A car accident can lead to physical damage that ranges from minor to catastrophic. What you can physically expect after a car accident will depend on the severity of the impact and the degree of your injuries. According to the Department of California Highway Patrol (CHP), the physical impact of an accident might include injuries like:
- Lacerations
- Abrasions
- Sprained or broken limbs
- Tissue, muscle, and organ damage
- Head, neck, and skull injuries
- Burns
- Loss of consciousness
- Spinal injuries or paralysis
- Cuts, scrapes, lumps, and bruises
The injuries you sustain in a car accident can lead to physical damage that results in long-range and costly financial damage. Your car accident lawyer may help you assess the costs of treating your injuries, define the costs of their related expenses, and develop a plan for seeking financial compensation from the at-fault driver.
Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer Might Help You Focus on Your Physical Recovery
One of the benefits of hiring a personal injury lawyer to handle your case is their ability to focus on building, preparing, and filing your claim or lawsuit. It might give you the time you need to focus on your physical recovery.
Your lawyer can start building your case by reviewing relevant documents, such as your car accident report, medical records, medical bills, and income statements.
The documents and evidence your legal team requests might help prove the type of accident you were involved in and its cause. Your paperwork might also demonstrate the severity of your injuries and the cost of your required treatments.
You might also benefit from involving a lawyer in your car accident case right away because they can take appropriate actions to file your lawsuit on time.
Time Is of the Essence in Your Personal Injury Claim
Your legal team can help you prepare your case so you can file it by the deadline in California. According to the California Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) §335.1, the state generally lets you file a personal injury lawsuit up to two years after you are injured in a car accident.
If the statute of limitations passes or expires, and your lawsuit has not been filed, you might not be able to file it at all. If you file your lawsuit beyond the filing deadline, the at-fault party might also be able to request its dismissal. The court will likely oblige their request. Then, you might be unable to compel the at-fault driver to pay for your accident-related expenses and losses.
A Lawyer Can Help You Define Your Financial Expenses and Losses
When you are involved in a car accident, you might sustain physical injuries that have a long-lasting financial impact. When you are ready to seek financial compensation from the at-fault party, the California Civil Code (CIV) §1431.2 states you might be able to recover the following damages:
- Medical expenses to date
- Upcoming medical expenses
- Wage and income loss to date
- Upcoming wage and income loss
- Temporary loss of property
- Permanent loss of property
- Necessary domestic services
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional pain and suffering
Keep track of the physical and financial toll a car accident takes on you. Carefully tracking the financial impact of the accident can also help your team assign value to your compensation claim.
The Physical Aftermath of a Car Accident Can Be Hard to Recover From
Depending on the severity of your injuries, the physical aftermath of a car accident can leave you unable to meet your personal needs. You might also become unable to perform routine self-care tasks or engage in activities you enjoyed before the accident. Physical trauma might also mean you cannot immediately return to work.
After your health care team explains what you can physically expect after a car accident, our client care team might be able to help you learn what to expect when you seek financial compensation from an at-fault driver. Contact the personal injury team at Jacoby & Meyers Law Offices by calling (866) 559-7223 today.