Each year, millions of Americans are transported to an emergency room due to car accident injuries they sustained, according to the CDC. In fact, auto accidents are the leading cause of personal injury cases in the country. This alone is why car accident lawsuits are quite numerous.
Serious injuries, which can severely affect you financially and physically, can occur from a single car accident, rear-end collision, side-impact, rollover and multi-vehicle pile ups on public or private property, among other kinds of crashes. This is why car accident lawyers provide several types of car accident practice areas.
Below is a list of types of car accident practice areas that most car accident attorneys cover:
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car accident lawyers represent clients who have been injured in an accident involving all vehicles including cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, boats, golf carts, and public transportation. Most motor vehicle accidents are caused by the negligence of one or multiple people. For negligence to be established, the personal injury attorney will need to show proof that the defendant failed his or her duty to drive safely and by breaching that duty to drive safely has caused your injuries and damages to your vehicle.
Serious Injuries
While not all car accidents cause serious injuries, those that do cause serious injuries can negatively impact your life, from possible paralysis to severe brain trauma. Those injuries can be permanent and would result in you having massive medical bills and the inability for you to live an independent life as you did prior to your accident. Physical therapy may also become a lifelong need. That is why your auto accident lawyer will need all those medical bills and doctor’s notes that have stemmed from your accident to recover fair compensation for the major injuries you suffered.
Wrongful Death
If you have a loved one who has died due to someone else’s negligence and recklessness, your car accident lawyer can and will bring forth a wrongful death lawsuit to the court on the victim’s behalf. Depending on your state’s law, typically a spouse is the first person that is able to bring forth a wrongful death claim. Universally, the surviving widow would also represent the best interests of the victim’s minor children when bringing forth this wrongful death claim. The spouse should then receive at least one-third of the total wrongful death damages, regardless of how many children are in the household.
Social Security Disability
Having been seriously injured or even disabled and therefore unable to work, there are federal programs that should be able to provide you with social security benefits. Those are the Social Security Disability Insurance Program (SSDI) and the Supplemental Security Income Program (SSI). Obtaining benefits through any of these programs can be complicated, with several valid claims being initially denied. For SSDI, there is a five-step analysis that will be used to determine if you qualify for such benefits. Fortunately, an experienced car accident attorney can help you pursue fair results if you are applying for government benefits or appealing a denial of your claim.