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Your individual rear-end collision settlement should be enough to fairly compensate you for your losses. However, you are not guaranteed fairness. Some insurance companies try to pay accident victims as little as possible.
After you report an accident, your insurance company might try to offer you a settlement to resolve your case quickly. You may not want to accept it this initial offer, as it might not factor in all of your losses or damages you could incur in the future. You can work with a lawyer, who can serve as your advocate and help negotiate a fair settlement.
A Lawyer Can Help You Calculate the Total Cost of Your Damages
If you decide to work with a lawyer, they can help you calculate the total cost of your damages, including damages you might experience in the future. These kinds of losses may include:
Medical Expenses
You may be able to recover compensation for your medical expenses as far back as the moment you were treated at the scene of the accident. Doctor’s visits, surgeries, mobility devices, descriptions, physical therapy, and hospital bills may be included in this category.
Non-Economic Damages
Some of your losses may include things that cannot be assigned a specific cost. However, you can be financially compensated for them. For example, pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life could entitle you to a financial award.
Expenses to Keep Your Life on Track While You Recover
These damages may include rideshare services or rental car fees for when your vehicle is being repaired or childcare costs and housekeeping services if you are bedridden and cannot perform home duties.
Wrongful Death Damages
If a family member died in a rear-end collision, you might be eligible to recover the following damages:
- Their medical expenses from before they died
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of household income
Depending on your relationship with your loved one, you may be able to collect many different kinds of damages.
The Process of Recovering a Settlement Has More than One Route
In order to collect a rear-end collision settlement, you will need to file an insurance claim. The insurance company may offer you a settlement or deny your claim altogether. However, both of these possibilities do not reflect the end of the road. You may be able to collect a settlement through an appeal. You or your legal representative can negotiate with the insurance company for a settlement.
If the company still refuses to pay you fairly, you may decide that you want to sue the at-fault party or parties for compensation. You may continue to negotiate with the other party until your court date, however. In fact, the American Bar Association (ABA) affirms that most cases are settled before going to court.
How to Navigate Your Responsibilities After an Accident
It can seem overwhelming to pursue damages when you are injured or grieving. However, you do not have to face your legal battles alone. A lawyer can help you prepare your case, though they may ask that you compile all of the evidence you have at your disposal. This can include:
- Photos and videos of your injuries, the accident scene, and your vehicle
- The accident report
- Your medical paperwork
- All receipts that prove how much you had to spend after the collision
There are other things that could provide support for your testimony. Your lawyer may help you collect the following:
- Security footage from traffic cameras or private property near the scene
- Medical expert testimonials that could support your claims about how your injury may affect your future
Also, remember to seek out medical treatment as soon after the accident as possible if you have not done so already, and do not post on social media about the accident. If the insurance company sees you posting positive content or a photo of you smiling, they may attempt to take it out of context and utilize it to “prove” that you are unaffected by the accident.
A Lawyer Can Stand By Your Side After Your Rear-End Collision
Your lawyer will pursue all possible avenues for a financial award if needed. In some cases, multiple parties may be at fault for an accident, which means you might be able to pursue compensation from each party involved that holds liability.
For example, if you were hurt in a truck accident, the trucking company or a truck parts manufacturing company may be liable for your injuries. The trucking company might have been negligent in its hiring practices and hired someone with a history of DUIs.
Alternatively, a truck parts manufacturer may have willingly sold faulty brake lines that did not work properly and failed to prevent a truck from rear-ending you.
Your legal representative may begin this search by checking to see if the other vehicle in the collision had a part listed on the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA)’s list of safety issues and recalled parts.
George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers Can Help You
We can handle your case on your behalf. Our team can utilize our resources to help you negotiate a settlement. Call George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers at (888) 612-7001 today. Our team is ready to answer all of your questions about how much your rear-end collision settlement should be.