The days and months after a car crash can come with confusion and anxiety as you figure out how to recover and what to do next. When someone else is responsible for causing the crash, you have the right to hold them legally responsible.
Our Austin car accident lawyers can guide and support you through the chaos. A knowledgeable personal injury attorney can work with you to make a claim for compensation to cover your expenses.
Car accidents can result from many sources and cause serious injuries and unexpected expenses. No matter the cause and result, you deserve the chance to make your case for compensation.
Some causes of accidents include driver behavior, mechanical issues, and hazardous road conditions. If someone drives while distracted, tired, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they can increase the risk of an accident or cause one. Similarly, an accident can occur when a vehicle is not properly maintained or has a defective part, which could indicate that someone other than the driver is at fault. Injuries from a car accident can vary from superficial to severe. Cuts and bruises can result from a sudden impact, but so can catastrophic injuries like traumatic brain injuries, nerve damage, and broken bones.
These kinds of injuries can require expensive medical bills and long-term treatment in addition to the damage to your vehicle from a crash. An Austin personal injury attorney can fight for your rights and assist in making a compensation claim.
Most accidents result from unintentional actions, so your compensation claim will likely involve negligence. Negligence is one person’s legal responsibility for another person’s injuries based on unreasonable action. Claims require four elements: duty of care, breach of that duty, causation, and damages.
For a car accident, the injured person must show evidence of the other driver’s duty of care to drive safely and how they breached it, such as by texting and or driving under the influence. Then, they need to show how that breach caused the accident and their injuries, which must fall into categories of legal damages, such as medical expenses, income loss, and pain and suffering.
Another consideration is the statute of limitations. Injury claims based on a theory of negligence claims must be filed within six years of an accident, as set by Minnesota Statutes §§ 541.05 – 07. , or the plaintiff could lose the right to sue for compensation. Wrongful death claims must be filed within three years of an accident.
Injured people might need to show they did not contribute to or partially cause the accident. Under Minn. Stat. § 604.01, fault for an accident and damages can be assigned to anyone, including the plaintiff, and their compensation can decrease proportionally. They can lose all compensation if they are found more than 50 percent responsible for what happened.
An attorney’s knowledge and resources can be crucial to getting a car accident claim filed in Austin within the statute of limitations and with the needed evidence.
By seeking legal counsel, you can get expertise and a sense of security. An attorney can ensure you get the compensation to which you are entitled.
An Austin car accident lawyer from our office can meet you in your community to fight on your behalf. Call us for a consultation on your case and to see what we can do for you.
