Experts estimate that there are around six million car accidents each year in the US alone.

If you’ve suffered an injury or damage to your automobile in one of these accidents, you may well be wondering what to do next. If the incident was not your fault, you are entitled to take a lawsuit against the other party to try to secure compensation.

Read on as we tell you everything you need to know about automobile accident lawsuits.

The Basics of Automobile Accident Lawsuits

If you’ve been involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you’re legally entitled to compensation. However, you’ll have to prove two things to secure a court-ordered payout.

The first is that you suffered a financial loss from the incident, whether due to injury or damage to your vehicle. Where there are medical bills or repairs to show, this is straightforward.

The second is that this loss was the fault of the other party. This is more difficult to establish, especially in road traffic cases.

What Kind of Expenses Can You Claim?

Automobile accident lawsuits allow for claims for a range of different expenses. These include:

• Coverage of medical bills
• Repair of damage to your automobile
• Lost income for time spent out of work
• Lost future earnings due to injury or disability
• Pain and suffering

 

Damages of this nature are known as compensatory damages. This means that they are designed to compensate losses suffered by an injured party, rather than punish the wrongdoing of a guilty party.

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What to Look for in an Auto Accident Attorney

If you want to hire an auto accident attorney, there are certain things you should keep in mind. There are many attorneys out there who will be happy to take your business, but not all of these are good choices.

What you want is a lawyer with a wealth of experience in auto accident claims. An attorney might have years of practice under his belt, but this is of little use if it has come from an unrelated area of the law.

Auto accident cases can get quite technical, so you need a practitioner who is comfortable with the various specific issues that may arise.

You should note that many auto accident cases never make it to court. This is a preferable outcome, as it saves you time, money, and stress.

With this in mind, you should look for a lawyer with a track record of making solid settlements outside of the courtroom.

Getting the Compensation You Deserve

Automobile accident lawsuits can be a daunting prospect. Having gone through the trauma of a car accident, a trip to court might be the last thing on your mind.

However, a successful lawsuit will put you in a position to meet your financial needs going forward. If you don’t seek compensation, the expenses might be unmanageable.

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