If you suffer an injury in a vehicle crash, you may be concerned about how long you won’t be able to go to work and you will repair your car. Car accidents can lead to financial difficulties for you and the people you loved. Thus, you need to hire an attorney who understands the amount of compensation you can recover in a claim settlement. You can find a good attorney when you click here.
Kinds of Damages You May Recover
When you pursue a car accident claim against the party responsible for the accident and your injuries, you may want to recover economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include current and future medical expenses, lost income, lost earning capacity, and property damage. Evidence you can show for these damages includes your medical bills and receipts, employment information, and others. Meanwhile, non-economic damages include your physical and emotional pain and suffering, loss of consortium, loss of life enjoyment, and scarring or disfigurement. They usually reflect your ability to handle the accident’s aftermath.
How to Document Your Losses
Usually, car insurance companies want to settle claims quickly and with the lowest amount of money possible. They want to get you to sign a settlement agreement before you fully understand your accident-related losses. Thus, you should contact a lawyer before you bring a claim following an accident. Before you file a claim, you must establish liability first. You can accomplish this by documenting the accidents. You need to get copies of the official police report, get statements from witnesses, and take photos of the crash.
In addition, before you file a claim you must have reached maximum medical improvement. This way, you already know the full extent of your injury and its impact on your life even if the future. Also, it is important to determine your ability to return to the same job positions you used to hold or whether you can still work at all.
To prove lost wages, you should present proof of income like paystubs, tax returns, and a statement from your employer. You can document other losses through bills you get from your care providers and car repair receipts. While it is not easy to document your non-economic losses, your attorney can help you figure out a reasonable estimate that reflects your sufferings. They may work with industry experts to prove these losses. Once you have documented your accident-related losses, you can initiate a car accident claim with your attorney.