If you have suffered injuries in a Connecticut car accident, you can file an insurance or a personal injury lawsuit. You will file the claim against the insurance company of the at-fault driver. Meanwhile, you will file the lawsuit in court. It is in your best interest to work with a connecticut car accident lawyer if you want to secure maximum compensation, no matter what your decision is. An attorney with years of experience handling car accident claims knows how to deal with insurance companies. They know the tactics these companies often use to try to get claimants to accept their lowball settlement offers.
Common Damages You Can Recover
Whether you file an insurance claim or injury lawsuit, here are the damages you may be able to recover from the opposing party:
- Economic damages. These damages refer to calculable losses you sustained in the accident. They include medical bills, property damage, lost wages, out-of-pocket expenses, and car repairs. These damages are easy to prove with the receipts of your transactions.
- Non-economic damages. Such damages do not have a fixed dollar value. But your attorney has a formula to arrive at the right amount. Such kind of compensation covers your physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, and mental anguish.
- Punitive damages. These damages aren’t compensatory. Rather, they are meant to punish the negligent driver for their actions. But you can only be awarded these damages if the at-fault party was found to be grossly negligent. Also, only courts award punitive damages.
Should You Hire a Lawyer?
You may be hesitant about hiring a car accident attorney at first. If you are filing an insurance claim instead of a personal injury lawsuit, you may think that you can handle it all alone. Although this may be possible, you may not be able to get the maximum compensation you deserve. An attorney can negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company, ensuring it covers all of your losses.
In addition, an attorney knows your claim’s strengths and weaknesses and advice on when you can accept or refuse a settlement offer. They can be your reliable coach, making sure you know what you should or should not say to avoid hurting your claim. Moreover, a skilled accident attorney will investigate your case and obtain all important evidence. And because they work on a contingency fee arrangement, you don’t need money to pay them upfront. Your attorney will only take a percentage of the settlement you will end up with.
