Seeking Damages After a Durham Car Accident
If you have been involved injured in a car accident in Durham, you are able to seek recovery for the damages that were sustained. Physical injuries make up just one component of recovery that an individual needs to overcome while dealing with the aftermath of an accident, and our trusted Durham car accident lawyers will work to see that you are justly compensated for the negative impact that the accident had on all aspects of your life.
Recoverable Damages
There are two different categories of damages. The first is property damage, which includes damage sustained to the vehicle, loss of use for the time a driver could not use their vehicle, or the fair market value replacement cost of the vehicle at the time of the accident. The second category of damages covers personal injury, and is generally made up of three types of suffering that the injured party is subjected to.
The three types of personal injury damages are economic loss, which includes lost time from work, medical expenses, and non-economic damages which are also known as pain and suffering. In some cases, a fourth type of damage may be available to Durham car accident victims, which would be punitive damages if some type of criminal activity, such as impairment on the part of the driver, can be proved.
At the present time, there are no caps on damages for Durham car accident cases, which means there is no reason not to pursue maximum damages in seeking recovery compensation.
Responsibility to Pay Property Damages
In a Durham car accident case, it is the responsibility of the at-fault party, or parties, in the event of more than one individual being at fault for causing the accident, to pay for any incurred property damages.
Damages Covered by Auto Insurance
Automobile insurance will cover property damage, which is any damage to the physical property of another vehicle, and will also cover damages of liability in the event that their insured driver causes personal injury to another driver.
Role of an Attorney in Recovering Damages
An attorney plays an important role in helping an individual recover damages, especially in serious cases where a person may be facing years of future medical costs. An experienced lawyer will know how to obtain the right type of experts, such as a certified life care planner, to meet with the doctors and prepare a cost estimate of the projected value of future medical care. A lot of times, personal injury lawyers will also prepare day in the life videos or other presentations, so that the insurance company will have a better understanding of the type of impact their insured, the responsible driver, caused.
The first thing a personal injury attorney has to do is to assess the strengths of their liability case. Oftentimes, simply making the damages case can be expensive because money will have to be spent on experts and life care projections. The attorney needs to understand what the likelihood of recovery is before incurring those expenses. Then, the lawyer will take the appropriate steps to identify the required experts and set up interviews, if necessary, to make sure their client is fully compensated for their loss.
