Car accidents are no joke, especially the ones where someone gets injured. That is why you have to know how to make the best out of a bad situation and hold the responsible party liable for the crash. A good lawyer can make a big difference in this situation, but there is more to it. Follow this article to learn how to hold the person who caused the accident responsible.
How Do You Hold The Responsible Party Liable In A Car Crash?
In most situations, a car accident occurs because someone was careless. The basis of this practice is that if one person was less careful, he should pay for at least a portion of the damages he caused. This rule of carelessness applies to almost every accident, and you have to know how to get the most out of it. According to a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer, after you’ve been injured in a car crash, you have the right to compensation. That’s why you need to find a good lawyer to know exactly what to do in these situations. A good legal worker will help you get your money for the injuries you sustained. Follow the article to find out what to do to get out on top.
Who Can Be Held Liable For A Car Accident?
Not only drivers cause car crashes. More things should be taken into account when it comes to car crashes, like who could be the one who caused it. Here is who and why could be held responsible:
- Vehicle owners who borrow their car from someone else. They could be held liable for borrowing their vehicle to a person unfit to drive it. This falls under negligent entrustment and the person in whose name the vehicle is registered should pay the price for it.
- Passengers in the car who bother the driver and cause the accident. This happens very often with teenagers who give in to peer pressure.
- Alcohol providers if they know the person who drinks came to their place in their car.
- Employers who give the company vehicle to an unreliable worker then cause a crash because he or she is not competent enough to get around traffic.
What Should You Do When You Get To Court?
Know How To Determine If Someone Is At Fault
The fault for causing an accident can be created either by the law or it can be defined by common law. The second one recognizes four basic levels:
- Negligence if the other party was careless
- Recklessness if, for example, the other party drove too fast
- International misconduct
- Strict liability
Tell The Details In The Report
Once you fill out a car accident information report you’ll have the chance to prove that you are not at fault and that the other party will have to pay for the damage. It is important to recall everything that happened and not to lie to have the best chance of getting the wanted settlement.
Know What Are The “Damages”
There are two types of damages you could be compensated for: general “non-economic” and special “economic” damages.
General damages are harms and losses that came from the accident or injury and aren’t easy to quantify. Also, they can sometimes be more subjective. They include the compensation for pain and suffering, lost companionship, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and other things that resulted in medical treatment.
On the other hand, special damages can be quantified easily and include medical treatment, lost wages, property damage, lost income opportunity, and other losses that can be measured with money.
Pain And Suffering
If you were injured without any fault, the responsible party should pay compensation for your pain and suffering depending on the impact that the injury had on your life. In serious injuries that caused a long-lasting recovery, you could settle for a decent amount of money.
Medical Bills
Be sure that the responsible party gives you the money for the medical bills you had to pay due to the injury the other he caused. This should not stop at that, but rather also include the forthcoming medical bills that are yet to be determined.
There Is No Minimum Or Maximum
You have to know that there is no least or most amount that a settlement can be when it comes to injuries caused by a car accident. The amount of a settlement for a personal injury depends on many factors, such as:
- the willingness of the other party to let the case go to court if need be
- the nature and extent of the injuries which includes long-term impact and the “pain and suffering” factor
- the full picture that shows who exactly was at fault and to what extent
These basic rules will surely get you the compensation you deserve. Make sure that you get a good lawyer who will help you get your wanted settlement. Don’t hold back anything in the courtroom. That’s the best way to get the wanted closure after suffering an injury.