Average Settlements for Neck and Back Injuries Sustained in Car Accidents

If you’ve sustained a neck or back injury in a car accident, you NEED to understand your rights. You may be entitled to compensation to help offset medical costs, repay you for pain and suffering, and even help fill in the gaps caused by lost earning potential. Neck and back injuries can prove life-changing for car accident victims; it’s critical that you pursue the compensation you deserve for your injuries after an accident!  Knowledge is power, so knowing averages and ranges for the monetary damage elements after a car accident are will help you understand your rights. Contact an experienced car accident attorney at Trust Guss Injury Lawyers to discuss YOUR case. Car accidents cause thousands of neck and back injuries every year. The NHTSA states that over 2.5 million passenger vehicle occupants receive injuries in car accidents each year. Unfortunately, if you or a loved one has fallen victim to such circumstances, you are FAR from alone.

The settlement process can prove stressful and uncertain for many car accident victims. It’s just one reason why pairing up with an experienced car accident attorney could make all the difference in your case. Courts are more than happy to award car accident victims compensation, but you need to understand WHAT to show them, WHO to talk to, and what the other driver involved in your accident did WRONG to succeed, and an experienced car accident attorney can make all the difference for you.

What Is the Average Settlement for a Car Accident Neck and Back Injury?

You deserve to know what compensation you can expect to receive, should you pursue compensation. The good news is that most car accident victims can recover enough damages to help offset medical costs and other financial burdens following the event, and recover monetary damages for pain and suffering as well.

As a victim, you have a right to compensation!

You may be unsure of how to best pursue compensation for intangible damages. Victims of neck and back injuries due to car accidents often lose more than just money after the event. If you’ve lost your enjoyment of life or have experienced decreased productivity, you deserve the funds that were stolen from you by your accident.

The public gets swept up in CRUSHED VEHICLES and the loss of human life during car accidents that they see on the news or other media. What most people don’t see is the immense grief, anger, and loss that victims experience when their abilities and wellbeing are hurt, even in normal “everyday” car accident’s that don’t make the headlines or the local news. If your car accident changed the way that you earn money or caused you suffering, you are entitled to pursue compensation for those damages. Car accidents cause over ONE TRILLION DOLLARS’ worth of damage in loss of productivity and life per year! The life-altering impact of a car accident neck or back injury should never go overlooked. You deserve fair compensation in court for the injuries that you sustained. If you’re beginning to doubt the accident’s impact on your life, health, or wellbeing, we urge you to STOP. You can join the millions of Americans every year who receive compensation for the life-altering effects of a car accident. Many car accident victims don’t know what, exactly, they can seek damages for. The extent of your injuries, the nature of your accident, and skills of your car accident attorney all play into the amount of compensation that you receive. Some of the most common damages awarded in settlements center around:

• Medical bills (including estimated future medical expenses) necessitated by the car accident. Present medical bills may also be covered. Medical equipment, transport costs (if you were transported via ambulance from the scene of the accident), and other similar expenses are also often recoverable.
• Lost wages to account for any money you were (or are) unable to make through your regular employment
• Pain and suffering and mental anguish to help account for both the physical and mental pain brought on by the car accident
• Property damage, such as damage to your vehicle and belongings
• Diminished earning potential if your ability to earn money was negatively-impacted by your neck and back injuries
• Disfigurement if the accident left you will permanent scars, or other disfigurements
• Disability if the accident left you unable to walk, run, or move in the same way you were able to prior to your accident
• Vehicle repair, towing, and other similar services

The monetary sum of damages like these can add up QUICKLY!  The average amount of recovery for a more modest accident may only range between fifteen and thirty thousand dollars, depending on the jurisdiction and insurance coverage. Recoveries in car accidents will vary a LOT based on the severity of your accident, the facts of your case, the jurisdiction (where the accident happened), and other factors.  The one thing that you can do to make sure that your recovery is at the HIGHEST end of the spectrum as possible is to hire an experienced car accident lawyer to help you fight the insurance company. Remember, the insurance adjuster’s job is to pay you at the LOWEST end of the spectrum, and they get raises and bonuses based on just how well they can take advantage of you.

The Four Steps to Settlement

The settlement process varies from state to state. Unfortunately, other drivers on the road display negligence no matter where in the country you’re driving. That means that each state must be prepared to receive, study, and rule on car accident reports and settlements. Your lawyer will be able to help guide you through the settlement process and will act as your trusted partner as you work toward a resolution.

1. File a Report

It’s always a good idea to call the police in order to complete a police report for your car accident as soon as you can.  It helps protect YOU from the other parties, their insurance companies, and their legal representatives. Even if you’re unsure of whether you’ll pursue compensation, documentation could make or break a future case.

2. Pursue Medical Treatment

This is, undoubtedly, one of the most important steps to take after a car accident. If you received emergency medical attention on-scene, you should still ensure that you’re seen by a medical professional after your accident, as well. Even victims who are sent to the hospital may want to follow up for their injuries after discharge. Many neck and back injuries caused by car accidents are undetectable—until they worsen. It’s not unusual for an injury to be invisible to the naked eye at first and later prove a CRIPPLING and CHRONIC malady for the patient. Your pursuit of treatment and a medical professional’s finding could have a heavy bearing on your settlement. Make sure you clarify anything that you don’t understand with a doctor and try to collect medical documentation as you go. It will help make amassing and reviewing documents and information easier down the line.

3. Get in Touch with an Attorney

Once you’ve received medical care, contact a reliable attorney as soon as possible. Don’t be afraid research car accident lawyers; you deserve to find A PARTNER who you will represent your best interests in court. The other driver(s) involved in your accident may turn up in court with aggressive arguments and explanations that border on slanderous. You NEED a qualified and empathetic legal professional to guide you through the process. When should you hire a car accident attorney? It’s best to contact an attorney as soon as possible in the legal process. It helps you carve a clearer path forward in your pursuit of compensation, and the decisions you make in the first few days after your accident may have a huge impact on what you can eventually recover. Your car accident attorney will be able to help you understand from whom to seek advice, documentation, and treatment.

4. Submit a Claim

After you’ve teamed up with a car accident lawyer and dealt with insurance, you can begin the claims process. Be ready to hand over extensive information and documentation to your lawyer. Anything that you believe may substantiate your pursuit of compensation is critical to your case. Your attorney will also be able to tell you which forms and paperwork he or she needs. Most victims, at a bare minimum, should provide:

• Medical bills and bills for any related charges (although most attorneys will be able to obtain these on your behalf.)
• Receipts for expenses, such as towing
• Income information, such as pay stubs, benefits details, etc.
• Projected reduced earning potential

Don’t forget: your case is unique! It’s about YOU! Your attorney may ask for documentation that isn’t mentioned on this list. If he or she does, feel free to ask more questions before handing over paperwork. If your car accident lawyer has your best interests at heart, he or she will be happy to help you understand.

Finding a Reliable Car Accident Attorney

Chances are that you’re on the lookout for any potential opportunity to make the claims process simpler. Most people struggle to survive ENDLESS games of PHONE TAG with insurance companies, doctors, and other parties that may be involved in a car accident settlement. One easy way to slash your workload and simplify a settlement is to partner with an empathetic, experienced, and trustworthy personal injury attorney. The decision to work in conjunction with a lawyer could greatly increase your chances of success during settlement. It also offers tremendous peace of mind; wouldn’t you feel worlds better knowing that somebody you can trust will help you fight for the compensation that you deserve?! If you or a loved one has fallen victim to neck and back injuries as a result of a car accident, you have a LEGAL RIGHT to pursue damages. Your understanding of your rights will prove critical throughout the legal process. It’s just one of the many reasons that you should select a car accident attorney who has your best interests in mind.

Your Consultation with a Personal Injury Attorney

Many car accident victims feel apprehensive when it comes to finding a trustworthy car accident attorney. If you’re concerned about the process of selecting a lawyer, you’re not alone. Fortunately, the modern model for the delivery of legal services looks much different than it did several years ago. Many of today’s car accident attorneys offer potential clients the opportunity to complete consultations and sign ups via the phone and the internet.

Now, many personal injury practices have extensive teams. These attorneys and legal professionals possess decades’ worth of collective experience. Since teams like these are full of justice-driven and seasoned professionals, firms want to ensure that clients are partnered with the car accident attorney who is best for their own unique case. Firms that insist on face-to-face meetings, inconvenient trips to their offices, and excessive time dedicated to handling paperwork in-person often fail to deliver the personalized service that victims deserve and may be behind the times when it comes to technology. A modern, up to date, effective personal injury law firm may be able to recover a substantial settlement for a client without that client ever having to set foot in the lawyer’s office (unless, of course, they want to!) Meeting with a prospective law firm should be simple. If you’ve selected a client-oriented firm, you’ll reap the rewards of a flexible partner in your effort to claim the compensation you’re owed!