Protecting Your Vital Legal Rights With a Car Accident Attorney in Bellevue wa
If you were involved in an automobile accident that resulted in injuries, damages, and losses, it is imperative that you understand your legal rights and interests. This includes understanding what is involved in pursuing auto accident injury claims and your right to retain a skilled, experienced auto accident lawyer.
Proving Negligence After a Car Accident
Approximately 5.4 million nonfatal automobile occur on roadways in the United States each year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. About 31,000 fatal automobile accidents occur annually in the U.S. as well. The rate of car accidents in the nation are consistent with what specifically is experienced in and around Bellevue, Washington.
A major task of an auto accident lawyer, like the legal team at Boyer Law Firm, is building a case demonstrating a party was negligent in causing a car collision. There are four primary elements that must be satisfied when proving a party is negligent for causing a car crash.
First, a duty of care must be established. This is fairly easy in a car accident case. A motorist has a duty to operate a car in a reasonable safe manner.
Second, a violation of the duty of care must be demonstrated. For example, a driver that runs through a red light violates a duty of care to operate a car safely.
Third, the breach of the duty of care must be the legal and factual cause of the accident and injuries. For example, if you were hit by a driver running a red light, while you lawfully were in the crosswalk, the breach of the duty of care would be the cause of the accident and your injuries.
Finally, you must suffer actual injuries, damages, and losses. They cannot be merely speculative losses that you might experience sometime in the future.
Car Accident Injury Claims and Compensation
Retaining a skilled, experienced car accident lawyer typically is the best course to take to ensure that you obtain appropriate financial compensation in your case. Compensation awarded in a car accident case depends largely on the facts and circumstances surrounding the accident itself, together with the nature and extent of your injuries. With that noted, common types of injuries, damages, and losses for which compensation is sought include:
- pain and suffering
- mental anguish and emotional distress
- medical bills and expenses
- permanent disability
- permanent disfigurement
- property damage
- lost wages
Boyer Law Firm understands the necessity of obtaining comprehensive compensation. This includes not only financial recovery for existing losses, but for those you reasonably anticipate facing in the future.
In the aftermath of a car accident, you may need medical care and treatment into the future. You may not be able to return to work for some time. You may endure pain for an extended period of time. All of these represent the types of losses you reasonably can be expected to face into the future, losses for which you are entitled to financial compensation.