What can I recover in a car accident lawsuit?

Even a minor car accident can upend your life. With medical appointments, lost time at work, and the pain and hassle of getting your car repaired or replaced, it can quickly feel like it’s impossible to get back on track. Factor in more complicated issues, like long-term pain or major anxiety related to the crash, and you may start to wonder if you can really put a put a price on what you’ve lost.

Monetary settlements do, however, make it easier to get your life moving again, helping you focus on your recovery. If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, you’ll want to speak to a Macon car accident lawyer who has the experience and expertise to move your claim along quickly. At Buzzell, Welsh & Hill, we understand the insurance companies’ tactics, and we’re prepared to negotiate until we reach a fair settlement for our clients—even if it means taking the case to court.

But before you contemplate an auto accident lawsuit, it helps to understand what types of damages you can expect to receive.

Medical expenses

If you’ve been injured in a wreck caused by another driver’s negligence, your claim will involve medical expenses. Even minor accidents can result in expensive injuries, and it’s likely you won’t even understand the full extent of your recovery for some time.

Medical expenses can include everything from:

• Ambulance rides and emergency interventions
• Surgery
• Doctors’ fees and hospital fees
• Medicine or medical devices
• Physical therapy or rehabilitation
• In-home services

It’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible after you’re involved in a car wreck, even if you don’t feel you’re badly injured. If you do eventually file a claim, you’ll need to prove your injury was directly connected to the crash.

Lost wages

A car accident is always an inconvenience. You’ll probably miss some time at work while you meet with doctors and look into car repairs. But if you’ve been seriously injured, that time off can stretch from an afternoon to days, weeks or even months.

When your Macon car accident attorney files a car accident lawsuit, you may be seeking lost wages in addition to medical expenses. When awarding damages, the insurance company (or jury, if the case goes to trial) will consider the extent of your injuries, your earning history and your ability to earn income going forward. In some cases, this may be a simple as compensating you for the week of work you missed while recovering in the hospital. However, in cases of severe or permanent disability, the car accident lawsuit settlement will need to account for your lost future earnings as well.

Pain and suffering

While medical expenses and lost wages can be somewhat open-ended, they still involve concrete ideas, actual bills and missed paychecks. Pain and suffering, on the other hand, attempts to account for the longer-term mental and physical effects of an accident. This could include anxiety, depression, PTSD or other conditions resulting from the wreck and reducing your quality of life.

Reaching a settlement after a hit-and-run in Georgia

If you’ve been the victim of a hit-and-run in Georgia, you still have the chance to reach a settlement. Even if the police are unable to locate the at-fault driver, you’ll be able to make a claim with your own insurance company if you carry uninsured motorist coverage.

If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, you need a Macon car accident lawyer. Buzzell, Welsh & Hill will pursue every option for your case, helping you move on with your life. Contact us for your free consultation today.