Attorney
Automobile accidents can be financially overwhelming. Medical bills start piling up, you lose time from work, and your future career prospects can suddenly be dimmer. This adds literal insult to injury, when all you want to do is recover. One question that Northern Virginia automobile accident victims often ask is how much their case is really worth. The personal injury attorneys of Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis LLP can help answer that question.
How much is my case really worth?
Medical expenses are the most obvious costs you will face after an automobile accident. Hospitalization, multiple surgeries, months of outpatient treatments, prescription medications, follow-up appointments, and more may be just the beginning. You could also be facing serious future costs such as physical therapy, rehabilitation, and the need for special adaptive medical equipment.
One thing to bear in mind about these costs is that you only get one shot to demand them. If your case settles or goes to trial, you can’t ask for more money later. A knowledgeable expert witness can evaluate your injuries and provide realistic forecasts about what your long-term prognosis will look like. This, in turn, can help determine a monetary figure for your case.
Another consideration is how much time you will lose from work, now and in the future. If you’re in the hospital or you have a medical appointment, that’s time you’re not earning money. But your income losses won’t necessarily end here. Many victims suffer catastrophic, life-changing injuries that leave them unable to work the same jobs as before. A loss in earning capacity can affect anyone, but automobile accidents are especially hard on workers who rely on physical labor to earn a living. A vocational expert is one example of someone who can help calculate the extent of these damages.
After an automobile accident, medical bills and lost work are probably your two main concerns. Many car accident victims have to struggle with mental and emotional scars on top of the physical ones. After a car accident, it is common for victims to be left with significant stress, depression, and trauma. This is especially true if you’ve lost a spouse or another loved one. If you need counseling, therapy, or related emotional and mental health services, the at-fault party should cover these expenses.
It’s also critical to keep in mind that there are ways you can inadvertently decrease the value of your own case. If you suffer injuries in a car accident, it is important you do not speak to insurance companies without legal representation present. Insurance adjusters are trained to get information from victims that can be used against them. They even know how to trick victims into “admitting” liability for the accident.
Both your own and the at-fault driver’s insurance companies may not be clear with you about all of your options for obtaining compensation after an accident. For example, if you sustain a car accident injury in Northern Virginia, you may be able to get some of your medical expenses ronce by the other driver’s insurance, and a then second time by your own insurance through a feature on many automobile policies called MedPay. Additionally, if your medical expenses and lost wages after an accident are more than the at-fault driver’s insurance policy accounts for, you may be able to get more money from your own insurance company through your underinsured motorist policy. These are just a couple of reasons why it is important to hire experienced legal representation that understands all of your options for compensation.
Contact Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis LLP Today
You can count on the defendant and their insurance company to have stellar legal representation. Shouldn’t you be prepared as well? The burden of proof in an automobile accident case rests with you, the plaintiff. And if you’re not prepared to prove the value of your case, you could be leaving significant sums of money on the table.
Trust the experienced accident lawyers of Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis LLP. We will review your case and fight to get you the entirety of the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for your free and confidential consultation.