After a car accident, you may be feeling confused. You might be dealing with serious financial issues related to the accident and unsure of how to go about getting the help you need. Many car accident survivors hesitate to file a claim because they aren’t sure whether their injuries are serious enough.
If these thoughts have crossed your mind, you’re not alone. Here’s when a car crash injury should be considered serious and how to go about getting the compensation you need to get through this challenging time in your life.
Car Crash Injuries: Defining ‘Serious’
A serious injury isn’t only defined by the type of injury you suffered, but how that injury has affected your life. Even minor injuries can be considered serious under the worst circumstances. Someone suffering from a concussion after a car accident might not take it seriously since it’s not as apparent as a missing limb.
But they are shocked when they suffer from debilitating migraines for the next 20 years. This is just one example of how a “minor” injury has serious consequences. Although a concussion is not as evident as traumatic brain damage, amputations, or paralysis, the future impact of those injuries should all be considered to determine the value of your car accident claim.
Damages You Could Recover After a Serious Injury
After a critical car accident claim, you have the right to be fully repaid for your suffering. But you might be surprised at some of the damages that you may be entitled to in your claims. The more severe your accident was, the more damages you could be entitled to.
Economic Damages
Let’s first look at economic damages. Economic damages are the ways your life has been affected financially by your injuries. Some examples of economic damages you could recover include:
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning potential
- Medical expenses
- Property damage
- Loss of household services
- Increased insurance premiums
Non-economic Damages
But you also have the right to be compensated for non-economic damages. These losses don’t have monetary value. However, they are extremely valuable. Some of the non-economic damages you could be entitled to in your car accident claim for a serious injury include:
Punitive Damages
You could even be awarded punitive damages depending on the details of your case. But these are only awarded in cases where “gross negligence” or “abhorrent conduct” applies. In other words, cases that involve extremely careless or reckless behavior by the at-fault party.
The court may feel the need to punish the at-fault party beyond the compensation you’re entitled to. This is done in the form of punitive damages.
How to Maximize Your Injury Settlement
After you’ve suffered a serious injury, you will likely want to be sure that you’re getting the most out of your claim. After everything you have been through, it’s normal to want your efforts to pay off. To maximize your injury settlement, you need to be prepared to pursue both insurance and civil claims.
The insurance company will likely not cover the full extent of your damages. They are also typically only required to cover the costs of specific economic damages. Whatever you cannot collect from your insurance claim, you can seek in your civil car accident claim against the at-fault party.
Contact a Birmingham Car Accident Attorney Today
Did you suffer serious injuries in a catastrophic accident? Don’t let the liable party get away with it. Make them compensate you for your suffering. Get an experienced Birmingham car accident lawyer on your side to handle the legal details of your case.
Contact Belt, Bruner & Barnett, P.C. to schedule your no-cost, risk-free claim review. Fill out our quick contact form or call our office at 205-933-1500 to start your car accident claim today.
