How a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help Maximize Your Compensation

Being injured by someone else’s negligence is a frustrating experience. It’s not unusual to be confused about what steps to take to make sure you’re compensated for your injuries, and what to do to give yourself the best chance of recovering what you’re truly owed. In these cases, there are legal professionals who can help you. The best way to make sure you maximize your compensation is to work with a personal injury lawyer. Below are some of the main ways they can help you:

Gathering as much evidence as possible

Evidence supports your side of the story. Without details and solid records, it becomes very hard to get insurance companies or courts to agree that another party owes you money. Here are some of the primary types of evidence your personal injury lawyer can help you collect or obtain on your behalf:

• Accident scene photos and videos, including the area where the incident happened, visible injuries, and any damage to vehicles, objects, or property.
• Medical records and documentation from doctors’ offices, urgent care, surgeries, therapy visits, test results, medication lists, and discharge paperwork. This connects your injuries directly to the event that happened.
• Witness statements from anyone who saw the accident. The perspective of someone who isn’t connected to you can carry a lot of weight.
• Police or incident reports, which can note who was involved, when and where the accident occurred, and include observations by the responding officer.

Your lawyer will gather as much evidence and documentation as possible to help prove your case.

Proving liability

Lawyers establish who caused your injury by reviewing the details of the accident and showing how the negligent person’s actions led to your harm. For instance, if a driver ran a red light and hit your car, your lawyer can find evidence like traffic camera footage, accident reports, and witness accounts.

Your attorney will understand who can be liable and how to prove it. Other examples could include a property owner, an employer, a product manufacturer, a city or government entity, or basically anyone who was negligent and contributed to your injuries.

Calculating all types of damages

Calculating all the damages in a personal injury case might seem easy at first—especially if all you’re considering is doctor’s appointments and lost paychecks. However, the actual losses in a personal injury claim often include far more than that. A personal injury lawyer will make sure you understand everything you could be entitled to. This typically includes:

Economic damages

Economic damages refer to the amounts that are easier to measure because they involve actual monetary loss and out-of-pocket expenses. This usually includes:

• Cost of medical care: Ambulance, ER bills, specialist visits, hospital stays, medications, and future surgeries.
• Lost income: Wages missed while you recover, lost business or sales, or even expected future income if you can’t go back to your previous job.
• Property repairs or replacements: For example, the cost to fix your car if it was damaged in the same accident.

Lawyers calculate these numbers with your help, looking at receipts, bills, tax returns, pay stubs, and anything else that will give the insurance company or court an idea of what you’ve really lost.

If necessary, a lawyer can also speak with economists and medical experts to provide an overview of how you will lose out on money in the future because of your injuries.

Non-economic damages

Non-economic damages recognize the harm you feel that cannot be put into monetary terms in a simple way. Having a lawyer help you calculate these is essential, as the losses are very real but difficult to measure. Types of non-economic damages include:

• Physical pain and discomfort, both now and in the future; emotional suffering, guilt, anxiety, depression, trouble sleeping, or trauma.
• Loss of enjoyment of activities, hobbies, sports, or time with friends or family that you can no longer enjoy.
• Lost spousal relationships or problems within your marriage because of the injury.

Attorneys know what methods are used to calculate these damages and can help you with this.

Punitive damages

Punitive damages serve a different purpose. Instead of compensating you for a loss, they act as punishment to the party at fault if their actions were especially egregious. In Washington, D.C., you must specifically prove by clear and convincing evidence:

(1) that the defendant acted with evil motive, actual malice, deliberate violence or oppression, or with intent to injure, or in willful disregard for the rights of the plaintiff;

AND

(2) that the defendant’s conduct was outrageous, grossly fraudulent, or reckless toward the safety of the plaintiff.

A lawyer knows when to push for these types of damages, which can significantly supplement your monetary award.

Exploring all avenues for damages

Looking at every possible source for compensation can help you get what you deserve after an accident or injury. Most people start with insurance. This could mean your own car or health coverage, or the insurance carried by the person or business responsible for hurting you. If you were injured on the job, your lawyer can help you look into workers’ compensation benefits.

In some cases, you may have a workers’ compensation claim against your employer and a separate personal injury case against a negligent third party. Your lawyer can explain what steps you need to take to maximize your compensation for your injuries and other losses.

Knowing how to negotiate with insurance companies

Insurance companies almost always start by offering less than your claim is truly worth. Lawyers use the strength of your evidence, proof of liability, and documentation regarding damages to show them you’re prepared to fight for fair compensation. They highlight the risk of a lawsuit and the cost if a court finds for you, putting pressure on the insurer to settle instead.

The simple act of working with a lawyer and having them reach out to the insurance company can make them take you more seriously.

If you’ve been injured by someone’s negligence and think you’re entitled to compensation, never assume that the process is easy and should be handled alone. You’re always better off working with a legal professional, like one from Nace Law Group. We have decades of experience and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients (although past results don’t guarantee future outcomes). Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer.