Anaheim Car Accident Lawyer
Anaheim experiences a high volume of traffic on a daily basis, so it is no surprise that there are a lot of accidents that come along with this traffic. Many accidents occur at low speeds during rush-hour traffic and are considered fender-benders that only result in property damage, but that is not always the case. In many car accidents in Anaheim, drivers and passengers suffer personal injuries that result in medical bills, missed work, and sometimes permanently-debilitating impacts from the crash. In these cases, insurance payments go beyond repair or replacement costs for vehicles and other property that was damaged and goes to pay for costs related to the actual injuries sustained.
If you have been injured in a car accident that someone else caused, you may be able to seek personal injury damages that go beyond just the medical expenses that you accumulate. If you are dealing with an insurance company right now, it is essential that you do not agree to any offer or settlement until consulting with an Anaheim personal injury lawyer familiar with this process to ensure that you are getting the best offer possible. You can read more below about car insurance negotiations below, in addition to the different factors that go into determining a legitimate and fair settlement amount.
Contact the team at Timothy J. Ryan & Associates today for a free consultation with an experienced legal professional. You will be able to discuss your accident, the injuries you have sustained, and get a better idea of your legal options as they relate to seeking reasonable compensation for your situation.
Car Insurance Settlements After an Accident
If you have been involved in a car accident that someone else caused, you will be dealing with that driver’s insurance company in order to get compensated for the financial damages of the crash. Each insurance policy has a maximum coverage amount, and the insurance company is going to do everything in their power to avoid paying anything more than absolutely necessary, without even meeting that maximum. An insurance company doesn’t stay in business by paying out the amounts that victims truly deserve — they stay in business by keeping their expenses low and protecting their bottom line. When you are dealing with an insurance rep, your situation is no different.
When you are given a settlement offer by an insurance company, they will position it as the best you can do, and encourage you to accept it. If you do, you will waive your legal right to seek any future legal action against them or their client for the accident, and the amount they are offering is never the true amount you deserve. This offer is time to begin negotiations, which is something that your Anaheim personal injury lawyer will manage to fight for your best interests. If these negotiations fail, then your attorney will recommend that you pursue a lawsuit in order to recover the damages you truly deserve.
Before you sign anything with an insurance company, contact us to learn about what payments you truly deserve, and how we would go about getting them for you as our client. These processes are stressful if you are unfamiliar with the world of car insurance and personal injury law, and bringing in a professional to manage these steps is your best bet at a successful outcome.
How Much Is a Car Accident Personal Injury Lawsuit Worth?
There is no simple answer to determine how much a car accident personal injury settlement amount should be because there are many different factors that go into calculating and compiling all of the damages that the victim deserves compensation for. Below are a few examples of the types of damages that will go into finding a fair amount but is nowhere near comprehensive, and your case will be very specific to your injuries and overall situation.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are the foundation of a personal injury lawsuit and are the most simple to calculate because they exist to repay or compensate for measurable costs and expenses associated with the injuries. This includes things like medical expenses, recovery costs, and lost wages from time missed working due to the injuries and recovery. In addition, any short-term and long-term disability is compensated through economic damages, as well as any future possible medical expenses or costs related to assistance or services the victim requires.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are a bit more complicated to calculate than economic damages because they seek compensation for issues that do not have measurable monetary values associated with them. However, this does not make them any less important. Non-economic damages include things like pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment or ability to pursue hobbies, depression or fear, and other impacts that come with every injury.
Since these injuries do not have fixed monetary values associated with them, your attorney will work with you to determine a “multiplier” in order to illustrate the extent of these damages to a judge and jury. For example, if a victim suffers $100,000 of economic damages and they have determined that a multiplier of 5x is fair and reasonable, then the total amount they will seek is $100,000 of economic damages and $500,000 in non-economic damages. The exception to this multiplier is with medical malpractice cases, which are capped at $250,000 in non-economic damages.
Contact Us Today
Keep in mind that the above factors are only examples of some of the most common damages included in a personal injury lawsuit, and your situation is likely to look much different. When you are working with our team, you can be confident that every detail is considered and each damage is accounted for before we begin your case.
The best time to start your legal work towards recovering the damages you deserve is today. Contact us now for a free consultation to learn more about your rights, how we have handled past cases that are similar to your own, and how we can help you get the money you deserve. When you are working with the Orange County car accident lawyers at Timothy J. Ryan & Associates, you can be confident that we are fighting for you to get the payments you are entitled to as aggressively as possible.