Compensation Claims
Many drivers and motor vehicle operators will unfortunately get into one or more accident in their life. If people are lucky, these accidents will not cause injuries or property damage. Unfortunately, even the most minor accidents can cause injuries and property damage. More major accidents can cause catastrophic injuries, sometimes even death.
When a person is injured in a moving vehicle accident that is not their fault, it is common for the victim to seek compensation from the party or parties that caused the accident. Common reasons that injured people seek compensation include medical bills and other expenses related to their injuries, loss of wages, pain and suffering. In the event of the death of a loved one, their surviving family members may seek compensation for similar reasons as those of a victim, in addition to funeral and other costs related to their loved one’s death as well as for their loss, grief and suffering.
State Laws
State laws for personal injury lawsuits differ from state to state even though many states are very similar in how they treat personal injury claims. While they are in the minority, some states say that if a person who was injured in an accident is even one percent responsible for the accident, they cannot make a claim against other parties who were more responsible. In the states that allow for someone who was partially responsible for causing an accident to make a claim against someone else who was partially responsible for causing an accident, if there is a settlement or award amount given to an injured person, the percentages that different parties are assigned in an accident is typically a factor in calculating the amount the injured person is awarded.
Protect Yourself
It is typically an auto insurance company and/or a personal injury lawyer that will represent an injured person in their claim for compensation. If you are in the unfortunate situation of someone trying to make you responsible for all of their costs related to an accident you were involved in, it may be in your best interest to discuss your situation with a reliable traffic lawyer who is experienced with successfully defending the rights of people who have personal injury claims against them.
Many people who are seeking compensation for an accident they were in do not take into account the fact that many accidents have more than one party that is partially at fault. The person who is most largely at fault can also be the injured person who is trying to get money from other people involved in the accident. If this is happening to you, it is important to have a lawyer on your side who is knowledgeable about defending people against personal injury claims and has success in doing this in the state where your accident occurred.