Montgomery County Car Accident Attorney
Being involved in a car accident can be painful, stressful, and emotional, especially when it was not your fault. Fortunately, injured people can seek compensation from the individuals responsible for the accident. However, dealing with the at-fault party and their insurance company can be difficult and frustrating.
If you were recently involved in an accident caused by someone else’s negligent behavior in Montgomery County, please contact The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers to speak with an experienced car accident attorney who can evaluate your case and represent your interests. Call us today at or fill out our brief online contact form to schedule a free consultation.
How a Montgomery County Car Accident Lawyer Can Help You
The first thing that an attorney will be able to do for you is to conduct an independent investigation into the true cause of the crash. Through this investigation, the lawyer can determine fault for the accident, gather valuable evidence, and identify all possible liable parties.
In some cases, someone other than a negligent driver could also be held liable for damages. For example, when a crash results from a design defect, the car’s manufacturer could be responsible for the crash.
You might also need the help of a lawyer in receiving proper and necessary medical care. While a negligent driver and their insurer may be ultimately responsible for these expenses, the victims may be expected to pay the bills in the meantime. An attorney can work with medical care providers to ensure you receive the treatment you need while your case is still being resolved.
Most car accident cases require dealing with the insurance companies for the negligent drivers, who will try to pay you less money than you deserve or avoid paying you altogether. Insurance companies can use your words against you, but a lawyer can prevent this.
An attorney can handle all conversations with insurers on your behalf, so you do not have to risk saying anything that jeopardizes your case. Avoid saying anything about your crash to an insurance adjuster, and never provide a recorded statement to a claims adjuster, regardless of any pressure they put on you to do so.
Keep in mind that insurance companies will do whatever they can to minimize what they have to pay out. One of the most common ways they achieve this goal is by contacting victims soon after their accidents and extending lump sum settlement offers.
Most initial settlement offers are far short of what victims are actually entitled to. They are usually an attempt to make your claim go away for pennies on the dollar. The risk of accepting such an offer is that it likely will not be enough to cover all your losses. Don’t accept it without talking to a lawyer first.
A skilled lawyer will fight for all the compensation you need and deserve. They can help negotiate a settlement that provides for all of your past, present, and future needs. When an insurance company doesn’t offer a fair settlement that accounts for your needs, then the attorney can file a lawsuit to take your case to trial.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Montgomery County
There are a few steps that car crash victims should take, including:
- Get immediate medical assistance. If someone is suffering from a serious or life-threatening injury, it is critical to contact emergency responders as soon as possible. These individuals will be able to assess the safety and health of all injured parties and provide transportation to the nearest hospital if necessary.
- Contact law enforcement officers who will take statements from the parties involved. It is also important to request a copy of this report at a later date, as this record could provide important information for your personal injury claim.
- Obtain contact information from the other parties, such as their name, phone number, address, and insurance information.
- Collect contact information from anyone who witnessed the accident. Eyewitnesses may be able to provide an unbiased account of how the crash happened.
- Take photos of the scene of the accident, including vehicle damage, road markings, weather conditions, injuries, and other aspects of the site. These images can be crucial to help determine how much an injured party is owed in compensation.
- Save copies of all medical records related to your injuries. This evidence will make it easier to establish not only the severity of the injury and the expenses involved in treatment but also its cause.
- Contact a Montgomery County car accident lawyer as soon as possible. When you work with our attorneys, you can leave the worries and work to us so you can focus on your recovery.
How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Montgomery County?
Under 42 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statute § 5524, a person has two years from the date of an accident to file a lawsuit. Any action that is filed after the statute of limitations has expired will not be heard by a court unless a very narrow exception applies.
Never assume that you can wait two years to take legal action. Get an attorney involved in your case as soon as possible, so they can start an immediate investigation and handle all the required legwork involved in an injury case.
When an attorney is handling your settlement negotiations, they will have the statute of limitations in mind and will ensure all deadlines are met before it’s too late.
Common Types of Car Accidents in Montgomery County
All car accidents are different, and their severity depends on a variety of factors, including:
- The speed at which the vehicles were traveling before the crash
- The number and type of vehicles involved
- The age and general health of the passengers
- Whether the parties were wearing seat belts
- The size of the vehicles involved
Despite these variables, some types of car accidents occur more than others and are notorious for resulting in injuries. These accidents include:
- Rear-end collisions
- Side impact collisions, also known as T-bone or broadside accidents
- Head-on collisions
- Rollovers
- Sideswipes
- Multi-car pile-ups
All of these kinds of collisions and others can have serious repercussions, some of which can even be deadly.
Common Causes of Car Crashes
Car crashes are unpredictable and occur in many different ways and situations. However, most car crashes are the result of one of a few well-known causes, such as:
- Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Driving while distracted or fatigued
- Running red lights, stop signs, or otherwise not yielding right-of-way
- Speeding or otherwise driving recklessly
- Making unsafe lane changes or improper turns
- Swerving to avoid road debris
- Poor visibility
- Tailgating and aggressive driving
- Tire blowouts
Although most car accidents involve collisions between at least two vehicles, thousands of single-vehicle crashes occur every year. Some are the result of defectively manufactured car parts. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) even estimates that as many as 60 percent of all fatal car accidents involve only one vehicle.
In crashes caused by an automotive defect, manufacturers, distributors, and retailer could all be held responsible if the defect was the result of their negligent actions. If you were recently involved in an accident caused by a defective car part, please contact our legal team today.
Typical Injuries in Montgomery County Car Crashes
The severity of injuries sustained in a car accident depends on a variety of factors. However, some types of injuries occur relatively often in car crashes, including:
- Head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord damage, including paralysis
- Back injuries
- Joint damage
- Organ damage and internal bleeding
- Burns
- Amputation
- Emotional trauma
- Broken bones
- Lacerations
- Whiplash
Many of these injuries have debilitating and lifelong consequences for victims. For example, even after receiving treatment, some victims suffer from chronic pain for the rest of their lives. Other injuries require numerous surgeries, prescription medications, and physical therapy, and the costs can quickly drive a family into debt.
Many accident victims also suffer from emotional distress, which can manifest in ways such as:
- Insomnia and other sleep-related problems
- Flashbacks
- Sudden and unexplained mood swings
- Depression
- Panic attacks and anxiety
- Irritation
- Memory problems
Injured people who suffer from these symptoms can receive treatment from medical professionals and therapists, although this can also be extremely expensive. Having to foot the bill for these costs can be especially frustrating for victims who were injured because of another person’s negligent actions. This makes it especially important to contact an experienced car accident attorney who can help them seek compensation for their losses.
Compensation for Your Car Accident Injuries
Car accidents and the harm they cause can be costly for the victim and their family. One of the most common bills victims face is medical expenses. These might be limited to isolated hospital visits after a crash, but many people will require more extended periods of medical care.
Medical bills can include the costs of ongoing treatment, prescription drugs, rehabilitation, and various tests that have to be performed. If you were injured in a car accident that was not your fault, you might be owed compensation for your medical bills. Expenses related to medical care fall under a category of compensatory damages, known as economic damages.
Economic damages are the specific dollar amounts a person has accumulated or will face in the future because of their accident. Economic damages are much easier to prove because there are typically physical copies of bills that can be submitted into evidence to prove the harm caused.
Another common kind of economic damages is lost wages. Some victims will be unable to return to work for several weeks, months, or even years after their accident. Victims could also be permanently unable to regain employment due to disabilities caused by the accident.
The damage to your vehicle is also considered an economic damage.
Compensation in car accident cases can also include non-economic damages, which are much more challenging to value than economic damages.
Non-economic damages are subjective types of harm that are more emotional or psychological in nature and do not come with a price tag or bill attached. A jury is usually left to determine an appropriate award for non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, disfigurement, and loss of companionship.
While some states have limits or caps on damages in injury cases, Pennsylvania does not impose any such restrictions. The only exception is found in 42 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statute § 8528, which provides for limitations on damages in matters affecting government units. Government liability may become an issue in a car accident that involves a government-owned vehicle or a highway defect, for example.
Under 42 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statute § 8528(b), damages in a case involving a governmental entity in Pennsylvania cannot exceed $250,000 for a single plaintiff or $1 million total for multiple plaintiffs. The only recoverable damages in such cases are for past and future loss of earnings and earning capacity, pain and suffering, medical and dental expenses, loss of consortium, and property losses. Claims involving government entities are far more complicated than traditional car crash claims, so it is especially important to work with an experienced lawyer.
Certain car accident cases could also result in an award of punitive damages. However, punitive damages very rare and are intended to punish people for conduct that is deemed malicious, willful, or wanton. Drunk or drugged driving accidents are one of the most common causes for punitive damages following car crashes.
Contact Us Today to Speak With an Experienced Car Accident Attorney
In Pennsylvania, car accident victims have two years to file a claim against the at-fault party in court. Unfortunately, some injured people are unaware of this time limit, so they miss out on the opportunity to seek compensation for their losses.
To ensure that you do not miss any important deadlines or fail to comply with court procedural requirements, please schedule a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney at The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers now. Contact us or complete our brief online contact form.