Things You Will Need To Settle Your Car Accident Claim
One of the hardest parts of working through a car accident case is settling the case. In fact, settling a major car accident case often takes years, especially if you experienced major injuries from the accident you were involved in. As you begin working through your case, you will need a lot of documentation to prove that you are entitled to a large settlement. An experienced lawyer can help you with this, and you will need to provide that lawyer with the following things in order to receive the largest settlement possible.
Police Report and Pictures from the Accident
The police report is a written document that contains a lot of vital details about the accident, and this is one of the main documents you will need to initiate your lawsuit. You may also need it during your lawsuit in order to prove the fault of the other party involved. The police report will also contain other important details relating to the accident, such as the names of witnesses. Your lawyer might need to contact these witnesses to find out exactly what they saw, as this information could help you with your case.
Pictures from the accident can also be helpful during your case. If you could not take pictures immediately after the accident, you might be able to get them by talking to the police. The police often take pictures after an accident, and you might be able to get a copy of these shots. You could also take pictures at a later point; however, you would be limited if you have to wait. The only thing you could take pictures of at a later point will probably be your own vehicle. This can still be helpful when settling a case though.
Estimates for Repairs and Damages to Your Car
You should also give your lawyer estimates for repairs and damages for your car. You can get these by talking to your insurance company, but you can also get them by hiring your own mechanic to create an estimate for you.
If your car is totaled, you may need to ask for more money than what the estimate says if you owe more on your car than what the insurance company will pay you for it. This commonly occurs with newer vehicles, simply because their values are often less than the amounts owed. This happens because new cars depreciate quickly.
Medical Bills and Doctor Reports
If you sustained injuries from the accident, the main thing you will need to do is prove the extent of the injuries by submitting your medical bills and doctor reports. For injuries that will never heal completely, you might be able to seek compensation for future medical bills. You will need to prove that your injuries will be lifelong, and you can do this by getting a letter from your doctor.
You should also submit any other types of medical expenses you have paid for if they relate to the injuries from your accident. This includes bills for chiropractic visits, physical therapy, and emotional therapy. For example, if you visited a therapist to deal with the nightmares you now have, you could ask to be compensated for emotional trauma. Giving copies of your therapy statements might help you prove that you are entitled to this.
The first thing you should do after things settle down from your recent car accident is to hire a lawyer. A personal injury lawyer like Jack W Hanemann, P.S. can help you settle your case and will be able to help you get a settlement amount that you deserve.
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