Car accidents are nothing new, and many people have experienced one at some point. While these events are common, they can still be incredibly dangerous.
Numerous people, parties, or entities might be to blame for causing an accident. Other drivers are often named in car accident cases. Delivery drivers, taxis, and even bus drivers are also sometimes at fault. To begin your car accident claim, you should talk to a lawyer about how your accident happened, potential evidence, damages, and various other aspects of your case. Damages available in car accidents may differ based on your injuries, losses, and personal experiences, but they are known to be substantial in some cases. To prove the existence of the damages and the defendant’s fault, we can help you look for evidence. The crash scene is a good place to begin, and we can also examine police reports, security cameras, and anything else we believe might lead us to evidence.
Arrange a confidential evaluation of your claims for no charge with our car accident attorneys of Howe Law by calling (844) 876-4357.
People Responsible for Cleveland, TN Car Accidents
Depending on how it happened, numerous parties and people might be held responsible for your accident. Generally, the other driver or drivers involved in your accident may be held liable for causing it. For example, if you were rear-ended at a red light, you can sue the driver who hit you. If you were injured in a crash caused by two speeding drivers who collided with each other before crashing into you, both of those drivers may be held liable.
In some cases, the driver that causes the accident is driving as part of their job, and they are on duty when the accident occurs. For example, you might be hit by a delivery driver or a taxi driver on duty. If this happens, you can sue the driver and their employer, under certain circumstances. If the accident happened because the driver committed some act of negligence in furtherance of their normal job functions, their employer can be held vicariously liable.
Sometimes, you might even be able to sue the government for causing your accident. For example, if the accident happened because the roads were poorly maintained or a government employee crashed into you, you might sue the relevant government entity.
This can be very difficult for several reasons. First, there are very strict deadlines to meet when suing the government. Generally, you have only a few short months from the accident to serve the government with notice of your claim. Second, government entities are often shielded from liability through sovereign immunity, although this immunity might be waived.
How to Start Your Cleveland, TN Car Accident Case
While you might be considering starting a lawsuit, you might not know exactly how to begin or what your first step should be. To get started, talk to a lawyer with experience with car accident cases. While many attorneys might handle various kinds of personal injury cases, you need one with car accident experience, like our team of legal professionals.
Our team can get started by assessing your accident and damages. Your damages should account for the losses and injuries you incurred from the accident. These should include monetary costs like hospital bills or vehicle repair bills in addition to more subjective injuries like emotional distress or physical pain. People are often surprised to find they have greater damages than they thought.
Next, our car accident lawyers can assist you in finding evidence to prove your claims and damages. Evidence might come from the area where your accident happened or from various other sources you might not expect. Physical evidence, photographs, video footage, and witness testimony are common in these cases. Keep in mind, the evidence available in your case will be specific to your circumstances.
We must draft and file a formal complaint with the court to initiate proceedings. The complaint will need much of the abovementioned information, including details about the accident, evidence, and damages. We must also make sure the defendant is served notice of the case when we file.
Available Damages in Cleveland, TN Car Crash Cases
Your injuries, financial losses, and painful emotional experiences from the car accident should be accounted for in your damages. We must claim these damages when we file the case, so everything should be assessed, analyzed, and evaluated as soon as possible.
Damages related to emotional distress are complex because they are highly subjective and do not come with a predetermined monetary value. While we can argue that you experienced severe emotional distress because of the accident, and we can even present evidence attesting to that fact, the jury might still not believe us. It is important to gather as much evidence as possible to support your claims so that the jury will award you fair compensation for everything you have been through.
Other damages are based on money and can be more easily tallied up. For example, a huge chunk of your damages will likely consist of hospital bills and medical treatment. Depending on your injuries, you might have received extensive treatment. Medical care can be extremely costly, and these costs should be included in your damages.
If you experienced harsh injuries, you might have stepped away from your job to recover. For some, they need some time to heal before they get back to work. For others, the time away from work is more long-term or indefinite. Either way, your lost income should be assessed and accounted for in your damages.
It is not unusual for people in car accidents to lose various items of personal property. For example, laptops, cell phones, jewelry, bags, and more might have been in your car when you were hit. The cost to repair or replace your damaged belongings deserves compensation.
Contact Our Cleveland, TN Car Accident Attorneys for Help Now
Arrange a confidential evaluation of your claims for no charge with our car accident attorneys of Howe Law by calling (844) 876-4357.
