The combined shock, fear, anger, and—heaven forbid—physical trauma associated with an auto accident are, by themselves, a lot to come to terms with at one time. Even without the accompanying complications, the various immediate stresses can be hard to take. However, the impact of a car accident does not end with the collision, or even with its direct effects: it carries with it substantial financial penalties that can reecho long after the accident takes place. This second blow can leave you with higher insurance rates, steep medical expenses, a totaled car, lost income from missed work, or an injury that obliges you to make serious changes in order to accommodate its requirements and limitations. Even if you are insured, the costs of an accident can be potentially crippling: The National Safety Council estimates the average cost of a non-debilitating accident to be around $9,000 and an accident that results in disabling injury to be more than $70,000.
Having taken stock of the situation, it is natural to feel swamped by the prospect of meeting so many new demands. How will you be able to bounce back after someone else’s recklessness leaves you with a mountain of bills you can’t cover alone? Can’t you put this headache behind you without haggling for insurance money you’ve paid into for years or bucking horns with the other parties to the accident?
There is expert help available for handling just this very dilemma. Attorneys in high-traffic areas can prove useful in identifying legal resources you didn’t know you had. A lack of knowledge of insurance nuances prevents many people from receiving their due compensation or from taking full advantage of the safeguards in their own at-fault auto insurance. Often, covering your accident expenses is just a matter of knowing how to ask the right questions.
Make sure you speak with an attorney well-versed in your state’s insurance codes, as he or she can help you navigate your coverage to get the maximum possible remuneration, even if you decide to pursue the case on your own.
About the author
Kenneth L. Christensen is the owner of the Christensen Law Firm, a respected group of auto accident attorneys in Salt Lake City.
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/deltamike/3377493872/
Andy Gillin received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his law degree from the University of Chicago. He is the managing partner of GJEL Accident Attorneys and has written and lectured in the field of plaintiffs’ personal injury law for numerous organizations. Since 1972 he has been helping seriously injured victims throughout northern California fight & win their personal injury cases. Andy is one of the top awarded & recognized wrongful death lawyers in northern California.