The Benefits of Hiring a Car Accident Lawyer After a Crash

Being involved in a car crash can be traumatic, especially if you suffer severe injuries and other damages. However, our team of automotive accident lawyers could help you receive the rehabilitation and compensation to which you are entitled. You could qualify for damages such as healthcare costs, pain and suffering, wage loss, and more.

Morgan & Morgan knows how overwhelming the aftermath of car accidents can be for victims and families. We understand what you are going through, and we can be by your side during this challenging time. Contact us today for a free case evaluation to discover whether you qualify for compensation.

Common Causes of Automotive Accidents

Car drivers and other parties may be negligent and responsible for your accident and damages.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), risky driving behaviors contributing to car accidents include:

• Drunk or drug-impaired driving
• Distracted driving
• Drowsy driving

However, accidents can happen for various reasons, including reckless driving, ignoring traffic laws, driving a defective vehicle, and bad road conditions.

If someone else caused your crash and injuries, you should not have to pay for their mistake. A Morgan & Morgan car accident lawyer could help you pursue damages from the responsible party for your crash.

When Do You Need an Automotive Accident Lawyer?

Getting legal advice as soon as possible after a crash can be beneficial for your claim, especially if your health and life are significantly affected. A Morgan & Morgan car accident lawyer can work on the legal aspects of your case, leaving you to focus on getting better. Hiring a lawyer can be critical in the following circumstances:

• Someone Else Caused Your Accident

In some automotive accident claims, determining fault and receiving compensation from the responsible party’s insurer is straightforward. However, for many crash victims, the long fight for justice begins after the crash. Hiring an attorney to navigate the legal process can be crucial for getting what you deserve.

Moreover, if your accident happened due to bad road design or lack of road maintenance, you could have a case against a local authority. Such claims are generally challenging and, in many states, require a number of additional legal steps. An attorney can help you determine who is responsible for your crash and pursue damages on your behalf.

• You Suffered Severe Injuries

Car crash injuries can be catastrophic and disabling, changing victims’ lives in one split second. Significant injuries such as complex fractures, loss of limbs, internal injuries, and brain damage can result in astronomical medical bills and wage losses over a victim’s lifetime. If your livelihood and future life is on the line, and a lot of money is at stake, an experienced attorney at Morgan & Morgan can protect you and fight for the total value of your claim.

• You Have High Damages

Expenses from an automotive accident can quickly mount up, overwhelming victims and families. Consider working with an experienced lawyer if you have the following expenses due to a crash:

• Steep medical costs
• Car and other property damage
• Wage loss
• Out-of-pocket expenses

Insurance claims with significant damages are typically hotly contested, and insurance companies may try to deny or minimize a settlement. An attorney can level the playing field, take on an insurer, and fight for what you deserve, if necessary, at trial. If an insurer has already refused or reduced your claim, contact an attorney immediately for help and advice.

• You Have Some Responsibility for the Car Accident

If you are partially responsible for the crash, getting the actual value of your settlement can be tricky, and you could run into headwinds. Expect the at-fault driver, insurance, and attorney to argue that you have a higher degree of fault to try and get out of paying your claim. Having a tenacious attorney by your side can be critical for protecting your rights and ensuring you are not getting shortchanged.

What Are Common Automotive Accident Injuries?

Car crash injuries can range from minor to severe and fatal. Some of the most common injuries in automotive accidents include:

• Whiplash

Whiplash is a very common car accident neck injury, involving muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Mild whiplash is typically harmless and can heal on its own. However, severe whiplash can keep you from your personal and work obligations for some time and may even become chronic.

• Soft Tissue Injuries

Sprains, strains, and bruising can be typical soft tissue injuries experienced in automotive accidents. While these types of injuries are generally minor or moderate, they can be excruciatingly painful and take some time to heal fully.

• Fractures

Broken bones can be common in serious car crashes, particularly fractures of the legs, ankles, arms, and ribs. Simple bone breaks may need little medical intervention to heal. However, significant and complicated fractures, such as crush injuries and compound fractures, may require several surgeries. Victims with severe fractures may suffer permanent mobility problems and loss of function.

• Head and Brain Injuries

Due to the force of impact in many car crashes, head injuries such as concussions and traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be typical accident injuries. While a mild TBI affects brain cells temporarily and can heal on its own, a moderate or severe brain injury can have devastating consequences. According to the Mayo Clinic, a severe TBI can cause:

• Cognitive impairments
• Seizures
• Profound confusion
• Memory loss
• Loss of consciousness
• Coma

• Death

   

• Disfigurement and Scarring

In many car accidents, glass and objects fly and potentially collide with individuals. Moreover, a severe impact could cause an individual’s head to slam into the steering wheel, airbag, or dashboard. The result may be disfiguring facial and dental injuries. Disfigurement from facial injuries may require costly plastic and dental surgery and could leave victims with lasting scars.

• Limb Amputations

In severe accidents, limbs may be crushed or severed and, in some cases, require surgical amputation. Amputations can have long-lasting implications on an automotive accident victim’s physical and mental health.  

• Emotional Injuries

Automotive accidents can also leave deep emotional scars. Victims may suffer from flashbacks, insomnia, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after getting hurt in a severe crash.

This list is not exhaustive; car crashes can cause many other physical and emotional effects. However, if you or a loved one got hurt due to another’s fault, you could qualify for compensation from the responsible party or their car insurer. Morgan & Morgan is here for you. We want to help car accident victims recover the compensation they need to pay their medical bills and other losses and rebuild their lives.

What Compensation Could You Receive With an Automotive Accident Claim?

Depending on the facts of your accident, the severity of your injuries, and the extent of your financial damages, you could receive compensation for:

• Car Repair or Replacement
• Medical expenses and future healthcare costs
• Income loss and loss of future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Disability
• Permanent disfigurement
• Loss of life enjoyment

Damages in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit

If your loved one died in an automotive accident, you could have grounds for filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the liable party. The compensation you could pursue includes:

• Medical bills before death
• Burial and funeral costs
• Pain and suffering before death
• Loss of companionship (spouse)
• Loss of parental guidance (minor children)
• Loss of financial support and services

An attorney from our firm can help determine the damages you could seek with a personal injury or wrongful death claim.

How Does Morgan & Morgan Fight for Automotive Accident Victims?

If you or a loved one suffered significant injuries and damages in a car crash, you need a tenacious automotive accident lawyer in your corner. Our attorneys can leave no stone unturned to fight for your best interests, including:

• Providing you with personalized and compassionate legal advice
• Analyzing your accident with professional investigators
• Identifying the responsible parties in your crash
• Liaising with your healthcare providers
• Calculating the total value of your claim
• Collecting critical evidence proving your claim
• Negotiate a settlement with the insurance company
• Fighting vigorously for you at trial

Unlike many personal injury law firms, we don’t accept an insurance company’s last best offer and collect our fee with little effort. Morgan & Morgan is prepared to fight hard for you. We never settle for less because we believe you deserve your claim’s full value.

Morgan & Morgan analyzes all car accident cases comprehensively to understand the full impact on victims. We don’t want you to risk leaving money on the table in negotiations. If an insurance company refuses an adequate settlement, we will see them in court. Morgan & Morgan has helped thousands of injured victims and families recover what they deserve, and we could help you too.

What Is the Average Car Accident Settlement?

There is no average car crash settlement amount, as each case is unique. The impacts of injuries, such as emotional distress and loss of life quality, can differ even between individuals with similar injuries. For example, when a professional athlete suffers a significant or disabling injury in a rear-end crash, their career may be over, causing enormous financial and emotional consequences.

What you can receive will depend on the facts of your accident, including:

• The severity of your injuries
• Your medical expenses
• The extent of car and other property damage
• Your income losses
• Your degree of fault for the accident

An automotive accident lawyer at Morgan & Morgan can assess your specific claim and determine the approximate worth.

What Can I Do to Help My Case?

If you suffered severe injuries and significant financial losses due to another party’s careless or reckless conduct, working with a skilled car accident lawyer is the most effective way to get what you deserve. That said, you can also take some steps to help your case and maximize your potential accident settlement, such as:

• Stay at the crash scene and cooperate with law enforcement officers
• See a doctor immediately after your crash and follow your treatment plan
• Contact your car insurance company promptly
• Collect evidence such as photographs of the accident and injuries
• Retain any receipts of crash-related out-of-pocket costs, such as transport expenses, costs of medications, and others
• Only talk to your attorney about your injuries and accident details
• Refrain from posting details of the crash on social media
• Cooperate fully with your lawyer and promptly respond to requests for information

How Much Does an Automotive Accident Lawyer Cost?

Many car accident lawyers work on a contingency basis, meaning clients only pay attorney’s fees if the attorney wins the case. The fee is typically a percentage of the recovered settlement or verdict. If the attorney loses the case, they don’t get paid. However, some attorneys ask clients to pay legal expenses when they arise, such as:

• Court filing costs
• Expert witness fees
• Mailing costs
• Deposition expenses

In more complex cases, these legal fees can amount to hundreds or thousands of dollars. Morgan & Morgan thinks all injured victims are entitled to receive the best legal representation possible. Therefore, we do not charge clients a dime upfront. When we handle your automotive accident case, you only pay us if and when we win, and you receive damages.

We Want You to Have the Best Chance of Winning

Morgan & Morgan takes pride in protecting the people and not the powerful. We never represent insurance companies or other large corporations because we want to help injured people like you receive what they need to rebuild their lives after getting hurt.

We see the consequences of car accidents every day in our practice and understand the mental, physical, and financial turmoil victims face. Don’t go it alone. Morgan & Morgan can fight for justice and compensation on your behalf. Contact us today to determine your next best steps in a free, no-obligation case evaluation.