What Compensation Can I Receive After A Car Accident in Los Angeles?

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you’re eligible for several types of compensation that can help provide you with the resources you need to recover.

What Compensation Can I Receive After A Car Accident?

Everything from serious medical injuries to lost time from work (loss of earnings) can occur as a result of a car accident. These losses can be overwhelming and you will probably wonder what types of compensation you are entitled to. Here at The Drexler Law Firm, we will know what types of compensation you are entitled to and we have the experience to know what to do to secure it for you.

What are the Different Types of Compensation?

The following are specific types of compensation you may be entitled to after a car accident.

  • Property Damage – This includes damage to vehicles as well as property inside of a vehicle that was damaged during the accident. Not having a vehicle is a hardship for many people. You can also claim the loss of being able to use the vehicle from the date of the accident until the vehicle is completely repaired.
  • Medical Bills – Medical bills include everything from ambulance costs and hospital bills to rehabilitation and prescription drug costs. If you do not have adequate health insurance, we can secure treatment for you on a lien basis. This means your medical bills will be paid after a settlement is reached.
  • Lost Wages – Lost wages includes the income you would have earned from the time the accident occurred to the time you are back at work. Even if your injuries are minor, you may miss work due to doctor’s visits or as a result of not having a vehicle.
  • Pain and Suffering – Paid and suffering are damages you are entitled to for harm suffered to your quality of life.  These damages include emotional pain and suffering, symptoms related to PTSD or emotional pain in connection to things that you once loved that you are no longer able to do. These damages can vary greatly from case to case and are a vital component to the formula involved in your receiving fair and complete compensation.

What are Non-Economic Damages?

Damages fall under two general categories. These are economic and non-economic. Economic damages include compensation for monetary loss, like property damage and medical bills, which we detail above. Non-economic damages are injuries, losses, or suffering that cannot be defined expressly in monetary terms. The following are examples of what non-economic damages could be awarded for.

  • Physical Pain and Suffering
  • Physical Disfigurement or Impairment
  • Mental Anguish
  • Loss of Companionship in the case of injuries to your spouse

Calculating and proving how much non-economic damages are worth can be difficult. This is why it is necessary to have an experienced attorney. Our team of experienced Los Angeles auto accident lawyers will be able to determine how much compensation you are entitled to under the law.

What is the Difference Between Compensatory Damages vs Punitive Damages?

The following is a basic explanation of both types of damages.

  • Compensatory Damages – These are damages awarded to compensate an individual for actual expenses related to time lost from work, medical bills, damaged property and emotional and physical pain and suffering.
  • Punitive Damages – While compensatory damages are to help the victims in an accident, punitive damages are meant to punish the individual responsible for causing the accident. These damages only apply in specific cases involved gross or egregious negligence.

The general difference between compensatory and punitive damages is that the compensatory is given to help the plaintiff while punitive is to punish the defendant. Punitive damages are usually awarded in cases in which the other driver was extremely negligent. This might include cases in which the defendant was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or driving at excessive speeds. An experienced attorney can help an accident victim receive the highest possible compensatory and punitive damages.

Who Pays for my Claim?

If you are injured in an accident, the liability insurance of the driver at fault will cover the damages. If the driver doesn’t have insurance, your own underinsured or uninsured coverage should pay the expenses. How a claim is paid is based on the type of accident, the determination of fault, and what type of insurance the driver at fault carries.

You may, however, have to pay a deductible until you receive compensation from the other driver or insurance company.

Do I Need a Lawyer to Get Proper Compensation?

After a car accident has occurred, you may be struggling to recover from injuries. You may also be concerned with how you will pay your bills while you are off work. Dealing with insurance companies and complex legal issues is the last thing you want to worry about. Even if you only suffered minor injuries, you may not get the compensation and damages you deserve without the assistance of a skilled attorney. Sometimes multiple individuals are involved in the accident or the driver at fault is uninsured. Our auto accident attorneys can help prove fault in an accident and present the best argument when making a claim for damages.

Here at Drexler Law Firm, we specialize in auto accident law and personal injury. Our legal team has over 50 years of combined law experience and has successfully represented more than 2,000 injured accident victims. We can help you receive the compensation and damages you deserve if you’ve been the victim of an auto accident in Los Angeles. Contact the Drexler Law Firm for more information.

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