When you suffer an injury as the result of another party’s negligence, it can be a challenge to rebuild your life. Recovering compensation from the liable party is often essential when attempting to cover your costs and move on from an accident.
At Vaughan & Vaughan, our team of personal injury attorneys in Lafayette has the experience necessary to help you get the money you need to cover your damages. We have a long history of recovering significant compensation for our clients. Contact us today to learn more about your options for recovering fair compensation after an accident through a free case evaluation.
Who Is Liable for My Damages?
Following a personal injury, you will likely be looking to recover compensation from the liable party. However, before you can proceed, you must first identify who is at fault for your accident. In some cases, the process of proving liability is simple and straightforward. However, in most cases establishing fault gets quite complicated with many potentially liable parties.
The best way to approach proving liability is by enlisting the help of an experienced professional. A Lafayette personal injury attorney can help you determine who is at fault and go through the necessary steps to get you the money you need after an accident.
How a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You After an Accident
After you hire a personal injury lawyer to help you recover compensation, they will immediately get started by investigating your accident. The aim of this investigation will be both to determine who is at fault for your damages and collect evidence to help support your claim and build a strong case on your behalf.
Once your Lafayette personal injury lawyer has completed their investigation, your lawyer will assess your damages and calculate the full value of your claim. They will review your options with you and take the next steps depending on how you decide to proceed. This will likely consist of either filing an insurance claim with the liable party’s insurer or submitting a lawsuit to the court.
Should you choose to pursue a lawsuit, your attorney will go through all of the steps of the pretrial process and represent you in court, if necessary. From the beginning, your lawyer will be in contact with opposing counsel, attempting to reach a favorable settlement deal. If successful, you will be able to get the money you need quickly so that you can move forward with your life.
Damages You Can Pursue Following a Personal Injury
After suffering a personal injury, it is critical that you determine what damages you are eligible to pursue. Some damages are clearly apparent immediately, while others are visible over time. Additionally, there are damages you may not even realize you have the right to pursue. Fortunately, an experienced personal injury lawyer can help determine what damages apply.
All of the compensation you can recover after a personal injury falls into one of three main categories.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are the most straightforward of all losses. These damages cover any losses you suffered in relation to your personal injury that directly impacts your finances. Common economic damages include:
- Medical costs
- Future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lowered earning ability
- Any expenses paid to accomplish daily tasks that your injury prevents you from completing yourself
- Property damage
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are much more complicated as they cover losses that are far less easily quantified. Any loss that does not fall into the category of economic damages is considered a form of non-economic damage. Common non-economic damages include:
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Permanent disability
- Diminished quality of life
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of companionship
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages differ greatly from the compensatory damages already mentioned. Rather than compensate the accident victim for their losses, these damages are used to punish the liable party for their actions. Punitive damages are reserved for extreme cases where the liable party acted with the willful intention of causing harm or with criminal negligence.
The Statute of Limitations for Filing a Lawsuit in Indiana
When you are thinking about filing a lawsuit after suffering a personal injury, it is vital that you keep the statute of limitations in mind. Indiana gives injury victims two years from the date of their accident to file a lawsuit against the liable party. If you fail to submit the required paperwork with the courts within this period, you will likely lose your right to pursue compensation.
Even though the statute of limitations can be very unforgiving at times, there are a variety of exceptions that may apply to your case. Depending on the particular circumstances of your accident, an exception could permit you to pursue legal action even if the statute of limitations has long passed.
At the same time, an exception could further limit the amount of time you have to submit your lawsuit. For example, if the at-fault party was a government agency, you will likely only have months to file your lawsuit rather than years. Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney shortly after your accident is the best way to protect your right to pursue compensation.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney in Lafayette for a Free Case Evaluation
After a pedestrian accident, it is essential that you hire a personal injury lawyer with a history of recovering favorable content for their clients. At Vaughan & Vaughan, our team of personal injury attorneys in Lafayette has helped countless accident victims recover the compensation they need after an injury.
Reach out to us today by giving us a call or filling out our online contact form. We offer free case evaluations, where a member of our team will review your case and advise you of your legal options.
