​How to Find the Best Car Accident Lawyer Near Me

If you suffered injuries in a recent car crash that was not your fault, you should retain the best possible lawyer to represent you throughout your case. Insurance companies frequently take advantage of unrepresented car accident victims. However, by having skilled legal counsel on your side, you will have someone advocating for your legal interests and pursuing the highest amount of monetary compensation available to you in your case.

Not all car crash lawyers are the same, and you want to have a lawyer on your side who best fits your needs and the needs of your personal injury case. A good lawyer will have significant experience successfully handling car crash cases and litigating them in the civil court system. 

Your car accident lawyer can help you file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company, negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf, or litigate your case through the court system to a prompt and favourable resolution.

Qualities of a Good Car Accident Lawyer

When you go to retain a lawyer to represent you following a car accident, you should be on the lookout for certain qualities. First, you want to make sure that your prospective lawyer has significant experience handling car accident claims and lawsuits. Many lawyers concentrate on various practice areas, and they may or may not have experience litigating car accident cases. 

To achieve the best result in your case, it is a good idea to find a lawyer who mainly handles car accident claims and lawsuits and who routinely represents injured accident victims rather than the interests of big corporations, like insurance companies. 

You also want to have a lawyer on your side who has a strong track record of success, both with settling car accident claims and litigating them in the court system. In general, the best car accident lawyers do not settle all of their cases out of court. Instead, they file lawsuits and litigate their cases in the court system. 

Not every case will go to a civil jury trial, as some may resolve at a mediation or binding arbitration hearing. Ideally, you want a lawyer representing you who has received successful jury verdicts and binding arbitration results in prior car accident cases. When a lawyer has a strong track record of success, insurance companies are more likely to offer high settlement compensation to new accident victims in an attempt to avoid prolonged litigation or jury trials.

Next, you want a lawyer on your side who is responsive and easy to contact. At many points throughout your personal injury claim or lawsuit, you may have questions or concerns for your lawyer, which they should answer in a timely manner. Finally, you want a lawyer on your side who has an excellent ethical record and who does not have a history of disciplinary proceedings with the bar authorities.

Frequent Types of Car Crashes

When people drive recklessly and carelessly, their chances of causing a car crash increases significantly.

When drivers violate traffic laws, they may cause:

• Sideswipe accidents, where the side of one vehicle hits the side of another car that is travelling in the same direction
• T-bone or broadside collisions, where one vehicle hits the front or rear panel on the side of another vehicle
• Rear-end crashes, where one vehicle hits the back of another vehicle
• Overturn accidents, are where a vehicle flips over and causes multiple collisions with other vehicles.
• Head-on accidents, where two vehicles strike one another while travelling in opposite directions

Of these different types of car accidents, head-on collisions are arguably the most serious since these accidents may lead to debilitating injuries and fatalities especially if the vehicles are travelling at high speeds.

If you suffered injuries in one of these crashes that a negligent driver caused, you should seek out a skilled legal representative right away. A knowledgeable car crash lawyer in your area can investigate your accident and help you pursue a claim or lawsuit that seeks the monetary damages you deserve.

How do Car Crashes Occur?

In most situations, car accidents are the result of error or negligence on the part of another driver. First, when drivers disobey road regulations and fail to drive in a careful manner, they may inadvertently cause a severe crash.

Common traffic law violations that lead to traffic accidents include:

• Excessive speeding
• Disobeying signs or traffic lights
• Tailgating other vehicles
• Failing to use turn signals when making a lane change or executing a turn
• Exhibiting road rage and other aggressive driving maneuvers
• Failing to use rearview and side view mirrors when backing out of parking spaces

In addition to common traffic law violations, some car crashes happen when drivers turn their heads away from the road or otherwise become distracted while driving. In many cases, electronic devices in a vehicle, including GPS navigation systems, tablets, and cellular phones, compete for a driver’s attention.

Drivers may also become distracted when they roughhouse with vehicle passengers or adjust the stereo in their vehicle. A driver who turns their attention away from the road is far more likely than a focused driver to cause a severe car crash.

Finally, some car accidents happen when people drive while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI). Safe driving requires that drivers remain sober and that they do not get behind the wheel after having too much to drink.

Alcohol, in particular, may slow down a driver’s reaction time and limit their reflexes and concentration. An intoxicated driver might weave around traffic or otherwise drive in an erratic manner. A drunken driver might also fail to see another driver or pedestrian in the vicinity, negligently causing a severe crash.

If you suffered injuries in a recent traffic accident that resulted from someone else’s negligence, a skilled car accident lawyer in your area can help. Your lawyer can investigate the circumstances of your accident, determine if the other driver was negligent, and, if so, help you present a claim or lawsuit in a timely manner.

Common Car Crash Injuries

Depending upon the speeds of the involved vehicles and the type of accident, car crash victims may suffer debilitating injuries. In the most severe accident scenarios, victims may experience pain and other symptoms for the rest of their life.

Since some car crashes are more severe than others, not all accident victims will suffer the same types of physical and mental injuries. In a forceful collision, the accident victim is more likely to strike a part of the vehicle, like the window, headrest, or door frame, making their injuries all the more serious.

Some of the most common accident-related injuries that individuals suffer include:

• Internal organ injuries
• Spinal cord damage
• Full or partial paralysis
• Bruises
• Open lacerations
• Bone fractures
• Rib fractures
• Concussions and other head injuries

If you suffered one or more of these injuries in your car crash, you might be entitled to monetary damages for your losses. A knowledgeable car accident lawyer in your area can file a claim or lawsuit on your behalf and in a timely manner helping you recoup your losses and become whole again after your accident.

Recovering Monetary Damages after a Car Accident

Following a car crash, accident victims may be eligible to recover various monetary damages. To recover these damages, they must satisfy every legal element of their claim or a lawsuit. Specifically, they must demonstrate that another driver failed to drive in a reasonable or safe manner under the circumstances and that, as a result, the accident occurred and their injuries materialized. 

Car crash victims can pursue monetary damages for all of their:

• Lost income, such as when they have to miss time away from work to attend medical appointments, attend physical therapy sessions, and recover from their injuries and symptoms
• Loss of earning capacity, when an accident victim, due to their injuries, cannot complete their work duties and must switch to a lower-paying line of work, incurring significant income losses
• Loss of spousal companionship or consortium, when an accident victim’s physical injuries prevent them from being intimate with their spouse
• Mental distress, is when the trauma of an accident victim’s car crash causes mental complications, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Past and future pain and suffering, when an accident victim has experienced numerous physical symptoms between the date of their accident up until the present time and where the accident victim is likely to experience pain going forward (and sometimes for the rest of their life)
• Loss of life enjoyment, when an accident victim’s quality of life and ability to take part in once-enjoyed recreational activities significantly declines due to the severity of their injuries and resulting symptoms
• Loss of the ability to use a body part, such as when an accident victim suffers a permanent mental impairment or permanent physical injury, such as spinal cord damage, partial paralysis, or complete paralysis that limits their ability to move various body parts
• Permanent disfigurement or disability, such as where a car crash victim suffers a disfiguring injury, such as visible scarring that causes them ongoing embarrassment and humiliation

Speak with a Car Accident Lawyer Right Away

In any car accident claim, time is of the essence since accident victims only have two years from their accident date to file a personal injury lawsuit seeking monetary redress. If the statute of limitations runs in your case and you have not yet filed a lawsuit, the court will prevent you from recovering any monetary damages for your injuries. Therefore, it is in your best interest to retain qualified legal counsel to represent you as quickly as possible.

A knowledgeable car accident lawyer can aggressively advocate for you at every stage of your case, including during settlement negotiations and litigation. Your lawyer can also help you introduce favourable evidence at your jury trial or binding arbitration hearing and work to ensure that you receive the fair damages you need to compensate you for your injuries. 

You should let your personal injury lawyer in Edmonton handle your legal battles for you while you focus on recovering from your injuries as best you can. Seek a free consultation today.

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