If you are currently in the Scottsdale, Mesa, or Phoenix, Arizona area and have met the unfortunate fate of being in an auto accident, then you are probably wondering what to do next. In this article, you will read about the recoverable damages that you, as a plaintiff, could expect from the court after filing a claim for a personal injury lawsuit. It is very important that you file a car accident lawsuit through a reliable, personal injury attorney, which means that you need not wait for a trial to receive your rightly deserved settlement.
In a car accident, the situation is often that you were driving down the highway and suddenly were struck by another vehicle, leaving you injured and with huge medical bills to cover out of your own pocket. Worse yet, you are unable to go to work due the nature of injuries, which are grievous in nature. This is when the next logical decision is to file a personal injury lawsuit against the defendant for the damages you have suffered.
Suffering the pain and trauma of a car accident is something no one wants to go through and is rarely something we would ever wish on anyone else. There are so many things that must be taken care of and thought over before proceeding. This is when you will want to ensure that you know certain legal terms and hire the right legal representation or law firm to help you recover your losses and understand the potentially confusing interactions with insurance companies. In addition, if you do not file the lawsuit and do so in a timely manner, you will not be able to claim your compensation.
What are compensatory damages?
During a car accident case, the victim is eligible to receive compensatory damages. The compensatory damages are losses which occurred due to car accident. In most cases, the injured party was left unable to work or lead a normal life. Whether the individual was the driver, motorist, passenger, bicyclist, and a pedestrian, they could all be eligible for compensatory damages.
Some of the damages include the medical bills for past and future treatments, the income that is lost from missing time at work, the mental suffering and pain, and the property damage caused to the vehicle. The damages a person has suffered are sometimes permanent or at least lasting consequences. When someone that has been injured makes these types of claims with an insurance company, they are considered to be damages for which the injured individual is entitled to recover.
How are compensatory damages determined?
Compensatory damages are calculated by adding the cost of the plaintiff’s medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and permanent injury. The plaintiff’s medical expenses should be provided and clearly mentioned in the documents. The cost of future medical care should be mentioned if they will be a result of the car accident. Establishing the income of the plaintiff and how much will continue to be lost is also considered. Additionally, calculated in is the fact of whether the plaintiff can earn money or is able to carry on with his/her life prosperously.
Questions to consider in assessing damages include whether the plaintiff was disabled temporarily or permanently? or whether the plaintiff experienced sleeplessness, emotional distress, anxiety, psychological/emotional difficulties, and/or PTSD? All these conditions have to be examined and evaluated by a medical doctor. It is important that the physician or hospital where you are getting your medical treatment is certified and licensed by the state as a reputable medical treatment establishment. Otherwise, your case will not be considered and you might not receive any compensation. All these matters can be made easier when you hire an experienced lawyer that works in personal injury cases.
Why to hire a personal injury attorney?
If you are from Scottsdale, Mesa, or Phoenix, Arizona, and need a skilled and determined Arizona personal injury lawyer, then you will want to know how to hire one. Hiring a good, experienced lawyer that can handle the complex issues you face in your case will enable you to receive a fair settlement. It is unfortunate that accident victims and their families are bearing the pain silently, when they can make use of an attorney who can help them hold the responsible parties accountable.
A professional, experienced attorney can help you find the right specialists in providing you with proper medical care. Attorneys typically deal with all sorts of specialists and medical professionals throughout their day. Let the attorney’s experience benefit you.
Having legal representation ensures that you are not losing an opportunity to recover all of your losses due to an insurance adjuster trying to take advantage of you and persuade you to accept an unfair and lower settlement. It is vital that you recover the losses you are suffering at no fault of your own.