Sometimes, small Wichita Falls car wrecks don’t require a lawyer to be involved in order to get fair compensation. However, for
certain types of cases involving serious injuries, you will want to get a lawyer involved in order to protect your right to compensation. You can file your own claim and deal with the insurance companies for the following situations:
- When it was only a fender benders that caused minor damage.
- When there are only minor injuries.
- When it was clear and there is no argument that the other driver was at fault.
- When the insurance company accepts your claim and does not try to dispute anything.
However, when your Wichita Falls accident involves substantial damage to your vehicle, severe injuries, large commercial vehicles, and insurance company disputes, you should speak to a Wichita Falls car wreck lawyer right away. Accidents involving serious injuries, especially permanent ones, become more complicated to handle, and you will want a lawyer involved to ensure your rights to fair and adequate compensation are protected.
Permanent Injuries from Wichita Falls Car Wrecks
Some of the permanent injuries Wichita Falls car wreck victims may suffer from include:
- Scarring and disfigurement (from lacerations and burns).
- Amputations.
- Neck, back, and spinal cord injuries.
- Paralysis.
- Internal organ damage.
- Traumatic brain injuries.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Injuries like the ones above can hinder your ability to work in order to earn a living for yourself and your family, and they can also hinder your ability to carry out normal daily activities and reduce your ability to enjoy life.
Mounting Medical Bills After a Wichita Falls Car Wreck
Any Wichita Falls car wreck involving permanent injuries is going to have enormous medical bills associated with it. The person who caused the accident’s insurance company is the one is responsible for your medical bills, including bills from:
- Emergency room
- MRI
- Hospitals
- Primary care physician appointments
- Surgery
- Physical therapy
- Specialists
- Prescriptions
- In-home care
- Medical equipment
- Home/vehicle modifications
- Travel to and from appointments.
- Future medical treatment.
Additionally, the person who caused the accident is also responsible for any pain and suffering, property damage, and/or lost wages/loss of earning capacity you may have endured from not being able to work due to your injuries from the accident.
You will not be able to determine the full amount of these until you are done treating for your injuries and have reached your maximum medical improvement (MMI). Once you have done this, you can evaluate what your medical bills look like, what they may be in the future, and how much time you were forced off work as well as if your ability to earn a living will be impacted going forward. All of these factors are important to consider when negotiating a settlement, and because you could be treating for your injuries for a long time, this is often a lengthy process.
Beware of Insurance Adjusters After a Wichita Falls Car Wreck
Insurance adjusters are employees of the insurance company, whose goal is to make money. One way they can make money is by minimizing the amount they pay on your accident claims. Therefore, they train their adjusters and equip them with certain tactics so they can effectively minimize or deny your claim altogether. Beware of these tactics:
- Getting you to give a recorded statement and talk about your accident and injuries.
- Getting you to sign authorizations to gain access to your medical records.
- Getting you to sign a release and offering you a low-end settlement.
You should never talk with the other person’s insurance adjuster about the accident or your injuries unless you have decided to settle your case on your own. And certainly, do not give them an authorization or release. Often, they will offer you low end settlements right away because they know it is as the beginning of your treatment so your medical bills are low at the time and you are in a crunch for money.
Other Sources of Income After a Wichita Falls Car Wreck
It’s almost certain that you will feel financial pressure after a Wichita Falls car wreck. Your medical bills will begin to mount, and it will feel overwhelming, but you should resist the urge to accept the first offer from the insurance company. There may be other sources of compensation to help you after your Wichita Falls car wreck. A skillful Wichita Falls car wreck lawyer can help identify these sources of compensation and collect from them for you.
Contact a Wichita Falls Car Wreck Lawyer
If you or anyone you know has been involved in a car wreck in Wichita Falls, contact our Wichita Falls car wreck lawyer at 940-569-4000 or fill out our contact form to set up a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation. We will give you a free evaluation of your case and offer you helpful guidance for how to proceed.