Car Accident Lawyer in Bonney Lake
When you have been injured in an auto accident, you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation for your injuries. However, first, the insurance company will need to determine who was at fault for the accident. This may require a process where you would benefit from the help of a Bonney Lake car accident attorney. You should do this as soon as possible after an accident.
Washington Car Accident Statistics
In 2019, there were 111,636 accidents on Washington roads. While some of these crashes were minor, 23,537 were cases with possible injuries. There were almost 2,000 cases with serious injuries. Finally, there were 500 fatalities on the road in Washington in 2019.
In Pierce County in 2019, there were nearly 3,000 crashes with possible injuries. 65 people lost their lives on the road in the county. In total, there were 13,864 accidents in Pierce County in the reporting period.
How Fault Is Determined in a Car Crash
Whether you receive compensation for your auto accident injuries depends on whether someone else was negligent in causing the accident. Negligence means that someone acted without the proper level of care that a person would have under the circumstances.
Here are the four parts of the test that is used to determine negligence:
- Duty of Care – One person owes the duty to exercise reasonable care to another. Drivers usually owe a duty of care to other drivers on the road and their passengers.
- Breach of Duty – This happens when someone acts in a manner that is unreasonable under the circumstances.
- Injury – You must suffer some sort of damage, physical or otherwise.
- Causation – You would not have been injured if not for the actions of the other person.
What Is Considered Negligence?
In a car accident, a driver can be negligent by either an action or an omission. In other words, either doing something or not doing something can be unreasonable under the circumstances on the road. Here are some examples of things that could be considered negligent in a car crash:
- Speeding
- Making an illegal turn
- Cutting a car off
- Not yielding when required
- Using a handheld device when driving
However, you do not even have to break a law to be considered negligent. For example, if a driver has rear-ended someone, they would almost automatically be considered to be at fault for an accident. Before deciding who was at fault for the accident, the insurance company will look at the facts and circumstances of your particular accident.
Compensation in a Car Accident Claim
Your car accident compensation is supposed to pay you for all the damages that you suffered in a car accident. Accident victims are paid for both their property damage and their personal injuries. There are two major types of damages in a car accident claim: economic and non-economic.
Here are some things that you might be paid for in a car accident:
- Medical bills
- Costs for physical therapy
- Lost wages or decrease in earning power due to your injury
- Pain and suffering for what you have experienced
- Loss of your enjoyment of life
- Permanent impairments, disabilities, or disfigurement
It is important to know that you are paid for damages in the past, present, and future. For example, if you suffered severe injuries, you will likely have much pain and medical treatment in the future. Your claim will pay you now for what the insurance company or the court estimates that you will experience in the future.
The same thing goes for lost wages. You are paid for both the work time that you missed and the earnings that you will lose in the future. This is why it is so vital to get things right at the time of your claim. If you settle for less than your case is worth, you will lose the opportunity to fully recover for your injuries. Your car accident attorney can negotiate on your behalf with the car insurance company to help you get the best possible settlement. If they cannot reach an agreement, they could file a lawsuit on your behalf.
Consult with a Bonney Lake Car Accident Attorney Today
As you can see, having a car accident attorney on your side can make a real difference in your claim. It is best to retain an attorney as soon as possible after your accident because the insurance company may begin to determine fault for the accident quickly. This is when you need a lawyer on your side. Contact a Bonney Lake car accident lawyer at Anderson Law, PLLC, at (253) 862-1811 or online to schedule your free initial consultation.
