Fighting for fair compensation is what a Carrollton car accident lawyer does for all clients. But there are cases when no efforts are spared to negotiate the maximum possible settlements. These are cases involving catastrophic damages, such as spine injury after a car accident.
Most of the clients who need an attorney’s help will depend on the financial compensation they obtain to continue receiving medical care and keeping their family in a good financial situation.
Here are the most important types of damages a lawyer will fight to obtain in these cases:
Current and Future Medical Care Costs
A spine injury often affects the spinal cord, as well. These are the most debilitating types of car accident injuries, because they often cause permanent paralysis. Patients with spinal cord injuries need constant medical care – including future surgeries to limit or correct damages to the spine and back.
These treatments and the associated medications a patient needs after the accident and over the years are very expensive. An attorney will work with medical experts to estimate the cost over the patient’s expected lifetime and add them to the list of damages.
Costs with Rehabilitation Therapy and Nursing Care
Spine injury forces people to depend on others for everyday needs. They may have to take rehabilitation therapy courses to regain movement, at least partially, in the affected body part. Or they may need a specialized nurse to look after them 24/7.
Once the patient reached maximum medical improvement after the car crash, the lawyer will discuss with the doctors and determine the needs for nursing care at home or in a specialized facility.
Lost Wages and Loss of Future Wages
Car accident victims who suffered a spine injury will spend a lot of time in hospital and in physical therapy. During this time, they will not collect any wages. This is an eligible economic damage, which car wreck attorneys always add to the total amount in the demand letter.
Moreover, since the injury may lead to permanent disability and the need to retrain for a new, less paying job, the lawyer will also estimate the income loss the patient will suffer over the years until they retire.
Loss of Earning Potential
A Carrollton car accident lawyer knows that, in the worst case scenario, their client will not be able to perform any kind of work after the accident. This is a heavy blow – especially if the person was the main breadwinner in the family.
Thus, the attorney will calculate all the potential income the person would have earned, had they not been injured. The factors used to make this evaluation are:
- The person’s age
- The level of education
- The average wages in their profession
- The types of benefits they were expected to earn over the years.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages, also known as damages for pain and suffering, represent a form of compensation for the invisible and long-lasting injuries left by the car accident, such as:
- Mental anguish and emotional trauma
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Disfigurement.
There are two methods for calculating these damages. The per diem method determines a daily amount in dollars, which is then multiplied by the number of days the patient spent under medical care before healing. The multiplier method involves multiplying the total amount of economic damages by a factor between 1.5 and 5.
Punitive Damages
In special cases, when the lawyer can prove that the at-fault driver acted with gross negligence or willful intent to cause harm, they can instruct the client to file a personal injury lawsuit and seek punitive damages.
These damages are awarded only by a jury at the end of the trial. Also, the plaintiff will receive only 25% of the amount – the rest will be directed to the state treasury. And while most punitive damages are capped at $250,000, there is no limit to the damages a jury can award if the injury was committed while the defendant was under the influence or alcohol or drugs.
Let a Skilled Carrollton Car Accident Lawyer Win the Compensation You Deserve!
A spine injury after a car accident can change your life forever and prevent you from enjoying it to the full. You will need a lot of personal and medical care and you want to keep your family safe from financial debt.
This is why you should entrust your case to an experienced Carrollton car accident lawyer at Hartley, Rowe & Fowler. We have extensive experience in estimating damages after catastrophic car accident injuries and negotiating the maximum possible settlement.
As a new client, you benefit from a free case evaluation, so call us today at 678-825-6004!
