When you or someone close to you has been in a car accident, it can be a life-changing experience. After you’ve been injured in an accident or suffered serious financial difficulties, you should not have to deal with the aftermath alone because of someone else’s negligence or poor judgment behind the wheel. There are some monetary damages you are entitled to that can help ease the burden after an accident–you can get medical expenses covered as well as reimbursed for repairing or replacing your damaged vehicle. However, as a victim you are entitled to more damages than you may have thought possible.
Drivers at fault in an accident, or their insurance company, owes you damages for the full account of harm you suffered as a result of your accident. However, many insurance firms do everything in their power to avoid paying out what accident victims are truly owed, which is where the experienced car accident lawyers at Combs Waterkotte can help you and your case. Our firm will help you build a strong legal case and get you the money you deserve following an accident. Send us a message or give us a call at (314) 900-HELP for a free, no-strings-attached discussion of your case.
Car Accident Damages
After you or a loved one is hurt in a car accident, it is inevitable that you will have bills to pay. It is also possible that injuries you sustained in that crash prevent you from working at your current job, or otherwise keep you from enjoying life to its fullest. You can and should be paid for all of these damages. There are damages you are entitled to as the victim of the accident, and additional damages your family can potentially receive.
Damages A Victim Can Claim
- Property damages: If your vehicle was damaged in the accident, you are entitled to receive the compensation required to fix or replace the car. You can also claim damages for other property such as possessions that were inside the vehicle or your own house/residential property that was affected by your accident.
- Medical care: The at-fault party must cover all of the medical costs associated with your injuries from the accident. The severity of many car accident injuries means that more often than not, they require extensive and long-term medical car, therapy, and rehabilitation. You deserve to receive adequate medical care until you have reached maximum medical improvement. This means that you should have all treatment covered until you have recovered to the fullest extent doctors and medical professionals believe you can achieve.
- Lost wages: When you have significant injuries, it becomes very challenging to work or function at the level you were previously able to do. You may struggle to perform your regular work duties or experience pain while doing them. Even if you fear that you will not be able to provide for yourself and your family, you should not be expected to work while injured. You need and deserve time to recover fully from all effects of your accident, and you are owed payment for the work you are unable to do as a direct result. For some, the injuries you sustained in the accident will have a lasting effect on your career. For instance, say you are a laborer by trade. If a car accident leaves you with a life-long back injury, you may not be able to lift heavy objects or stand for a sustained period of time without experiencing excruciating pain. If you cannot perform those duties and as such must find alternative employment, you deserve to be compensated for the difference in wages.
- Pain and suffering: Being in a car accident alters your life and can exact a huge mental toll on a victim through no fault of their own. In a best-case scenario, it may just cause stress, frustration, and inconvenience, but in other cases, it can create lasting trauma that permanently changes your daily life and makes it difficult to properly function. Though it’s no replacement for peace of mind, the money you deserve for pain and suffering is meant to help you deal with your experiences.
Damages A Victim’s Family Can Claim
- Wrongful death: When the life of a loved one is tragically cut short, a wrongful death claim is a way to get a little support during this unimaginably painful time. Wrongful death damages can cover medical costs and expenses associated with end-of-life care and a funeral. Additional money may be awarded for the pain and suffering your loved one experienced before they passed. The difference between pain and suffering in a wrongful death claim and a personal injury claim is that the claim originates from a living family member of the deceased victim, rather than a living victim filing a claim on their own behalf. According to Missouri statute, the wrongful death claim must be filed by the victim’s spouse, parent, child, or grandchild. If there are no living family members of such relation, then a sibling of the deceased or the child of a sibling may file.
- Loss of companionship, affection, or consortium: Being injured in a car accident affects not only the life, condition, and well-being of the victim, but also changes the lives of the victim’s entire family. The spouse of the injured person is especially impacted and may be eligible for special damages, called consortium damages. If the injured victim receives damages for their injury and the injury prevents them from being able to express affection or engage in intimate relations with their spouse, the uninjured spouse also has a claim.
Contact A St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer
You deserve to receive every penny you are entitled to after being in a St. Louis car accident. A car accident can affect every facet of your life, and unfortunately many responsible parties–or their representatives–do not want to pay victims what they are owed. With Combs Waterkotte in your corner, you will have an attorney who is dedicated to fight on your behalf and get you the best results for your case. Talk to us today by calling (314) 900-HELP or filling out our online contact form.
