Liability for vehicle accidents in Washington state is based on negligence and fault. When a person suffers serious injuries and has expensive vehicle damage after someone else caused a collision, that individual should receive financial compensation from the driver’s insurance company. Sometimes hiring Personal Injury Lawyers Around Washington become necessary to negotiate a fair amount of compensation. Insurance companies are not always cooperative.
Gathering More Evidence
An insurer may demand more evidence that their policyholder was at fault. The person who was injured may have no idea how to obtain this evidence. Personal Injury Lawyers Around Washington provide assistance in this effort. They can seek out eyewitnesses, conduct interviews, read over police records and hire expert witnesses if necessary to reconstruct the scene of the accident.
Verifying the Injury Caused the Accident
Sometimes the dispute involves whether the injury actually was caused by the accident or was pre-existing. A herniated disc, for example, could already have occurred before the collision. If the individual had ever been treated by a chiropractor or osteopath for this problem, the insurer may deny the claim, even if that treatment had taken place years ago.
The insurance adjusters may take issue with the claim if the person did not seek medical treatment for several days or even weeks after the collision. Nevertheless, sometimes symptoms of an injury such as whiplash do not appear right away.
Additional Compensation
Attorneys with an organization such as Allen Law Firm also may work to gain additional compensation for the client that this person hadn’t thought about. Normally, compensation covers medical expenses, repairs to or replacement of the vehicle, and lost income. The lawyer also may demand reimbursement for other fees the person has had to pay out, such as cab fare and house cleaning services.
Settling Out of Court
Most car accident cases are relatively straightforward and can get settled out of court. The injured person usually cannot expect the sort of enormous payment that can happen with medical malpractice cases or cases involving corporate negligence. The automotive insurance policies have a maximum liability amount and the company is not obligated to pay any more than that. Find us on Facebook!
