At other times, the accident victim may strike their head or another body part on something in the vehicle, like the window, door, steering wheel, or headrest. If the accident victim strikes their head on the steering wheel or headrest during a car crash, they may suffer a concussion or traumatic brain injury.
Other common injuries that car crash victims suffer include:
- Soft tissue injuries
- Herniated discs
- Whiplash injuries
- Bone fractures
- Rib fractures
- Spinal cord injuries
- Burn injuries
- Disfigurement injuries
- Puncture wounds
If you believe you suffered injuries in a recent car accident, the most critical step you can take is to seek prompt medical treatment at a hospital emergency room. Symptoms of many injuries, like soft tissue contusions and concussions, do not always appear immediately. In fact, it may take several days, or even weeks, for a car accident injury to manifest itself fully.
By seeking early medical intervention in your case, you ensure that your injuries do not worsen. You also show the insurance company that your injuries are severe and warrant high monetary compensation.
When you seek prompt medical treatment in an emergency room, the treating doctor can diagnose your condition after ordering imaging studies, like X-rays and MRIs. The doctor can also make recommendations for future care in the event your symptoms worsen over time.
While you focus on getting better, the skilled Stockton car accident lawyers at Silva Injury Law, Inc. can begin pursuing the monetary compensation you need. We can start gathering your medical treatment records, copies of the police report, witness statements, other pertinent documents, and submit them to the insurance company for review.
Potential Monetary Damages You Could Recover For Your Injuries
If you can satisfy the duty, breach, causation, and damage elements of your car accident claim, you can recover monetary damages for your injuries. Since every car accident scenario is different, not all accident victims can recover the same types and amounts of damages. Instead, these damages are highly case-specific.
In general, the more serious your injuries and the more extensive (and expensive) your medical treatment, the higher the monetary compensation you may recover in your claim or lawsuit. Likewise, accident victims who suffered permanent injuries in their car crashes are more likely to recover serious monetary damages than car crash victims who suffered relatively minor injuries.
First, an accident victim can pursue economic damages. These damages cover all related medical expenses, including surgical procedures, hospitalizations, doctor visits, and physical therapy. Suppose a medical provider determines that the car accident victim may need to undergo some future medical procedure or treatment. In that case, those anticipated expenses can be a part of a monetary damage award.
In addition, accident victims can recover monetary damages for their lost income if they miss time from work. To prove lost wages to the insurance company, you will likely need to supply the insurance company with documentation that shows the number of days you missed from work and the amount of monetary compensation you lost.
Likewise, if your injuries were so severe that you can no longer continue in the same line of work, and you had to switch jobs and take a sizable pay cut, you can pursue a claim for loss of earning capacity.
In addition to these economic damages, car crash victims may be eligible to recover various non-economic damages.
These damages compensate accident victims for their:
- Emotional anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Inconvenience
- Loss of life enjoyment
- Loss of spousal companionship
- Loss of the ability to use a body part
In cases where a car accident victim suffered fatal injuries, their surviving family members might be eligible to bring a claim for wrongful death. As part of a wrongful death claim, the claimant can recover various types of monetary damages, including compensation for the deceased individual’s pain and suffering up until the time of their death, loss of future earnings, and loss of the deceased family member’s companionship, comfort, and care.
Finally, accident victims can recover punitive damages in a car accident case if the responsible driver operated their vehicle in a particularly egregious or reckless manner, such as while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. The purpose of a punitive damage award is to punish the at-fault driver and to discourage other drivers from operating their vehicles carelessly and recklessly.
At Silva Injury Law, Inc., our legal team makes it a top priority to maximize the monetary compensation you recover in your case through settlement or litigation. We will be on your side, assisting you every step of the way in your dealings with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. If necessary, we can also help you litigate your case through the court system.
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