Port Richmond Car Accident Lawyer
Vehicle accidents are frequent occurrences. They are so frequent that most people barely bat an eye at the mention of a collision. However, those involved in an accident might be severely hurt. High medical bills and other expenses might be more than you can afford, and a lawyer can help you file legal action to get financial compensation.
Car accidents are dangerous, painful, and costly. Between hospital bills, vehicle repairs, and other expenses, you might be ill-equipped to cover the monetary costs of a crash. An attorney can help you file an insurance claim, negotiate a private settlement, or take your case to court as a personal injury claim to get your fair financial compensation. Compensation should account for economic damages revolving around actual monetary costs in addition to non-economic injuries that are based more on painful experiences rather than money. We need evidence to prove your claims for damages. Where and how we collect evidence may depend on the unique circumstances of your accident.
Call our Staten Island car accident attorneys at The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083 to get a confidential, free case evaluation.
How You Can Get Financial Compensation After a Car Accident in Port Richmond
Auto accidents are known for being dangerous and expensive. Not only might you be gravely injured and in desperate need of emergency medical attention, but the accident might also come with significant financial costs. Even with insurance, covering these costs might be difficult. To get the financial compensation you need, you should speak to an attorney about your case as soon as possible.
Insurance Claims
In many cases, injured drivers turn to insurance first to help cover the costs of an accident. New York requires drivers to carry no-fault insurance, and injured drivers typically must file claims with their no-fault insurance policies first, according to I.S.C. Law § 5104(a). The great thing about no-fault insurance is that it is your own policy. The other driver might be uninsured or flee the scene, and you can still easily file a claim.
On top of that, you do not have to prove fault. Your no-fault coverage should help you regardless of who is to blame for the collision. However, like most insurance policies, your no-fault policy has its limits. If your damages exceed your policy limits, our car accident lawyers will determine if you have other legal options available to help you cover your costs.
Private Settlements
Another option is to reach a private settlement with the other driver. This may or may not involve their insurance company. If the other driver has liability coverage – which they are required to by law – their insurance company may help pay for the settlement. However, if the other driver is uninsured, you may still negotiate a settlement, but they would likely have to pay out of their own pocket.
Be careful when working out a settlement. The insurance company might try to undervalue your claims in the hope that you take the money and move on quickly. Even if you do not plan to pursue a civil lawsuit, you should still hire a lawyer to help you work out a settlement, especially if you believe the insurance company is lowballing you.
Lawsuits
Sometimes, insurance is not enough to cover all your damages. Perhaps your damages exceed the policy limits, or the insurance company denied your claims. Whatever the case might be, an attorney can help you take the matter to court as a personal injury claim. Under New York’s no-fault insurance law mentioned before, drivers cannot file lawsuits unless they have a “serious injury.” Such an injury is defined under § 5102(d). It may include significant disfigurement, death, loss of a fetus, dismemberment, fractures, permanent loss or limitation of a body part or system, or a medically diagnosed, non-permanent injury that stops you from performing various normal tasks of daily life for at least 90 days out of the 180 days after the accident.
Your lawsuit will not be restricted by things like policy limits. You may claim and recover the full extent of your damages, including those that might not be covered by insurance, like non-economic injuries.
Recoverable Damages in Port Richmond Car Accident Cases
The potential compensation in your case is based on the extent of your damages. These should account for the various economic costs and non-economic injuries you experienced as a direct result of the accident. In short, the greater your damages, the more financial compensation you might be entitled to after a car accident.
Non-Economic Damages
Your non-economic damages are often related to subjective personal experiences rather than actual money or costs. As such, they often cannot be proven by bills, receipts, or other evidence of costs. Instead, you may need to testify about how the accident affected your life. You might explain how the accident causes severe physical pain and intense psychological damage. Car accidents are often traumatic, and people might suffer mentally for years. If the accident left you with disabilities, scarring, or serious disfigurements, you might claim damages for the loss of enjoyment of your life. While these damages are quite subjective, they are often worth more compensation than plaintiffs realize.
Economic Damages
The ways in which the car accident cost you money may be summed up in your claim for economic damages. These kinds of damages revolve around money and costs and can be established with proof of expenses, like receipts. A major factor in economic damages for many plaintiffs is medical care. It is very expensive, especially for those in need of more extensive or long-term care.
We should also take the cost of your vehicle into account. You might be in need of expensive repairs or an entirely new vehicle. This is a massive expense, and it must be included in your claims for your compensation to be fair.
If your injuries make returning to work difficult or impossible, you might have to take a leave of absence. For many, this means losing income, which could not happen at a worse time. The longer you cannot work, the more income you lose, and the more dire your financial situation becomes. You can and should claim your lost income as part of your economic damages.
Contact Our Port Richmond Car Accident Lawyers for Assistance Now
Call our car accident attorneys at The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083 to get a confidential, free case evaluation.