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When you’re injured in a car accident, your life changes in an instant: one minute, you’re driving to the store or heading home from work, and the next minute, you’re facing medical bills, property damage repairs, and more. The expenses from a car accident add up quickly, and innocent victims can be stuck paying bills because of someone else’s negligence. If you were in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you deserve compensation for your injuries and emotional distress.
A Monroe car accident lawyer is here to protect your rights and get you the compensation you deserve. Our car accident lawyers have years of experience helping clients like you get the maximum payment for their injuries. Negotiating with insurance agents and gathering evidence of liability can add stress to this already difficult time in your life. Our team is here to handle your personal injury claim from start to finish so you can focus on your recovery and your health.
Please don’t feel like you must go through this experience alone. Call Benton & Benton Law for a free consultation about your case at 866-927-4290 today.
What Are the Leading Causes of Car Accidents?
With so many cars on the road, there are many reasons why car accidents happen. Determining the exact cause of your accident can help you assign liability as you pursue your personal injury case. Our car accident lawyers will help you assign liability when you tell us more about the accident scene and your injuries.
The leading causes of car accidents include:
Distracted Driving
Almost every driver has a cell phone in the car. When drivers are texting, talking on the phone, or checking their GPS, they could make mistakes on the road. Drivers could also be distracted by eating, talking to passengers, or changing the radio station.
Drunk Driving
Driving while drunk or on drugs is against the law for obvious reasons. Drivers who are not in complete control of their faculties can cause dangerous accidents. If you were hit by a drunk driver, you may have a criminal case as well as a civil case on your hands.
Disobeying Traffic Laws
Failing to stop at stop signs, failing to yield, speeding, and other unlawful actions can cause car accidents. When a driver breaks the rules of the road, they are clearly at fault for any car accident injuries.
Poor Weather
Rain, ice, hail, and snow can make it difficult to drive. However, all drivers are expected to maintain control over their vehicles on the road.
Poor Road Conditions
Potholes and improperly labeled street signs can cause car accidents. In this case, the municipality that maintains the roads could be liable for your injuries.
Reckless Driving
Speeding, swerving, and excessive braking can cause car crashes. Drivers who engage in dangerous behavior can be held liable for an accident they cause.
What Types of Car Accidents Are the Most Common?
Just like there are many causes of car accidents, there are also many types of car accidents. The type of accident you’re in can affect the severity of your injuries and your property damage.
The most common types of car accidents are:
Rear-End Collisions
When the front of one car hits the back of another car, it’s a rear-end collision. This type of accident often happens when the back driver isn’t paying attention to the road or is going too fast to stop in time. Rear-end collisions can lead to extensive property damage and injuries.
Head-On Collisions
Head-on collisions occur when the front ends of two cars collide. They tend to happen at intersections when the at-fault driver does not stop or yield properly. Head-on collisions can cause fatal injuries.
Sideswipes
When the front end of a car swipes the side of another car, it is called a sideswipe. These accidents are still dangerous, but they often cause more property damage than injuries.
Backing Collisions
A backing collision is caused by a car backing up without looking and hitting another car. This type of accident is most common in a parking lot.
Rollover Accidents
When a car flips and rolls over, all passengers inside are at risk for serious injuries. Rollover accidents often involve multiple cars at high speeds.
What Are the Most Common Injuries After a Car Accident?
Car accidents have the potential to cause severe injuries, even in minor accidents. Many accident victims have extensive damage that requires long-term medical care. By working with an experienced car accident lawyer, you can recover compensation for all of your medical costs both now and in the future.
Many accident victims suffer the following injuries:
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back injuries
- Whiplash
- Soft tissue injuries
- Internal injuries
- Burns
- Broken bones
- Chest injuries
Severe accidents can even cause fatal injuries. If your loved one passed away because of their injuries from a car accident, you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit on their behalf. Wrongful death suits provide money to the surviving family members of the deceased to pay for medical bills, funeral costs, and more. If you are interested in pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit, contact a car accident lawyer on our team today.
What Kinds of Damages Can You Seek in a Car Accident Case?
When you pursue a car accident claim, you can ask for compensation for any financial losses you suffered because of the accident. Financial losses can include both economic and non-economic damages. Generally, you must be able to prove the extent of these damages (with bills, receipts, and other documentation) and that they were directly caused by the defendant’s actions.
Many car accident victims ask for the following types of damages:
Economic Damages
Economic damages can be proved with bills and receipts. These damages are easy to calculate and easy to prove with evidence. Economic damages include:
- Medical bills
- Future medical treatment
- Lost wages from taking time off work
- Loss of future income
- Property damage or replacement
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are subjective and can be calculated by you and your car accident lawyer. Non-economic damages have more to do with your emotional state and your mental health during and after the accident. These damages can include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship
Punitive Damages
In some car accident cases, you may be able to seek punitive damages on top of your other damages. These damages are awarded when the defendant is found to have behaved maliciously or recklessly. In many car accident cases, these damages are awarded when a defendant was found driving drunk or on drugs. If you’d like to learn more about punitive damages, contact our law firm today.
How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Claim?
When you’ve been in a car accident, filing a claim for compensation can seem overwhelming. The good news is that in Georgia, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a claim. This timeline is called a statute of limitations, and all states have different statutes for personal injury claims.
If it’s been longer than two years since your car accident, you may still be able to file a claim if your case falls under an exception. One exception is if your injuries were not immediately obvious or apparent. If that’s the case, you would instead have two years from the date you were diagnosed with your injuries to file a claim.
Because of this timeline, it is essential to work with a personal injury lawyer right away. Personal injury claims take time, especially complex cases that involve large settlements. To learn more about how you can receive fair compensation, contact our office today.
What Should You Do After a Car Accident?
Getting into a car accident is a very frightening experience and not one that many people are prepared for. Knowing what to do immediately will help you keep yourself safe while also gathering evidence that will help you file a claim later.
If you’ve been in a car accident, take the following steps:
Pull Over
If your car is in the way of traffic, pull over to the side of the road if you can. Signal the other driver to do the same.
Call the Authorities
The police will help you move your vehicle and can also render aid to anyone who needs it. If anyone needs emergency medical attention, call an ambulance as well.
Exchange Information
Get the other driver’s name, phone number, insurance company name, and insurance company policy. You will need all of this information to file a car accident claim.
Take Photos
Photos and videos of the accident help bolster your claim. Take pictures of both cars, the area you are in, and any injuries you have sustained.
Seek Medical Attention
Even if you don’t feel injured right away, there’s a good chance you have internal injuries that aren’t immediately obvious. Get checked out by a medical professional to make sure you receive the care you need.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer
The sooner you contact a team of car accident lawyers, the sooner we can begin working on your case. Call a lawyer right away so you get the maximum compensation that you deserve.
Do You Need a Car Accident Attorney?
Getting into a car accident can leave you with extensive injuries that change your life. Medical costs alone can leave you in thousands of dollars of debt. Add on the cost of property damage repair and lost wages, and you and your family could be facing huge expenses for an accident that wasn’t your fault. By working with an experienced car accident lawyer, you can recover your damages and get compensation for what you have been through.
Benton & Benton Law is here to advocate for your rights and get you the outcome you deserve. We will not stop fighting until you have received the full payment you need for all of your damages. If you’d like to learn more about our services and how we can help you, call us today for a free consultation at 866-927-4290.