If you walk away from a car accident without injury, you may feel ecstatic. You should! Car accidents are ruthlessly dangerous for drivers and passengers alike. If you can avoid the medical expenses that might plague your recovery, you can return to your day-to-day life a little more easily than other car accident survivors.
That said, you can still face car accident losses even if you come away from an accident without injury. Car accidents can leave you with substantial property damage, mandatory time away from work, and non-economic losses. You can, fortunately, sue for a car accident if you weren’t hurt. Vaughan & Vaughan car accident attorneys can help you get started.
Assessing Your Post-Accident Losses
You may not feel like you need to work with first responders after a minor accident. If you can step out of your car, move comfortably, and check on the others around you, you may even assume that you’ve come away from your accident uninjured. This, however, isn’t always the case.
Some injuries only appear in the days or weeks following your car accident, including whiplash. As such, you may not fully understand the extent of your accident-related losses until it’s been a full month since your initial crash.
What’s more, there are losses related to your car accident that don’t involve your physical health. You need to consider these losses alongside a car accident attorney if you want to fully understand the impact a car accident had on your financial and emotional health.
If you assess the nature of your accident and determine that despite your lack of immediate injuries, you still suffered severe losses, you can work with an attorney to file a personal injury claim against the party responsible for your accident. That claim can specifically highlight:
Damaged Property and Other Post-Accident Expenses
Car accidents, even smaller ones, tend to leave you with mechanical bills to pay. Whether you have a dent in your car, lost your phone in the crash, or are contending with more substantial losses, you’ll likely need to work with both your insurance provider and preferred mechanic to determine how best to restore your property to its original condition.
You can integrate the cost of these repairs into a personal injury claim, should you choose to pursue one. If you can bring forward evidence of both another person’s liability and the total value of the damages you’re demanding, the liable party may have to help you pay for essential repairs, replacements, and even rentals.
Emotional and Non-Economic Losses
Car accidents don’t solely impact you on a physical level. You wouldn’t be the first to come away from these accidents with post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Civil courts throughout Indiana also allow you to demand damages for your emotional distress, pain and suffering, and mental anguish.
How do you determine the economic value of these losses if they don’t leave a paper trail? First and foremost, you keep track of any expenses you have to contend with seeking therapy or post-accident emotional care.
You then turn your losses over to an attorney. Our car accident lawyers in Indiana can refer to the state legislature to assign dollar values to non-economic losses. We can then ensure that the party liable for your accident takes these losses seriously, either when we meet to negotiate for a private settlement or take your case to civil court.
Filing a Car Accident Claim
If you decide that you want to move forward with a car accident claim, you need to file your complaint with your local civil court. The complaint you bring forward needs to identify a liable party, elaborate on the nature of your losses, and present the court with evidence establishing your right to legal action.
You are under no obligation to gather the materials needed to build a case alone. Nor do you have to format a personal injury claim without professional assistance. Vaughan & Vaughan car accident lawyers in Indiana can guide you through the process and ensure that your claim is up to the state’s standards.
All the while, you can rely on our network of contacts to consider property restoration options and discuss the accident’s impact on your emotional well-being.
When to File Your Car Accident Claim in Indiana
If you want to bring a car accident claim forward, you must do so within Indiana’s personal injury statute of limitations. The state outlines this statute of limitations in Indiana Code section 34-11-2-4.
This statute declares that car accident survivors like you have two years, and no more, to bring your losses forward in civil court. You cannot file a personal injury claim after the relevant statute of limitations expires. Attempting to do so gives Indiana courts the right to waive your claim, regardless of what information regarding liability you bring forward.
With that in mind, consider asking an attorney to help you stay on top of your legal filing deadlines. Our team can get your claim to a judge before your statute of limitations expires without compromising your right to recovery.
Let Vaughan & Vaughan Assess Your Car Accident Losses
Not every car accident results in physical injuries. If you come away from a car accident with all of your faculties in check, though, you may still be entitled to compensation for your damaged property and emotional distress. You can work with Indiana car accident lawyers to assess the nature of your accident and determine the value of any personal injury case you might pursue.
Vaughan & Vaughan can help you account for losses that aren’t always evident to car accident survivors. If you’re ready to learn more about what compensation you may deserve after a car accident, contact us online or by phone. We can schedule your no-obligation case consultation today.
