Getting injured in an accident is a devastating experience. Not only will you be in a lot of physical pain, you will have multiple doctor’s appointments, and you will have to go through physical therapy. Physical therapy is extremely painful and time-consuming. You will miss time from work, and you may miss important family events. Severe injuries can lead to emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
According to the Law Offices of Brown & Gessell, you can get compensation for your injuries if the accident was the fault of another person. The amount of compensation that you receive will depend on the amount of your medical expenses and the type of accident you had.
Car Accidents
California is a fault state when it comes to automobile accidents. This means that the person who caused the accident is responsible for paying the bills associated with that accident. It is considered a pure comparative fault state. This means that each driver is responsible for the percentage of the accident that they caused. For example, if you are 10% responsible for a crash, the other driver’s insurance will pay for 90% of your bill. If you are 80% responsible for an accident, the other driver’s insurance will pay for 20% of your bill.
Slip and Fall Accidents
If you take a spill when you are at a business or visiting another person’s home, you should take a very good look around you and see what caused you to fall. In some cases, the fall may be your own fault. In other cases, the property itself may have been unsafe.
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Was there water on the floor? Was there a slick substance on the ground? Did you trip over an object? If you did, the owner of the property is responsible.
If you had an accident on city property, the city itself may be responsible for your accident. If a municipality is at fault for an injury, you will be on an expedited time schedule when it comes to getting compensation. You do not have as long to file an insurance claim, and you will not have as long to sue them as you would If you were injured on private property.
Accidents at Work
A shocking number of people are injured at work every year. Around 5,000 people die in workplace related injuries, while many others have long term disabilities.
If you are injured on the job, your employer must pay for your injuries with worker’s compensation insurance. You will fill out a report with your human resources manager, and they will report the accident to the insurance company for you. You will see a doctor provided by your worker’s compensation insurance.
Legal problems occur when the insurance company tries to get out of paying everything that they should for a work-related accident. They may say that you were not actually working when the accident occurred or that you were inebriated at the time.
If you have been seriously injured and you need to go on disability for a while, they might argue that you are faking the severity of your injuries or that injuries were caused by a pre-existing condition. A personal injury attorney can help get you the money you need to recover in a situation such as this.
Defective Products
People are injured by defective products often. When a product injures people, it often results in a class action lawsuit. Class actions are the most lucrative types of personal injury lawsuits.
There are several different things that might cause a product to be defective. In some cases, the design of a product is fundamentally unsafe. Sometimes there is a mistake at the manufacturing plant. Sometimes the instructions on how to use a product are unclear or do not warn people of potential dangers. If you believe you have been injured by a product, you should contact a personal injury attorney who handles product liability cases.
Sports Injuries
Sports injuries are also very common. Older adults are also more likely to get injured playing sports, since their bodies are frailer.
It is very important to make sure that you know how to recover after suffering a sports injury. We have a guide on sports injury rehabilitation.
What to do After You are Injured
When you file an insurance claim of any kind, it will be assigned to an insurance adjuster who will investigate the facts in your case. It is extremely important to document all of your expenses.
When you have been injured in an accident, you should try to take pictures and get the names and telephone numbers of witnesses who may have seen what happened. See a doctor after an injury, even if you feel okay. You may not feel pain from an accident until a few days after the fact.
Make a copy of every medical bill that you get. If you have had alternative treatments such as massage therapy or flotation therapy, save receipts from those treatments as well. Gather receipts for medications that you take and ask your employer to write you a letter stating the number of hours you have lost from work.
Getting injured in an accident is among the worst things that can happen to a person. If you document your case carefully, you can get the money you need to heal and move on.