Accident Claims

After you've been in an accident, it's important to make a timely and well-organized accident claim in order to receive compensation for your injuries, costs, and damages. The claim may be submitted to an insurance company, a defendant, or to the legal representative of the defendant. Contacting an experienced attorney can help you make an accident claim and deal with all necessary parties.

Who Is Responsible for the Accident?
A fundamental question following any accident is that of liability. Liability is the legal concept that is essentially the same as "fault" — the question of who is at fault for the accident. Although the concept sounds simple, the determination of liability is sometimes not simple at all. In many cases, more than one party (person or corporation or other legal entity) is liable.

Sometimes the person who is making the accident claim is liable to some degree for his or her accident. Percentages are often used by a court or jury to describe liability — for example, a plaintiff (the accident victim) being found 30 percent liable, and the sole defendant being 70 percent liable.

Even if the person making the claim is partially liable, he or she may still be eligible to recover damages.

How Much Is Your Accident Claim Worth?
Although the same types of accidents are common—for example, car accidents , slip and falls , etc.—every particular accident is unique.

Figuring out how much one's accident claim is worth is not an exact science. Some of the consequences of an accident are easy to describe, and it's easy to put a dollar amount to them. Other consequences are not so easily explained. The following are the most common losses taken into consideration when determining compensation in an accident claim:

Medical costs and related expenses
Income lost because of the accident, because of time spent receiving medical treatment or undergoing rehabilitation
Permanent disfigurement or physical disability
Emotional damages, such as stress, depression, embarrassment, or strains on family relationships
Loss of family, social, or educational experiences (e.g., missed school or training, vacation, or a special event)
Damaged property
A Personal Injury Attorney Can Help

Whatever your damages or the type of accident you've suffered, it can be very helpful to have the guidance of an experienced attorney when you make an accident claim.

Whether your accident was very recent and you haven't begun the accident claim process, or if you're already further along in the process, the oversight of a skilled attorney could make the difference between a successful claim and an unsuccessful one. Contact a qualified attorney today to arrange a private consultation — your circumstances and options will be explored in detail.