Personal injuries are a common occurrence, which means that there are procedures in place to take care of the people who experience them. However, not everyone might know what those procedures are, which means that they will not know what to do when they suffer a personal injury.
That is unfortunate because those procedures are there to help the victims of personal injuries get the compensation they need to take care of any expenses caused by the accident.
The compensation for those expenses are called damages and they are one of the most important aspects of a personal injury.
That is why a personal injury attorney is vital when it comes to personal injury cases. They know all of the procedures that are necessary to help the victim get the compensation they need.
That means the victim doesn’t have to be familiar with the settlement process since their lawyer will take care of it for them. Anyone in central Florida who suffered a personal injury should contact personal injury lawyers Fasig and Brooks to get the help they need.
What Are Damages?
In personal injury cases, damages refers to the compensation that the victim is owed after filing a personal injury claim. Those damages are meant to cover any expenses caused by the accident such as medical bills, repair bills, lost wages, and so on.
There are three different types of damages in personal injury cases and they are as follows.
Special Damages
These damages cover expenses directly caused by the accident. They can include medical bills for any injuries suffered by the victim, bills for the repair or replacement of damaged property, and lost wages due to being unable to work. These damages all have a monetary value associated with them so they are easy to calculate.
General Damages
These kinds of damages cover the pain and suffering experienced by the accident victim after their personal injury. General damages also take into account any psychological conditions that may have been caused by the accident, such as PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) or depression. There is not a tangible number value that can be assigned to someone’s pain and suffering like there is with special damages; however many attorneys and insurance companies use a multiplier to calculate the settlement amount for general damages.
How To Get The Damages You Need
In order to get the compensation that you need for a personal injury, you will need to file a personal injury claim with the insurance company of the person or party that was responsible for the incident that led to your injury. You will need to retain an attorney to help you because there will be a lot of steps to take before you can receive the compensation you need.
Your attorney will gather evidence that proves the other party was at fault for your injuries. Your lawyer will also collect your various bills in order to come up with a settlement amount that is enough to cover your various damages.
Your personal injury attorney will then send a demand letter— aka a demand package— to the insurance company of the party responsible for your injury. The letter includes the settlement amount that you need to cover your damages. The insurance company will then choose to accept the claim and pay the settlement or they may choose to renegotiate the settlement.
If the settlement is acceptable, then the injury claim ends here. If the settlement they offer is too low or if they reject the settlement outright, then you will have to file a lawsuit against the responsible party. However, a lawsuit and trial are rare outcomes in personal injury cases
You Need a Lawyer To Get The Damages You Deserve
An attorney is invaluable when it comes to a personal injury victim getting damages from their claim. They can gather evidence, calculate the damages, and negotiate with the insurance company. If the situation leads to a lawsuit, then they will represent you in court.
They can also make sure that all of this is done on time since there is a time limit called the statute of limitations in which the claim needs to be filed.
So, if you have experienced a personal injury, contact an attorney so that you can receive the compensation you deserve.
