Getting compensation for your injuries after a car crash can be difficult. Insurance companies and their drivers will often deny liability and fight to block you at every single turn. It is often only after concentrated negotiations or even a court battle that victims get the full compensation they deserve for their injuries.
Our attorneys can help you every step of the way, from filing your claim to making sure the damages you claim in your case fully account for your injuries. We can also help you gather strong evidence and seek to build an ironclad case to help you get what you need from a car accident injury claim.
Call Howe Law’s car accident attorneys today at (844) 876-4357 to get a free case review and learn more about your options after a serious injury in a car accident.
Do I Have to File a Lawsuit to Get Compensation After a Car Accident in Hendersonville, TN?
Drivers are required to carry car insurance, but they are not always sure what their car insurance does or how it covers them after a crash. The option of filing a car accident lawsuit is usually there after a crash, but it is not necessary in every case. Understanding whether you file an insurance claim or a lawsuit – and what the pros and cons of each route to compensation are – is important if you have been injured in a car crash.
Insurance Claims
Insurance is meant to replace the need for a lawsuit. In Tennessee, we use a “fault” or “tort” system for car insurance. That means that each driver carries insurance to cover them if they cause a crash, and the victim files with the at-fault driver’s insurance to get compensated. You can file an insurance claim, accept what they give you, and be done with your case. But doing so might mean that you leave thousands of dollars on the table.
Insurance companies often refuse to cover the full value of your damages, instead opting for a lower settlement value. They do this because they know it will cost you more time and money to take your case to trial, and they hope to encourage quick settlements that save them the time and expense of trial, too. However, most victims can pay for their car accident lawyers and the cost of going to trial out of the damages they win in court, which often means higher damages overall than what insurance will pay you.
However, insurance is a lot faster than going to trial in most cases. If your injuries are not too severe or you suffered property damage only, then filing through insurance might get you everything you need – or close to it – in only a few weeks’ time. Our attorneys can guide you through the process of filing and help you negotiate with insurance companies, hopefully encouraging a speedy settlement. But we can also help you understand if insurance is insufficient and a lawsuit is necessary.
Lawsuits
When you go to court, the insurance company is no longer the one with all the power. When settling through an insurance claim, the insurance company will be the one making decisions about what your injuries are worth and whether their driver caused them. In court, a third party – the neutral jury – will make that decision instead. This can help you get damages when the insurance company stonewalls you or refuses to accept your claim.
In court, you can also potentially get damages covered that the insurance company refuses. Car accident claims should pay you for all damages that arise as a consequence of the accident. This can include things like loss of consortium, childcare needs during your treatment, and future lost earnings – all damages that the insurance company might try to fight you on. When the jury decides your damages instead, the court can order payment for damages the insurer would otherwise refuse.
Additionally, when you go to trial, punitive damages might be available. These damages can only be paid in cases where the defendant’s actions were very dangerous, but they are never paid through an insurance claim and only come from trials.
Common Injuries for Car Accident Victims in Hendersonville, TN
Car accident victims can face a wide variety of injuries, from mild things like cuts and scrapes to moderate injuries like whiplash and broken bones to severe, life-altering injuries like paralysis and brain injuries. Our lawyers can help you with all of these injuries and more:
Cuts, Scrapes, and Bruises
Often, these injuries are not too severe, but they nonetheless might require medical care. If you paid for medical expenses for these injuries, you should be entitled to compensation. Sometimes, these injuries can create substantial scarring, which is also worth damages (usually included under the umbrella term “pain and suffering”).
Broken Bones
Broken bone injuries can range from mild to severe, and they can have a vastly different impact on your life depending on your age and physical well-being, as well as where the break is located. Broken wrists, arms, legs, and ankles often take at least 4-6 weeks to heal and mean total cessation of physical activities and work that involves using the affected arm or leg. More serious breaks can require surgeries to properly set the bone or install rods and pins. Broken ribs, hips, skulls, and vertebrae can affect you in different ways and potentially even endanger your life.
Whiplash
Whiplash is often considered a mild injury, but it can also range in severity. Whiplash injuries can also last for a long time or even affect you for the rest of your life, potentially causing substantial pain and suffering.
Paralysis and Brain Injuries
These injuries can result in lost movement and other motor skills. Brain injuries can lead to memory loss, trouble speaking, and disabilities that will affect you for the rest of your life. If you faced a spinal injury that resulted in paralysis or any other serious symptoms or you faced any kind of traumatic brain injury, get a lawyer to help you analyze the damages in your case.
Contact Our Car Accident Lawyers in Hendersonville Today
For a free review of your injury case, call the car accident attorneys at Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
