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After getting involved in a car accident, a few things can happen. Depending on the type of car crash, you could be dealing with vehicular damage, whose repair can be quite expensive. Higher chances are that this could also be accompanied by bodily injuries, which might need a medical practitioner’s immediate attention, and the services of a reputable car accident lawyer.
Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may also not be able to work for a few days, weeks, or months. Accident injuries that cause disability are far worse because this could mean saying goodbye to your primary source of income altogether. In addition to your physical pain and emotional suffering, the aftermath of an accident can put you in a hard place financially.
Even if you have insurance, sometimes the expenses incurred after an accident can be absurdly overwhelming and frustrating to keep up with. Accident victims often have to wait months if not years to receive compensation from the negligent road user or their insurer. Amid all this, you need the means to cover your medical bills, foot auto repair bills, and provide for your family. Given that you may not be able to work, the aftermath of a road accident could easily send your financial well-being into a rabbit hole.
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to get relief during this critical time and perhaps maximize your chances of receiving fair financial compensation for the damages suffered. This being said, here are a few pointers on how to get paid after getting injured in a car accident.
1. Find Sanctuary in an Accident Loan
After being hurt in an auto accident, the financial pressure will often feel too much to bear. Of course, it is your legal right to pursue compensation from the at-fault driver or their insurance carrier, but a settlement or compensation won’t come overnight. Even if your car just veered off the road while avoiding an obstacle, it will still take time before your car insurance company compensates you.
If you guessed right, this is where a car accident loan comes in handy! As you can tell from the name, motor vehicle accident loans are available to victims hurt in an accident due to another driver’s negligence or fault on the road. To be more specific, they are provided to plaintiffs whose accident claim cases are ongoing and have a high chance of receiving a fair settlement or compensation judgment in court proceedings.
With a loan from a good lender, you don’t have to suffer financial anguish just because your case is pending finalization. These loans provide you a way to get paid soon after the collision or car crash, so you can meet most of the financial obligations and expenses that result from an accident.
With a good lender like uplift legal funding to your rescue, you can get anything from $500 to $250K funded within as little as 24 hours. Of course, this will largely depend on the type, value, and strength of your accident case. As long as you have a strong case with a higher chance of receiving a significant settlement/compensation, your accident loan application can be approved within the same day.
Factors to Consider When Getting an Accident Loan:
Nonetheless, not all accident loan lenders will have the same offers and perks. As much as you’re getting paid in advance, you don’t want to lose money (or time) in the process. This is why it makes sense to consider the following factors before getting an accident loan.
- Lender reputation and experience
- Maximum loan amount possible
- Loan approval time
- Interest rates (simple rather than compounded)
- No monthly fees
- Non-recourse loan agreement (you don’t pay if you don’t win your case)
2. Understand What Determines Getting Paid After an Accident
Seeking payment or compensation after an accident is a legal procedure, which can be lengthy. For the men out there, the process can be more frustrating than getting pulled over for a DUI when you’re actually guilty of intoxicated driving. You need to know the factors at play when seeking a settlement.
Well, like other personal injury claims, an auto accident claim falls under what is known as Tort Law, which covers how acts and omissions that lead to injuries or bodily harm are treated. In the simplest definition, tort law holds a negligent driver (or their insurance carrier) liable for your harm once you’re hurt.
However, a few factors will determine if you have a compensation case and whether you will get paid. They may also have an impact on how much you secure as financial compensation and how long your case takes to conclude. Some of these factors include the following:
Who Was At Fault?
After the accident that caused your injuries and other damages, it is never obvious that you should be compensated through legal action despite your insurance type or option. In most cases, this will depend on who was at fault for the accident in the first place. In many states, the reckless, careless, or negligent driver often carries a legal liability for the injuries and damages suffered by the victim.
As we shall see a bit later, this is why it is essential for the plaintiff to have evidential proof of fault of the other road user when or before pursuing personal injury or accident compensation claims. For instance, this could mean proving that the other driver breached their legal duty as a road user. Perhaps they didn’t observe the red lights, they were driving while intoxicated, drove recklessly, or they were speeding. These are just some of the many causes of accidents on the road, which is why proving fault can be quite complex at times.
Many car accidents also happen because of poor weather and unkempt roads with potholes or unclear signage. Mechanical car defects are also commonly blamed in road accident cases. In the first case, the government body (or private contractor) in charge of the road might be held liable. The defective vehicle manufacturer could be held responsible for the accident as well.
In summary, it is crucial to know where to point the blame to get paid as a car accident victim. This is all the more reason to work with a qualified accident attorney or expert personal injury lawyer when seeking compensation after an accident. Apart from you, a few people could be blamed for the accident. These include:
- Another driver (Negligence, recklessness, speeding)
- Vehicle or component manufacturers
- Car repair companies
- Road construction and maintenance agencies
- Everyone else who is required to maintain a standard of care to prevent traffic accidents
A skilled lawyer specializing in personal injuries may also handle such accident cases and hold the at-fault party liable for their actions. With the help of the right evidence, the experienced lawyer can help you through the case and will fight for any single penny that your injury is worth. They will examine the accident thoroughly and find the real cause of it.
Your Insurance Option Is a Determinant:
After an accident, insurance is always the first place to look for compensation and financial recovery. However, this will depend on the insurance laws in your state. Some states are no-fault jurisdictions, meaning that your own insurer will compensate for your injuries unless they are really severe. In other states, the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier is held liable for your injuries by default.
Better yet, some states such as Pennsylvania have some sort of hybrid between these two options. Road users are free to purchase no-fault insurance, which protects them if the other party is uninsured or underinsured. They can also get ordinary vehicle insurance and rely on the hope that the at-fault party will have adequate insurance in case of a car accident.
To get paid after an accident, you will need to know the insurance company to approach and file your claims with. As we shall see later in this post, this is why it is crucial to get the other driver’s insurance details at the scene or as soon as you can after the accident. All the same, some common types of motor insurance include the following:
- Collision insurance
- Liability coverage
- Comprehensive auto insurance
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
- Gap insurance
- Personal injury protection coverage
- Medical payments insurance
While looking into these options, be sure to learn the minimum car insurance requirements in your state before you get on the road. In most cases, the minimum amounts are spread between medical coverage, bodily injury liability, and property damage liability.
3. How to Ensure You Get Fairly Compensated After an Accident
What you do after getting injured in an accident will determine a few things. It will be a determinant factor on whether or not you get paid, how much you recover in compensation, and how long your case takes. It will have a huge impact on your ability to get back to your life and on your feet financially. The following few tips could help you get paid fairly in a settlement or accident compensation case.
Avoid Leaving the Accident Scene:
When injured in an accident, the law requires you to stop and assess the situation before taking other necessary steps. Especially men, many people tend to shy away from calling the cops after an accident, but it is really necessary. This is more so if there are fatalities, injuries, or severe vehicular damages involved in the accident scene crash. Unless you need urgent medical attention, dashing off from the accident scene before the authorities arrive is a crime. It could also minimize if not eliminate your chances of receiving fair compensation from the negligent road user.
Collect Crucial Info at the Accident Scene:
As earlier mentioned, proving fault in a car accident is tricky, especially if the scene has been interfered with. Collecting evidence at the accident scene can be crucial in maximizing your chances of getting a worthy settlement or compensation. To ensure this, you can:
- Collect the other motorist’s contact info
- Get details of the other car’s insurance, registration, and plate number
- Take pictures or video of the accident scene and surroundings if you
- Make audio recordings of a few witness statements if you
These will go a long way in maximizing your accident claim.
Seek Immediate Medical Treatment:
After a severe car accident, the paramedics will likely be contacted by you, other victims, or a nearby witness. If you’re the only one able to do so, dial the emergency hotline and receive medical attention as soon as possible even if no injuries are apparent. This helps support your claim in case there are any internal injuries that could become noticeable a while after the car crash.
Never forgo medical treatment. The doctor’s report will be needed as proof of injury when negotiating a settlement or seeking compensation in court.
Let Your Insurance Carrier Know:
Your insurance provider should be among the first people to know after you’ve been in an accident. Call or write to them and let them know about the damages suffered. This way, it is easier to get paid in case the at-fault driver was uninsured or underinsured. However, refrain from discussing settlement or signing settlement agreements without the presence of a trusted lawyer. You can learn more here about the importance of being represented by a reputable lawyer, and how that can help you.
Preserve Bills and Receipts:
After an accident, every little detail showing the expenses you incurred should be preserved. These may include anything from medical bills to after-accident treatment expenses, medication receipts, therapy bills, and day-to-day living expenses. They can come in handy in determining the value of your case and the amount of compensation/settlement you should receive.
Don’t forget to keep your payroll documentation prepared in case your injuries after the accident caused you to lose income. If the accident caused a disability and you had to make modifications in your home, document these costs too.
Additionally, if a car accident prevents you from working temporarily or permanently, save any payroll information you have that shows your wage or salary and any paid time off you used as a result of the accident. These costs, too, represent potential elements of damages due to you.
Have A Journal Of Your Injuries And Recovery Journey:
After an accident, monetary compensation claims focus more on the level of the injuries and harm suffered by the victim. If you do not have proof of your injuries and how they have impacted your life, getting your deserved compensation might be more complicated. This is why it pays to document your injuries and have a journal of your recovery journey. Apart from your medical bills, reports, and treatment expenses documents, the following details can help maximize your payout.
- Photos of injuries/disability, and other physical harm
- Monetary strains (from lost income and financial hardship)
- Emotional impact (from trauma, scars, pain, or disability)
- Damaged relationships
- Any other economic and non-economic suffering
Don’t forget to keep up with your doctor’s visits and recommended treatment routine.
Keep Your Case Information Discreet:
Finally, don’t be tempted to discuss the details of your compensation case without your lawyer’s consent. This includes negotiations with insurance companies or the lawyers of the other party. You will also want to avoid making posts on social media with details of your case. You want to be on your best behavior if at all you are aiming at getting the fairest settlement possible.
To sum it all up, make sure you work with an expert accident lawyer or a personal injury attorney. They will advise you on how to approach the case and get the maximum compensation you deserve. They will also guide you on seeking an accident loan to help you navigate your financial obligations and cover the post-accident expenses without the risk of total financial ruin. When hurt in a car accident, this piece will hopefully have all the information you need to get paid and maximize your claim.
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