How To Support Your Claim
The first case evaluation discussion you have with your Lexington car accident lawyer will allow you to have all your questions answered. Although they will take over the communications and negotiations with the insurance company, you still have a part to play in supporting your claim.
Following Your Doctor’s Orders
When you seek treatment from a doctor for injuries sustained in a car accident, it is essential that you follow your doctor’s orders. That might seem obvious. However, in some situations, you might start feeling better than stop with your prescriptions or physical therapy.
An insurance company can look at those gaps in your treatment and use them as proof that your injuries might not be as painful or severe as you claim. That could help them justify paying a lower settlement.
You have to attend all the follow-up appointments and keep documents of all your encounters with medical professionals. Make sure to attend all follow-up appointments and maintain documentation of all your injuries.
Avoid Social Media
Just as your attorney’s investigators have every right to look into the history of the at-fault motorists, the insurance company has every right to look into your history, including your social media posts.
You might feel compelled to show photos and posts about your accident injuries. There is nothing wrong with sharing your progress with your friends and family in private. When you post that you’re back at work or enjoying a vacation, it can be another reason why the insurance company can argue that your injuries aren’t as bad as you’ve made them out to be.
Questions To Ask Your Lexington Car Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in a car accident and are unsure of your next step, the Thomas Law Offices can help. We offer a free case evaluation where you can get answers to the following questions:
- What experience do you have with car accident claims?
- How much do you charge to help with my case?
- How much is my case worth?
- How long will it take to resolve my claim?
- What is the best way for us to communicate?
- Will we have to go to trial?
- Can we settle out of court?
While we might not have specific details about the amount of compensation you can be awarded, we can provide you with a range of possible outcomes.
We’ll also discuss the challenges you might face. We pride ourselves on being upright with our clients. We’ll never make a decision without first getting you fully informed.
If you’re ready to discuss your case, our Lexington car accident lawyer is ready to listen.
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