Being involved in a traffic accident is almost always a traumatic experience, even if you are fortunate enough to avoid suffering any severe injuries in the wreck. In more serious situations, that trauma could last for months or even years after the crash and result in immense financial, physical, and personal losses—all of which may be entirely the fault of another person.
When you believe someone else is at fault for a roadway collision that left you seriously hurt, you should make talking to a Somerset car accident lawyer about your legal options a top priority. With an experienced personal injury attorney’s help, you may be able to get reimbursed for both past and future losses caused by your wreck while also avoiding legal roadblocks that could sidetrack your recovery efforts.
When someone has standing to file a lawsuit or seek a private settlement after an auto accident in Pennsylvania, that person has a right to demand compensation for the full value of all economic and non-economic forms of harm he or she can trace directly back to that accident. This means a car crash victim could seek recovery not just for damages with objective dollar values, but also for various losses whose values depend entirely on personal experiences and needs.
Specific damages that often factor into lawsuits of this nature include:
During a private consultation, a well-practiced Somerset car accident attorney could explain in more detail what losses a specific person might be able to incorporate into his or her unique claim.
A person pursuing a motor vehicle collision claim must prove another party’s negligence to hold someone financially accountable for the losses listed above. This means demonstrating through a “preponderance of evidence” that the person being sued directly caused the accident by doing something reckless, careless, or illegal behind the wheel.
Importantly, getting hurt in a car wreck does not make someone immune from being found partially or even primarily at fault for that wreck through his or her own negligence. As a seasoned auto accident lawyer in Somerset could further explain, any share of “comparative fault” assigned by the court to an injured party will result in a proportional reduction from the value of any damages award he or she ultimately receives. For example, if the victim himself was 20% to blame for causing the collision, the award will be reduced by 20%.
There are numerous ways in which Pennsylvania law may limit your right to recover financially after a serious automobile collision. Without assistance from qualified legal counsel, you may have very low odds of getting any money at all for your losses, let alone the full amount you deserve.
Retaining a Somerset car accident lawyer, on the other hand, could be a key first step toward building and filing the strongest possible claim. Call the skilled team of attorneys at Marcus & Mack today to get started.
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