There are over six million crashes each year on American roads, and unfortunately, many of these occur when the roads are busiest during the morning or the afternoon school run. Car accidents can have serious consequences and indeed, three million of these crashes result in injuries. The cost of car accidents each year in the US is more than 800 billion dollars, and whether a traffic incident was entirely accidental or occurred as the result of irresponsible behavior, victims are entitled to compensation to help mitigate any injuries or damage to their vehicle or property. Moms who have been in a crash can claim compensation for medical bills, car repairs, and loss of earnings.
Here are some helpful tips for moms who got involved in a car accident.
1. Hire a Good Law Firm
The first helpful tip for moms who have been in a car accident is to hire a good law firm. Accident lawyers will take on the burden of your case and ensure that you get the best possible financial outcome. An experienced legal team will prepare your statements and evidence and represent you in all communications with the court and the other parties involved in the accident. We reached out to the attorneys at Kraft & Associates PC who told us that in many circumstances, your legal team will be able to secure a favorable settlement without going to court. An experienced law firm will often help victims settle out of court, whether it be a car accident, a personal injury case, or some other legal dispute, so the best legal representation is important no matter what the circumstances of your case. If your legal team is unable to reach an out of court agreement with the other parties, then they will prepare and present your case for you in court. This is always beneficial because an experienced legal team will be able to maximize your compensation and often will not charge you unless they are successful.
2. Find Out What Compensation You are Entitled To
In most instances, there are two types of compensation that you might be eligible for; economic damages and non-economic damages. Compensation for economic damages is a payout for financial losses like medical bills, loss of earnings, and damage at the cost of repairing your car or property. Compensation for non-economic damages is a payout for so-called invisible damage like pain and suffering or a marked decrease in the quality of your life as a result of the accident. Non-economic damages may be physical pain or emotional trauma, but are no less important than economic damages and should be compensated accordingly.
3. How is Compensation Calculated
You must know how compensation is calculated to ensure that you are not short-changed in an out of court settlement. How much compensation a traffic accident victim is entitled to be dependent on the seriousness of the incident and what injuries and damage they have sustained. Typically with all economic and non-economic damages factored in, compensation will be around three times the total of the economic damages. An average payout for a car accident in the US is around $20,000 but the amount you receive may be significantly higher or significantly lower than that depending on your economic damages.
4. Be Aware of Insurance Companies’ Tactics
Insurance companies are notorious for trying to avoid paying compensation to victims of car accidents so you must be alert to all of their tricks. Although insurance companies exist to cover us in incidents like car crashes, very few insurance companies pay out willingly and will try every trick in the book to avoid paying or to intimidate you into dropping the case. If you have followed tip number one, your legal team will make sure that you are well protected and receive everything that you deserve, whilst ensuring that responsible parties are held to account. Insurance companies’ profits are built on avoiding payouts wherever possible and so without legal representation that knows how to go after them, it can often be very difficult to force them to pay. Know your rights and make sure your attorneys apply all the necessary pressure to get what you are entitled to from reluctant insurance companies.
Traffic accidents can be extremely stressful and damaging incidents and, especially for busy moms, can take a lot of time and energy to resolve. Any moms who have been involved in a crash should follow these tips and make sure you get the compensation you need to help you recover and get on with your life.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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