What Your Lawyer Wants to Know About Your Car Crash Claim

Injuries caused by car crashes can be serious and life-changing. The financial and emotional fallout is often overwhelming for you and your family. By consulting with an experienced car accident lawyer, many crash victims achieve some peace of mind knowing that their claim is in good hands, so they can focus on healing from their injuries and rebuilding their lives.

Questions Your Attorney May Ask You

When you consult with a lawyer about a car crash, there is important information they will want to know, so they can determine whether or not a favorable outcome is likely. Some of the crucial information your lawyer needs include the following:

• What were the events that led up to the accident? Where were you coming from, and where were you headed?
• How did the crash transpire? Was another driver at fault?
• Could you have been partially or fully responsible for the accident?
• Were you able to obtain any evidence at the scene of the crash? Examples of evidence that may help your lawyer include pictures of your injuries, injuries to other vehicle occupants, property damage, road hazards, traffic conditions, and weather conditions. The exact location of where the accident took place is also important. Your lawyer will need to know the properties in the surrounding area and possibly obtain contact information or statements from eyewitnesses to the crash.
• Were the police called? If so, did they cite anyone for the accident or mention any traffic violations that may have occurred?
• Have you been seen by a medical professional following the accident? And if so, when did this take place?
• What is your prognosis? And what treatments have you already undergone?
• How have the injuries you have suffered already impacted your day-to-day life?
• Have you missed any time from work or become unable to perform your full job duties due to the injuries you suffered in this crash?
• Did you have any preexisting injuries before this accident?
• Have you had any communication with the insurance company? If so, what was said by both sides?
• Has the insurance company provided any settlement offer yet?

Why Your Lawyer is Asking These Questions

Your lawyer will ask these questions to determine several key issues. First, by gathering information about how the accident transpired and the evidence you have, your lawyer may be able to determine how liability will be assigned. In some cases, it will be clear that one driver– and that driver only– caused the crash. In other cases, liability is much more complex, and both sides will argue that the other party caused the accident.

The next key issue that the attorney will want to decipher is the severity of your injuries. In general, the more serious they are, the more your claim will potentially be worth. Injuries that are long-term, permanent, or cause disfigurement tend to yield higher financial payouts. Further, one of the primary elements of your claim for damages will be to cover all of your medical bills, and those will typically be higher with more severe injuries.

Lastly, the attorney you consult with will want to know how these injuries have affected your everyday life. For example, you may never be able to return to the workforce, or you may be relegated to a lower-paying and less fulfilling job than you previously held. The image of the other car running through a red light and t-boning your vehicle may be so terrifying that you can never get behind the wheel again. Your enjoyment of life may be significantly impacted, and your relationships with your loved ones may suffer as well. All of these hardships are eligible for compensation in a car accident claim.

Our car accident attorneys at Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C. strongly recommend that you consult with an experienced New York car accident lawyer as soon as possible following your crash so you can become informed of the merits of your claim and the legal options that you have.

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At Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C., we have been representing injured victims for over four decades. We take pride in aggressively pursuing justice and maximum financial compensation for our clients so they can focus on the recovery process.

If you have been injured in a car accident, call Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C. today to arrange your zero-cost case review with a personal injury attorney. We will not charge any fees unless you win your case.