With large health care bills from car accidents, it’s important for victims to hire a skilled auto accident lawyer. Auto injuries aren’t only physical but mentally damaging too. Nevertheless, despite this increase of automobile accidents, traffic accident deaths themselves have declined over the last few years. Six million automobile accidents take place every year and more than 3 million sustain injuries from these accidents. In accordance with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, there have been 37,261 car accident fatalities in 2008. The fatality number was down from 41,259 fatalities in 2007. Motorists accounted for 19,220 fatalities in 2008 and passengers accounted for 7,397 fatalities. Drunk driving is a common cause of auto accidents.
A typical injury from car accidents is a traumatic brain injury which may appear in the form of a concussion, bleeding, blood pooling, bruising, or skull fractures. Infections, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, intracranial pressure, ischemia, and vasospasm are common secondary injuries that are caused by traumatic brain injuries. It’s usually quite difficult to identify traumatic brain injuries because the symptoms can vary a great deal and may be accompanied by other conditions. Imaging tests, keeping track of the amount of time of unconsciousness, and the Glasgow Coma Scale are common methods utilized to diagnose these conditions.
The end result of a traumatic brain injury can also be quite varied, and may require nothing but bed rest, all the way up to complex neurosurgical procedures, and long term rehabilitation treatments. Patients who have suffered only slight injuries may be able to fully recover, while those with moderate to severe injuries may never recover. Loss of brain function, permanent disabilities, coma, a persistent vegetative state, and even death may result.
Indeed, brain injuries from vehicle accidents can be life-changing. That is the reason why it is recommended to employ an auto accident lawyer to represent your case. The first thing you and your attorney must accomplish is to ascertain liability. If the automobile accident was brought on by another driver, it’ll be that individual’s insurance provider paying. If he didn’t have insurance coverage, or in case there are other intricate situations, it may be the victim’s own insurance. As soon as you know your theory about who was at fault, you will have to gather every possible proof, from medical examination documentation to police reports, in order to prove fault and to show exactly what damages you need compensated. This may include everything from medical bills to pain and suffering.
Working with the insurance company would be the auto accident lawyer’s task. Odds are the insurance company will respond to your damage claim with a low pay out offer, and there’ll probably be some back and forth attempts at compromise. If you’re unable to reach an agreement, you’ll likely have to take the case to court. Keep in mind that all your documentation needs to be well organized, and all damages you claim must be verified with evidence.