Nothing ruins your day faster than a car accident. Even minor car accidents can delay you for hours and result in some injuries.

 

With as many drivers as we have in Los Angeles, accidents are becoming more frequent and the costs are rising. If you or a loved one are injured in a car accident, follow these tips to help keep your costs down.

Car Accident Costs Vary

The annual cost of car accidents in the United States exceeds $230 billion, 37,000 fatalities and over 2 million injuries. The cost of your car accident will depend on many factors, including:

 
  • Type of crash

  • Severity of crash

  • Injuries suffered

  • Number of passengers injured

  • Value of your car

  • Damages to your car and/or property

  • Accident location

 

The biggest factor in determining the cost of your car accident will be the injuries suffered. If your injuries are minor, the value of your claim may not be too high. But if you were involved in a T-bone or a head-on collision, these types of accidents generally result in more severe injuries which results in a higher cost.

 

When you are injured in an accident, the varying costs may be unexpected. You may not only have costs associated with medical care, but you could also lose money from the time you spend away from work. 

 

The cost of an accident could be short-term, or they could be long-term. For example, you may end up in the emergency room or need to visit a doctor and nothing more. However, depending on the severity of your accident, you may need long-term treatment, such as therapy or rehabilitation. You could even be out of work long-term, or need to take several days, weeks, or months off to recover. 

 

Together, this could result in high costs that you shouldn’t have to pay for. This is why you need to have a car accident attorney in Los Angeles on your side. 

The Typical Settlement Payout

You may be wondering how much you could receive in a car accident settlement. Typically, the settlement is about three times what your medical bills come out to be. 

 

For example, if your medical bills are only $5,000, you could expect your settlement to be around $15,000. 

 

Remember, your settlement isn’t just meant to cover your medical bills, but also the time away from work and your “pain and suffering.” The amount the judge will settle on will be determined by your injuries, treatment, any therapy you need to receive, lost wages, who was at fault, and the severity of the crash. 

Important Steps to Take After an Accident

If you’ve been in an accident, there are several steps you need to take:

 
  • Call 911 - No matter how severe or minor the accident was, you should call the police to file a police report of the incident. Even if the police do not assign fault in their report, they will take down other information that will be useful. For example, the police report will include a diagram of the accident, witness statements, and it will be able to give an objective view of the accident. 

 
  • Seek medical attention - Even if your injuries are minor and you think you are fine, you should still seek medical attention. Right after an accident, your adrenaline will be pumping through your body, and you may not realize how severe your injuries are due to the lack of pain. Seeking medical attention right after an accident will not only ensure that you are okay, but it will also provide you with a record of any injuries that occurred during the accident. This may be crucial during your case.
     

  • Take pictures - After an accident, you will want to be sure to document anything that you can. If you have a camera or smartphone, you will want to take a photo or video of the scene, including any debris, damage to the vehicles and any injuries you may have. Photos and videos can help create additional context for the police report.
     

  •  Do not give a statement to the insurance company - You will want to call your insurance agency right away after your accident, however, you do not want to make any statements or claims that could later be used to establish fault in the accident. This means you don’t want to say whom you think is at fault, or apologize for anything. Remember, the insurance company is a business looking to make a profit, meaning they will try and settle your claim for as little as possible. If you give your insurance company a statement, they could end up using it against to justify settling for less, costing you money.
     

  • Call Steinberg Injury Lawyers - Having the right lawyer on your side can determine the outcome of your case, so you want to be sure you have the best on your side. Call Steinberg Injury Lawyers so we can help you get back on your feet as quickly as possible. 

What Should You Be Compensated For? 

When you are injured in a car accident, the only thing you want is to get better, and the last thing you want to worry about is your financial situation and how much your injuries are going to cost. You shouldn’t have to pay for expenses related to your injury or your accident. When you work with Steinberg Injury Lawyers, we’ll help you get covered for:
 

  • Lost wages

  • Pain and suffering

  •  Emotional distress

  • Medical bills

  • Costs of rehabilitation 

 

Why should you be out money if you didn’t bear any responsibility for the accident? The answer is, you shouldn’t. You shouldn’t have to pay money out of your pocket for an accident you didn’t cause, and you deserve an experienced attorney who will fight to make sure you don’t have to. 

Your Car Accident Attorney in Los Angeles

If you live in the Los Angeles area and have been in a car accident, don’t wait. Call an injury lawyer you know who will fight for you until you get the full value that you deserve. 

 

Steinberg Injury Lawyers have the knowledge and experience you need to get back to the life you had before the accident took place and get you the full compensation you deserve. 

 

Contact us today for a free, no-obligation evaluation of your car accident case and learn how we can help you move forward. 


 
Peter Steinberg
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Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney Since 1982
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