If you’ve been involved in a car accident, you know just how much it can change your life. Fortunately, victims have options for legal recourse – a personal injury claim.
Generally speaking, personal injury claims are available to help victims of accidents earn rightful compensation from the at-fault party or parties, covering damages related to injuries, lost wages, reduced quality of life, and more.
There are many types of car accident compensation you can pursue in a claim. No matter what the circumstances are, documentation is the most important aspect of earning the recourse you deserve. The personal injury law attorney at Pike Law will explain the compensation available to victims and how to gather proper records for these claims.
1. Medical Expenses
Car accidents often result in serious injuries that require extensive medical treatment, such as:
- Broken bones
- Whiplash
- Concussions
- Lacerations
- Spinal cord injuries
Necessary treatment often comes with extensive medical bills, and your insurance company may not cover all of them. If you have a valid automobile accident case, recovering compensation for your medical expenses is the top priority.
This may include compensation for treatment costs, surgeries, medications, devices, emergency room visits, and other hospital visits associated with the accident. Car accident compensation should also cover long-term care requirements, including ongoing physical therapy and any future treatment you may need.
How to Document and Claim Medical Expenses
To file a claim for medical expenses in your car accident case, you’ll need to keep track of all medical documents related to the accident. This includes copies of:
- Your medical records
- Billing documents from your providers
- Medication for your injuries
- Estimates for future medical treatment
If you have insurance, be sure to submit your expenses to your provider for coverage and keep copies of all relevant documents. Although our car accident attorney can help you file a personal injury lawsuit, the claims process takes time. Submitting your expenses to insurance ensures that you don’t default on your medical bills in the meantime.
If you are including future medical expenses in your car accident claim, get as much documentation as you can from your providers. This could include an official diagnosis, a detailed treatment plan, and cost estimates for future procedures.
2. Lost Wages
Car accident victims may need to take an extended amount of time away from work, which can result in lost income. Losing your income can be devastating, especially if you have a mortgage or have dependents to support. Our car accident attorney can help you file a claim to recoup lost wages so you can focus on recovering – instead of getting back to work.
A lost wage claim includes all the income you’ve lost from the initial aftermath of the crash, as well as the loss of any future earning potential as a result of the accident.
For example, say you had a full-time job in construction. Then, you experienced an accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury that rendered you unable to work for the foreseeable future. Our car accident lawyer can help you calculate total lost wages based on your current salary at the time of the crash and the amount of work missed.
This will then be factored into the car accident injury claim.
How to Document and Claim Lost Wages
To claim lost wages in your automobile accident case, you’ll need to provide extensive documentation as part of the legal process. You’ll need to gather:
- Pay stubs
- Offer letters
- Recent W2 or 1099 forms
- Any other documents that indicate exactly how much you were making
This will help your personal injury lawyer establish an appropriate settlement amount for your car accident case.
If you need to take time away from work, save all emails related to your leave of absence, including dates and time stamps. If you were let go or had to permanently leave your job due to your injury, save your termination/resignation letters.
You’ll also need to save doctor’s notes indicating that you need to take time away from work.
3. Pain and Suffering
Unlike medical expenses and lost wages, there is no tangible dollar amount associated with pain and suffering.
Catastrophic injuries as the result of a car accident can lead to excruciating chronic pain, which impacts your ability to enjoy your hobbies and maintain relationships. Additionally, many car accident victims suffer from psychological trauma and other mental health issues.
Ultimately, pain and suffering damages are to compensate you for these intangible injuries. Placing a dollar amount on something intangible is not straightforward. Our car accident injury attorney will calculate these damages based on the impact the injury has on your life to ensure that you get appropriate car accident compensation, no matter how difficult they are to quantify.
How to Document and Claim Pain and Suffering
Calculating pain and suffering generally involves adding up all your tangible damages – medical bills, lost wages, etc. – and multiplying them based on the severity of your mental/physical anguish.
As with other forms of car accident compensation, saving your medical invoices, income documentation, and other reports can help you make a stronger claim for pain and suffering.
To supplement your claim even further, work with your car accident lawyer to create a journal of your experience. This should note all the major changes that have happened in your life since the accident. You can also supplement your car accident claims with photographs.
Get The Car Accident Compensation You Deserve With Pike Law
Car accidents can change your life in the blink of an eye. As a victim, it’s important to understand your rights to seek fair compensation.
If you’ve been involved in a motor vehicle accident, the car accident attorney at Pike Law in Northeastern Pennsylvania is here to help. Our caring and knowledgeable lawyer will help you put together an automobile accident case and get appropriate compensation for the challenges you’ve undergone.
Contact us to schedule a consultation and start your car accident case today.
