When you are the victim of an accident, your only concern is your health and well being. You are not thinking about the medical bills you face or about the legal process ahead. The right lawyer is thinking about all those things.
A personal injury attorney in Des Moines, IA, like from Johnston Martineau, LLP, can help guide you and get you back on the right path. They have experience helping accident victims just like you maximize their recovery.
What is a Personal Injury Claim?
When you are injured by someone else or on someone else’s property, you may be able to bring a personal injury claim against them for your injuries. If they acted negligently, recklessly, or carelessly, you may be able to hold them liable for your injuries and subsequent medical bills.
The process by which you do this is a legal process called a personal injury claim. You must prove that the other party had a duty to keep you safe and their action, or inaction, resulted in your injuries where you have suffered damages.
What Damages can I Get?
The amount of damages you can recover from the at fault party depend on many things, like:
- The type of accident you were in
- The amount of time spent in the hospital
- The number of surgeries required
- Time out of work
- Your lost wages
- Your medical bills
These factors determine the amount of damages you can recover from the person or company who caused your injuries. You may be able to recover compensation for:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Loss of companionship
- Medical bills
- Rehabilitation costs
To make sure you do not pay a dime out of your own pocket for these bills and financial losses, you need to hold the at fault party liable for your injuries. The best way to do that is to work with a trusted personal injury attorney who can aggressively defend your rights.
Will I get a Quick Settlement?
Settlement offers can sometimes come quickly. But it’s those quick settlements where we urge the most caution. Your interests and the interests of the insurance company representing the at fault party are not aligned. Your interest is to maximize your financial recovery so you do not end up in financial hardship because of an accident you did not cause. The insurance company’s goal, however, is to keep as much money in their pocket and out of yours as possible.
They do this by offering you a quick, low ball settlement offer with the hopes that you won’t consider all of your future expenses. If you sign the offer, you may even waive your right to bring any future claim against the insurance company for this accident. That means when you realize the settlement funds were not enough to cover all of your expenses, it’s too late. So we cannot stress enough that you need to work with a seasoned personal injury lawyer who can review your settlement offers and make sure you are getting what you deserve.
A Lawyer can Help You Maximize Your Compensation
We know it’s a confusing time after your accident. We also know that lawyers have helped many clients just like you recover from their injuries, hold the at fault parties liable, and recover damages for their suffering.
Contact a law firm today to get started.