Definition and Impact of Brain Injuries After a Car Accident

Car accidents cause a wide variety of injuries that vary in severity depending on many factors, such as the speed both cars have traveled and where the impact is made on both vehicles. The most serious type of injury is called a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which develops when a strong collision causes significant damage to the brain. TBI represents one of the most common reasons why a victim of an auto collision develops a disability. It also is one of the most common causes of death among victims of vehicle collisions.

If you sustained a TBI as the result of a car accident, hiring a personal injury lawyer can help you receive the compensation that you deserve to recover financial losses.

What Are the Most Common Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries?

According to researchers at Northeastern University, TBI is defined by two broad categories: Open and closed. An open TBI, which is often referred to as a penetrating brain injury, means the skull has fractured or has been penetrated by an object. Closed traumatic brain injuries result in a strong impact on the head, but the skull does not fracture. Sustaining a closed TBI is more common in cases of car accidents

Let’s review the most common types of injuries that negatively impact the performance of the brain.

Concussion

Most concussions are considered a milder version of a traumatic brain injury. Symptoms of a concussion include memory loss, as well as issues with speech, vision, and/or coordination. The most effective treatment is the passage of time, as a healthcare provider cannot apply any techniques to heal the internal injury.

Because the symptoms of a concussion frequently do not develop right away, working with an experienced car accident attorney can determine if you qualify to receive the financial assistance approved by an insurance company or even the monetary damages awarded during a civil lawsuit.

Contusion

A contusion represents a form of bruising that develops under the skin as the result of a strong impact made to the head. It is often connected to the development of concussion symptoms, and if not diagnosed in a timely manner, can lead to serious medical consequences. If the bleeding does not stop, a victim might have to undergo a delicate type of surgery that relieves pressure on the brain. An untreated contusion that does not stop bleeding can develop into a life-threatening medical condition.

Hematoma

A hematoma represents a common form of TBI that happens when the blood vessels in the brain rupture and the blood starts to clot as the body tries to stop the bleeding. Hematomas differ in size, with an above-average size hematoma applying tremendous pressure on the brain. The size of the blood clot determines the seriousness of the symptoms, which might require surgery to diminish or eliminate.

Financial Impact of a TBI

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 1.7 million people sustain a TBI each year throughout the United States. Lifetime medical expenses can exceed $4 million to treat and rehabilitate the symptoms. Physical therapy alone can cost as much as $1 million over a victim’s lifetime. The daily costs associated with treating a TBI right after a car accident average $8,000 per day.

If you have sustained a TBI that resulted from the impact of a vehicle collision, act with a sense of urgency by contacting an experienced car accident lawyer.

Things to Look for in a Personal Injury Lawyer

If you sustained injuries and/or property damage as the result of a car accident, slip and fall, or a defective product, you should schedule a free case evaluation with a personal injury lawyer. Before you meet with an attorney, you should conduct research that considers the factors to look for when selecting the right legal counsel to represent you.

Experience Matters

Personal injury lawyers that have compiled years of experience litigating cases possess a thorough understanding of state personal injury laws, as well as what it takes to persuade an insurance company to approve a claim and a civil court judge to award monetary damages for the negligence committed by another party.

For a personal injury case, you should consider attorneys that specialize in the type of personal injury practice that applies to your case. For example, if you sustained injuries that were caused by the negligence of another driver, you want to work with a car accident attorney. In addition to years of experience, make sure any lawyer on your shortlist has a proven record of helping clients receive compensation.

Understands Medical Terms

Since most of the compensation that you seek concerns medical expenses, you should consider a personal injury lawyer who understands complex legal jargon. This is especially important if you plan to litigate a medical malpractice case. Complex medical jargon often refers to types of injuries, as well as the prognosis of making a full or partial recovery from the injuries. If you sustained serious injuries caused by a vehicle collision, the car accident lawyer that you choose must understand different types of diagnostic tests and the advice given by a healthcare provider regarding rehabilitation.

Effective Negotiation Skills

Not every personal injury case ends up in the litigation process. In fact, the best personal injury attorneys try to negotiate a favorable settlement for clients to avoid a costly and time-consuming civil trial. For example, a skilled car accident attorney calculates a fair value for compensation that keeps the lawyer representing the other party engaged in negotiations. A highly-skilled negotiator knows how to submit fair counteroffers that eventually lead to the resolution of a case.

Although you want to work with a personal injury lawyer who tries to negotiate a favorable settlement, you also want to hire a litigator who does not hesitate to take your case to trial if negotiations break down.

Responsive Communicator

Responsive communication involves any lawyer on your shortlist communicating with you in a timely manner. For example, if you sustained injuries that resulted from the negligence of another driver, your car accident lawyer must keep you informed about the status of your civil lawsuit. Your legal counsel should listen to what you want out of your case. If you agree to a settlement offer, but your attorney prefers to go a couple of more rounds with counteroffers, your lawyer should agree to accept the settlement offer.

Before the first case evaluation, you have the opportunity to test an attorney for responsive communication by leaving voice messages, as well as sending emails and text messages. A lawyer who takes longer than 24 hours to return any form of communication is not considered a responsive communicator.

Finally, read the reviews left by clients on sites such as Yelp and Google. Access an attorney’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) page to discover the reputation rating handed out by the consumer advocacy organization.

What to do After an Accident with a Rideshare Vehicle

Companies such as Lyft and Uber that provide ride-sharing services have become an integral form of transportation for millions of Americans. An increase in the number of drivers that contract with Lyft and Uber coincides with a rise in the number of accidents. What happens if you get involved in an accident with a ride-sharing vehicle? Do the same steps taken by victims of other types of car accidents apply to a collision with a ride-sharing driver?

Contact Law Enforcement

The first action to take after an accident with a ride-sharing vehicle involves calling the nearest law enforcement agency. Calling the police results in the filing of a formal police report that you need a copy of to file an insurance claim, as well as a civil lawsuit if the ride-sharing driver committed one or more acts of negligence. A law enforcement officer also takes control of the accident scene to direct traffic, as well as ensures the ride-sharing driver has obtained the proper credentials to provide ride-sharing services.

Receive Medical Care

Medical expenses represent the costliest type of expenses you can expect to pay after a collision with a ride-sharing vehicle. To receive compensation for your injuries, you must undergo diagnostic tests that prove you sustained one or more injuries. If you sustained serious injuries, you must seek medical care immediately after the accident. Otherwise, you remain at the scene of the accident until the law enforcement officer completes the initial investigation.

Gather Evidence

The law enforcement agency that responds to the ride-sharing accident conducts an investigation that includes gathering and organizing evidence. However, you should take photos of the accident scene that includes images of the damage done to your vehicle and the injuries you sustained because of the accident. Photographs of the accident scene can help your attorney determine whether the ride-sharing vehicle committed one or more traffic violations.

Driver and Witness Information

Because Lyft and Uber drivers operate as independent contractors, you need to acquire the driver’s name and contact information. You also should receive information that describes the ride-sharing company’s insurance details, such as policy number and how much coverage the company has bought. The responding law enforcement officer should ask for this information as well. Ask witnesses for their names and contact information, which you give to your personal injury attorney.

Hire a Personal Injury Attorney

Hire a personal injury lawyer before you contact your insurance company and file an accident report with the ride-sharing company. Your attorney advises you on how to proceed with the filing of a claim, which includes contacting your insurer at the right time. Personal injury lawyers act as intermediaries between clients and insurance companies. Working with a personal injury attorney helps you file an insurance claim, as well as a civil lawsuit, before the state-imposed deadline.

Getting in an accident with a ride-sharing vehicle introduces different legal issues than if you got involved in a typical auto collision. Act with a sense of urgency by scheduling a free case evaluation with an experienced Ohio personal injury attorney.

Top 5 Reasons to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

Whether you sustained one or more injuries because of an accident or the negligence of another party, how you react following the incident determines how much compensation you receive from an insurance claim and possibly a civil lawsuit. The most important step in the process involves hiring an attorney who specializes in handling personal injury cases.

The ultimate goal of a personal injury lawyer is to get a claim improved by the client’s insurance company or the insurer representing the other party. If the other party committed one or more acts of negligence, hiring a personal injury attorney can help you win a legal judgment or be the beneficiary of a favorable settlement.

The top five reasons to hire a personal injury lawyer are based on receiving compensation because of an accident or one or more acts of negligence.

Interact with an Insurance Company

The business model for insurance companies is quite simple: Receive as much in premiums as possible and pay as little as possible in claims. Even if an insurance claim you plan to file appears to be strong enough to get approved, the insurance company that you have to deal with might deny the claim based on a frivolous reason.

Hiring a personal injury attorney provides you with much greater influence during the insurance claim process.

Meet Deadlines

A personal injury case involves meeting a few deadlines, with the most important deadline consisting of filing a civil lawsuit before the expiration of the statute of limitations. Most states have established the statute of limitations for filing a civil lawsuit at between two and four years, but the deadline can be as short as one year (Kentucky) or as high as six years (Maine).

Gather and Organize Evidence

Submitting persuasive evidence represents the key to getting an insurance claim approved, as well as reaching a settlement or winning a legal judgment. A personal injury attorney knows how to investigate a case to collect and organize evidence such as photographs taken of the incident scene and obtaining video footage from a security camera.

Interview Witnesses

You have many responsibilities to assume after a personal injury incident, and acquiring the names and contact information of witnesses is one of the most important tasks completed to build a strong case. Personal injury lawyers interview witnesses to receive information that supports the physical evidence gathered for submission to an insurance company.

Negotiate a Settlement

Negotiating a favorable settlement helps you avoid going through a costly and time-consuming civil trial. A skilled personal injury attorney knows how to calculate a reasonable value for monetary damages that is presented as the initial offer. Presenting an overvalued submission for monetary damages can derail your case.

The Most Likely Times and Places for Car Accidents

In the United States, an average of nearly six million car accidents are reported each year that involve more than 12 million vehicles. The National Bureau of Transportation (NBT) statistics states there are certain times when and places where auto collisions occur most often.

When Do Car Accidents Happen Most Often?

Cold weather and frozen precipitation make winter appear to be the most likely time of year for vehicle collisions. However, the distinction for the season with the most car crashes goes to summer when more car owners hit the road for family vacations. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states August is the busiest month of the year for car accident reports. Motor vehicle collisions happen more times on weekends, with Friday representing the day when the most auto collisions are reported by drivers.

Between 4 pm and 8 pm is when car accidents get reported the most from October to March, and then the time of day changes to between noon and 3 pm during the warmer months of the year. Holiday weekends keep law enforcement agencies busy responding to auto collisions because the volume of traffic increases significantly on days such as Labor, Memorial, and Independence Day.

Car Accidents and Daylight Savings Time

In March, most Americans move their clocks ahead by one hour to account for Daylight Savings Time (DST). Federal lawmakers established DST to provide more light during the early evening hours of each day. According to a study released by Current Biology that analyzed more than 20 years of statistics, the number of auto collisions increases for at least one week after the start of DST. Fatigue caused by the switch to DST is the factor attributed the most to the rise in the number of car accidents during the first or second week of March.

Where Do Most Auto Collisions Occur?

A majority of car accidents happen close to home for several reasons. Distracted driving, whether it is from texting and driving or switching the dial on a car radio, is the most common reason why motorists get involved in vehicle collisions near home. Other factors that contribute to the close-to-home car accident phenomenon include parked cars, rush hour traffic volume, and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. The specific locations where most car accidents occur are in rural areas, as well as in parking lots and high-volume intersections in more urban settings.

Some of the most effective strategies for remaining safe on the road include following speed limit laws, paying attention to the road in front of you, and staying the recommended safe distance from the next closest motor vehicle.

What to Expect When Meeting with Your Personal Injury Lawyer

If you sustained injuries because of an accident, working with an experienced personal injury attorney can help you file a persuasive insurance claim. If the accident involved another party committing one or more acts of negligence, a personal injury lawyer helps you gather and organize the evidence you need to file a convincing civil lawsuit.

Most personal injury attorneys offer free case evaluations to potential clients. Let’s see what you can expect during the free case evaluation.

Expect a Short Meeting

A free case evaluation requires a meeting between you and a car accident lawyer. Expect the first meeting to last around one hour. Subsequent meetings can last much longer than that.

Expect to Answer Several Questions

The lawyer sitting across from you during the first meeting will ask several questions, most of which pertain to the facts of your case. You should be prepared to answer questions that concern what happened before, during, and after the accident. The attorney will want to know your insurance policy information, such as the amount of coverage for an accident. Discussing your physical, mental, physical, and emotional well-being is important because that is one factor in how a personal injury lawyer calculates a value for monetary damages.

Expect to Provide Evidence and Witness Information

You can expect to provide the attorney with physical evidence. The lawyer will not determine whether you should file a civil lawsuit until conducting a thorough investigation. You should provide the personal injury attorney copies of your medical records, as well as photographs of your injuries, property damage, and the accident scene. You can send the evidence you have collected before the case evaluation as well. Another important document for evidence is a copy of the official incident report, whether it is from a business or a law enforcement agency.

The names and contact information of witnesses allow the car accident lawyer to schedule interviews. Witness accounts of an accident should support the evidence you hand over to the personal injury attorney.

Expect an Evaluation

Although the lawyer will conduct an extensive investigation concerning the accident, you can expect a short summary of the pros and cons of your case. For example, if footage from a traffic camera demonstrates the other party failed to yield at an intersection, the attorney has a compelling piece of evidence that strengthens your case. At the end of a short summary of your case, the attorney might agree to work on your case on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not have to pay an upfront legal fee. The car accident lawyer receives compensation when you receive an insurance claim payout and possibly a check from a legal settlement.

Finally, expect to ask questions. You should ask questions that concern the timing of your case, as well as what else the lawyer needs from you before launching an investigation into the accident.

8 Things You Should Do After Getting into a Car Accident

If you become involved in a motor vehicle collision, you have to know what steps to take to address property damage and any injuries you suffered because of the collision. One of the most important things to do is call a car accident lawyer. Working with a car accident attorney can help you recover from the financial losses caused by a motor vehicle collision.

Let’s review the eight things to do after getting into a car accident.

Secure the Accident Scene

Prevent additional accidents by alerting motorists to the crash scene. Keep the flashers on for every vehicle, as well as set up flares if you or another motorist has a set available for use. If possible, move all cars including commercial vehicles off the road to reduce your vulnerability.

Contact Law Enforcement

Contacting the nearest law enforcement agency is important for several reasons. If it is a serious accident, contacting law enforcement activates the emergency response system. The most important reason to contact law enforcement is that an officer responding to the scene of the accident completes an official accident report.

Exchange Information

The police officer responsible for completing the formal accident report obtains contact information for every driver involved in the accident, as well as the statements made by witnesses. However, you should exchange information with other drivers for insurance purposes. Your insurance company will reach out to the insurers representing the other motorists.

Gather and Organize Evidence

Evidence is the most important element of the official police report. Nonetheless, you should take photos of the accident scene, as well as the damage done to your vehicle. Your insurance company wants to review photographs to place a value on property damage. Photos of your injuries can help boost your case if you file a personal injury lawsuit.

Contact Your Insurance Company

The sooner you contact your insurance company, the sooner you can process a claim. Determine whether your policy covers medical expenses in addition to the damage done to your vehicle. You do not want to file a claim at this point. You simply want to let your insurer know that filing a claim is imminent.

Seek Medical Care

Even if you suffered minor injuries, you should eventually schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider. Some injuries, such as concussions, do not develop symptoms until a day or more after a car accident. If you suffered serious injuries, you push this step up to number one of the eight things you should do after getting in a car accident.

Maintain a File

Now is the time to start organizing the documents associated with your case. This step helps prepare you for a meeting with an insurance adjuster, as well as the car accident lawyer you choose to hire.

Schedule a Free Case Evaluation

Scheduling a free case evaluation with a car accident lawyer allows you to get answers to questions and determine whether the attorney sitting across from you is the right one to handle your case. Meet with an attorney before filing a claim to ensure you submit the most convincing evidence.