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Everything You Need To Know About Hiring A Car Accident Attorney
The traditional motto of the United States is E pluribus unum, Latin for “Out of many, one” — class action lawsuits are prime examples of individuals banding together for the singular goal of justice.
While some of the fallout from vehicle collisions can never be undone, an experienced car accident attorney can help you access significant financial resources. Those who hire an attorney for a car accident claim receive payouts more often and in far higher sums than those who represent themselves.
At Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann, P.C., we know your best shot at justice after a traumatic collision is to hire a car accident attorney with proven experience in delivering for clients.
This page explains what a car accident settlement may cover, how to file a car accident claim, and the types of accidents and injuries we most frequently represent. To speak with an attorney right away, call us at (205) 322-8880 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation. For more information, read on.
What Damages are Available in a Car Accident Lawsuit?
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident due to negligence, you may be entitled to recover the following damages:
Wrongful Death: Should the injuries caused by a car accident cause or directly lead to a person’s death, their surviving heirs could be granted compensation for the loss of support
When you hire a lawyer, you’re likely to walk away with more compensation than if you go it alone. That increased money can be used to improve your health outcome and provide financial security for your family.
What Is the Car Accident Claims Process?
- Hiring a car accident attorney: Every chore necessary to complete the car accident claims process is easier with an experienced lawyer on your side to answer questions, guide the process, and negotiate a fair settlement. In fact, most of this work is done by the attorneys themselves, leaving you to recover in peace.
- Documenting your medical expenses and property costs: Any injuries, no matter how small, should be noted, and any cost in treating them (time, transportation, and medical bills) should be documented for your claim. You should also keep any receipts related to vehicle repair, rental, replacement, or towing expenses.
- Recording missed work or sick/vacation time used: If you lose business, contracts, miss days, or spend sick/vacation time to recover, each of these are costs associated with your car accident. If you lose your job entirely due to your accident recovery, greater compensation may be available.
- Ordering a police report: If police were called to the scene of your car accident, they will issue a report. If you were not handed documentation of this report at the time of the crash (or were too badly injured to receive it), you or your attorney may request the report for your own files by calling the station or going online. If the police were not called to the crash, you can file a police report at your local police station.
- Reporting your insurance claim: After a crash, it’s important to make sure you have your insurance account numbers and passwords handy, as well as the detailed information of your crash (date, time, witness information, police report, medical paperwork, and car repair or tow receipts). This is when the fine print of your coverage agreement really matters, so be sure to have your attorney review the policy.
If you have any questions about what you should do (and in what order), who you should trust, or what kinds of evidence or documents you need to keep to ensure a fair settlement, a knowledgeable attorney can supply that information, and do the work on your behalf. Call Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann, P.C. at (205) 322-8880 for representation.
What Are the Most Common Types of Car Accidents?
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that roughly 6.5 million car accidents occur per year in the United States, averaging to well over 17,000 car accidents per day. The NHTSA also states that the majority of automobile accidents occur during the after-work rush hour between 3 PM and 6 PM on weekdays.
Depending on the type of crash, injuries range from minor to severe, including life-altering brain and spinal injuries. The most common types of car crashes include:
- Rear-End Collisions: Rear-end collisions are frequently caused by a combination of driver inattentiveness, speeding, and tailgating. Car accident injuries such as soft tissue damage (like whiplash) are commonly sustained. The neck and upper back are likely to suffer injury, as are lower extremity injuries to the legs and feet.
- Sideswipe Accidents: Caused frequently by drowsy or intoxicated drivers, most sideswipe accidents occur when two vehicles are approaching from opposite directions. The cars do not hit each other head-on but instead, scrape along their sides. When one car is significantly larger than the other or has weaker side-impact reinforcements, the driver or passenger may experience injuries to the upper body, head, and neck.
- Side Impact Crashes: According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, side impact crashes account for 25% of car accident fatalities. Often caused by a negligent driver running a red light or making an improper turn, the severe side-to-side movements of such crashes can lead to broken ribs, lacerations, and internal organ rupture.
- Rollovers: Larger cars like SUVs, large trucks, and semis have higher centers of gravity and are more likely to have a rollover incident, but all vehicles have the potential to roll over. Nearly 85% of deaths from rollover accidents involved a single car traveling their daily route. As the car turns over onto the roof, you could suffer a traumatic brain or spinal injury, seat belt injury, or death.
- Head-On Collision: Ranked first among the deadliest types of car accidents, head-on collisions are almost sure to cause great injury. Even at low speeds, head-on collision accident injuries from head-on collisions can cause broken facial bones, soft tissue damage to the neck and upper back, and brain injury. Severe leg and foot injuries are also common in head-on crashes.
Different crashes cause different types of injury severity. What causes a car accident matters for liability purposes in court—the more at-fault a person is, the more they’re obligated to pay to help fix the harm caused. Whatever kind of crash you’ve endured, the lawyers at Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann can handle any claim related to car, truck, motorcycle, or automobile accidents.
What Types of Injuries Are Caused by Car Accidents?
The most common types of car accident injuries include:
- Spinal cord injuries, such as paraplegia and full-body paralysis
- Neck injuries, including whiplash, and ruptured or herniated cervical discs
- Traumatic brain injuries, including concussions or coma
- Broken bones, fractures, or dislocations
- Amputations and loss of limb
- Soft tissue tears, sprains, and lacerations
- Burn injuries, scarring, or disfigurement
- Fatality and wrongful death
Your losses are just as important as these greater economic costs—call Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann, P.C. at (205) 322-8880 to make your claim.
How Can You Contact a Personal Injury Attorney for Car Accidents?
Those recovering from a serious car accident face numerous burdens. Hiring an attorney can remove many of those tasks, allowing you to heal in peace.
The office of Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann, P.C. has secured numerous multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of our car accident clients. We have the experience necessary to investigate your accident and build a strong case to secure a settlement that benefits you and your loved ones.
Recovery has costs. It often takes time, teamwork, and a ton of mental and emotional energy for people to feel themselves again after a car accident. For those who’ve been severely injured, recovery likely requires professional medical help, changes to employment, and other monetary costs. One call to our law firm can improve all aspects of your recovery, by providing peace of mind, accomplishing tasks on your behalf, and securing the financial settlement you need. Reach out to Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann, P.C. today at (205) 322-8880 for representation.
Frequently Asked Questions
We may go to court, but you don’t have to.
Most car accident lawsuits can be settled out-of-court in pre-trial negotiations. Sometimes settlements are reached during trial (usually for sums larger than the pre-trial offers), and in other instances, it’s up to a judge to finally decide what’s fair.
If you prefer a quick settlement over a trial, we will always work to serve your interests above all else. However, when cases do go to court, you may not always have to be in attendance—your attorneys show up for you. Trials may take a little longer, but they often open up more compensation opportunities (as when a judge decides to punish the negligent party—those fees may be awarded to you in the form of punitive damages).
In most instances, you have a period of two years to file a lawsuit after the date of a car accident. Once this filing deadline closes, you may not be able to bring legal action anymore. Thus, it’s important that you contact a lawyer as soon as possible if you or a loved one have been in a car accident, especially since this timeline varies state-to-state.
In Alabama, where Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann, P.C. is headquartered, the deadline for filing is two years.
Minor car accident claims can be settled in a week, but the more complex the crash, or the more support needed for your injuries, the longer it may take—sometimes months or even years.
While the law usually provides a two-year window for you to file a personal injury claim related to a car accident, your bills and costs begin piling up right away. As soon as your vehicle is hit, you may be out of transportation, out of a job if you can’t get there without a car, in the hospital, or in the horrible circumstance of having to bury a loved one. Time is not on your side.
Hiring a car accident lawyer right away allows us to keep up on top of your deadlines, and provides you with as speedy a settlement as possible.
You should not agree to anything without first consulting with your own attorney.
If your property damage and injuries are minor enough, small claims can sometimes be handled between individuals and insurance companies. However, if your injuries worsen, and you’ve accepted a low-ball amount from an insurance company looking to cut costs, the financial burden is then left to you.
It costs nothing to reach out to Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann, P.C. at (205) 322-8880 for a free consultation, and it could help you skip over many avoidable pitfalls. Let our years of experience save you critical time after a crash.
