Many things can affect the ability to reach a settlement or verdict. Some of these include:
- How complicated your case is
- How many vehicles were involved
- Who was at fault
- Whether the insurance company is strongly denying what happened
- How severe your injuries are
- The extent of property damage
- The strength of any available evidence
- Whether you are finished with treatment
- What the prospective care might be (if any)
We understand you would like to receive compensation as soon as possible. Not only may you be unable to work, but you might be dealing with thousands of dollars in unpaid medical bills. The financial burden caused by the accident may be overwhelming – so much so that your recovery could be hindered. You might worry about what the future holds. When you know the accident was preventable, but happened because of the careless actions of another person, your feelings about everything may be significantly heightened.
The last thing you want to do is accept a fast settlement from the insurance adjuster. Keep in mind the adjuster may be telling you the right things at the right time to convince you to accept and move on. This is very common with people who are desperate and don’t understand the full extent of their losses. We know of many people who accepted a settlement before their treatment was finished or fully realized what the extent of their injuries were. When a settlement is accepted, you will not be able to recover anything else. For example, if you accept $10,000 only to find out that your current medical bills are $8,000 and you’ve just been told you need a $30,000 surgery, you may be forced to pay out of pocket for your losses. It is for this reason you should trust a car accident lawyer in Iowa to help you. Expenses and losses that may be covered include
- Your medical treatment
- Your prospective medical treatment
- Your lost wages or loss of income
- Property damage
- Non-economic damages
Many lawyers will encourage the victim to complete all treatment or have a doctor create a future treatment plan before settling a case. This ensures you recover what you need and deserve. Of course, this could slow down the process of the claim, but it will be worthwhile.
Having testimony from any witnesses who saw the accident can also be imperative to your claim. You want to ensure if there were any other drivers or pedestrians nearby who saw what happened that you get their name and contact information before leaving the scene.
As a car accident lawyer Iowa resident’s respect, the average case is settled within 1 year. However, this can vary and be more or less. We would recommend getting started as soon as possible to avoid any delays or issues regarding the statute of limitations.
When you have been in a car accident that was not your fault, you need to speak with our car accident lawyer. We understand the trauma that you have gone through and know that it can be extremely easy to have racing thoughts and anxiety after a car accident. However, when someone else’s negligence caused the car accident to occur, there are certain steps you can take to help get compensation after the accident. Road safety starts with you. You must know how to drive defensively because even if someone else is unsafe on the road, you increase your chances of getting to and from your location unharmed. However, accidents cannot always be avoided, even if you are driving carefully. When this is the case, contact an attorney to discuss how we can represent you with a free consultation. Contact Des Moines Injury Law today.
