Every car accident case is different, and the usefulness of an attorney will depend on your unique situation. While no lawyer can promise that retaining legal counsel is guaranteed to get you compensation after an accident, some victims choose to hire an attorney because it gives them comfort moving forward with their cases. For example, knowing that there is a lawyer or a team of lawyers working on your case, you may be able to spend more time focusing on recovery and getting back to work.
After all, the field of personal injury law can prove to be confusing for some, especially those attempting to take legal action after suffering traumatic injuries. Ultimately, the presence of an attorney can allow you to attend to more important aspects of your life—like your health or family—while they dedicate themselves to your legal battle.
When asking, “Is it better to get a lawyer for a car accident?” you may gain a clearer perspective by speaking with a law firm in your area. For this reason, many personal injury lawyers provide risk-free, complimentary consultations for potential clients.
Types of Compensation You Can Receive from a Settlement
While specific legislation on damages varies from state to state, recoverable damages are generally broken into three categories to encompass a victim’s pain and suffering:
- Economic Damages: These include any financial losses you have faced, such as property damage, medical expenses, and lost wages. Generally, there will be hard proof of these damages in the form of bills and receipts
- Non-Economic Damages: These damages are harder to define, as they are usually intangible. For example, non-economic damages can include “pain and suffering” and emotional distress to your injuries and hardships. Other aspects can include mental illness, loss of consortium, and damage to your reputation
- Punitive Damages: Unlike other forms of compensation, a judge may only award punitive damage if he or she believes there is a display of recklessness or malice occurred. By awarding punitive damages to victims of extreme injustice, the court hopes this will disallow the general public from repeating the dangerous behavior
Calculating Compensation
Juries and courts award compensation based on the evidence of suffering you present. This can include appraisals on:
- Property damage
- Vehicle damage
- Hospital stays
- Prescriptions
- Medical procedures
- Physical therapy
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages, both current and future
- Reduced earning capacity
If you have an attorney, they will work to present documentation of your suffering, thereby assigning a value to your case. In some cases, your attorney may choose to multiply these losses several times over to reflect your true suffering.
How Long You Have to Collect Damages from a Car Accident
In many states, you will not be able to recover damages if you wait more than two years to file a lawsuit for your pain and suffering. However, each state dictates its own allotted amount of time for victims to take legal action.
In general, Ohio Revised Code (ORC) §2305.10 dictates a two-year statute of limitations for most personal injury cases, starting on the day your injuries occurred. If you are looking to file a lawsuit after losing a loved one in a wrongful death case, ORC §2125.02 details a similar two-year time limit.
Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyers Ready to Fight for You
After years of serving victims all over the State of Ohio, we know how much you may lose in a car accident. That is why the attorneys at the Fitch Law Firm LLC have made it our goal to help you fight for what you deserve.
We will take the time to gather evidence surrounding every aspect of your case, from investigating the accident to documenting your damages to researching the laws that govern the court’s decision. In doing so, we hope to present a clear picture of what happened in your accident. We also hope to show the court the value of your case in order to win a just award.
If you are still wondering, “Is it better to get a lawyer for a car accident?” or if you have any other questions, contact a lawyer at the Fitch Law Firm LLC today for your free consultation at (614) 545-3930.