If you are in a wreck, a lot of “bad” can happen. In the most general sense, wrecks cause property damage and personal injury. However, there are other problems where money will be paid as reimbursement. With proper legal help, you may be compensated for some resulting damages.
The one immediate issue in almost every car accident is the damage to the vehicles. Payment for vehicles is governed by sections in the policy which typically address repair bills and replacement cost. Replacement cost is generally limited to the fair market value at the time of the collision which is tied to Kelly’s Bluebook, or the NADA Guide. However, most policies do not have coverage for diminution in value. That is, there is typically not coverage for the amount that a car drops in value once it has been in an accident.
For the most part, people who have been in an accident work together with the insurance company to negotiate something that is “fair.” Lawyers are not typically involved in these negotiations because our value is not worth the 33% contingency fee arrangement.
On the other hand, lawyers can make a huge difference in the amount of recovery a person receives on the personal injury side of car wrecks. We can seek compensation for not only medical bills, but also pain and suffering, lost wages, loss of the value of services of a spouse (i.e. consortium), and potential future medical expenses. Our ability to recover these items is greatly impacted by the facts of each case.
If you have been in an accident and believe that you were owed compensation, call us and we can discuss your case with you and see if we can help you recover some of the things you have lost.