Rear-end collisions are sometimes thought of as mild “fender-benders” that don’t lead to much damage. While that may be true in some situations, there are also many rear-end collisions that can lead to significant injuries and damage.
Whiplash and neck injuries, for instance, are commonly suffered in these kinds of collisions. These are costly injuries that the victims are owed compensation for, and a Statesboro rear-end collision lawyer can help them seek it.
Our team at Merritt & Merritt Law Firm has a strong understanding and history of working with car accident victims, including those who have been part of a rear-end collision. We bring our experience to our clients’ cases, along with 24-hour service.
We are prepared to meet our clients at work, at home, at the hospital, or wherever else fits with their schedule. Whether through negotiation or litigation, we are dedicated to getting justice for those we represent.
The compensation in a rear-end collision case is normally paid through two forms of “damages” addressing the different categories of costs that an injury creates. These costs must be the direct result of the accident and negligence of the party that is at fault.
Your lawyer can use bills, receipts, pay stubs, and other documentation to prove these costs, which is why it’s imperative that you keep a thorough record of the expenses that you’ve incurred as a result of the accident.
Economic damages address any of the losses that have a direct financial element associated with them. One of the primary costs included in this is the medical expenses that are associated with your injuries.
Rear-end collisions can often cause significant damage to a vehicle, and that is covered in these damages as well. Also, if the injury was serious enough to lead to missed work or even an inability to return to work at the same capacity, the lost wages or lost earning capacity will also be addressed.
Non-economic damages are designed to address costs that don’t have a clear, direct financial element and tend to be more psychological and emotional. Issues like pain and suffering, mental anguish, and others are compensated under this category.
While the money is not expected to serve as a direct solution for these issues, it may provide some indirect benefit. It is also meant to address the injustice of your suffering.
There’s a general understanding that whoever is at the back of a rear-end collision must be the party that’s at fault, as they failed to leave enough room to stop completely if the car in front of them stopped. While this may be true in many situations, it’s important to realize that it’s not necessarily a universal truth.
For a party to be at fault for any car accident, including a rear-end collision, they must have acted in a manner that failed to reach what was reasonably expected of them in that situation. That failure must also be shown to have led directly to the accident and the injuries that were suffered. While this may be the rear driver in many cases, there could be other issues that cause an accident.
It’s possible that the accident could be a result of a failure on the part of a maintenance provider. For instance, if the car in front recently had work done, and something was damaged in the process that caused all the rear lights and brake lights to short out, then a rear-end collision could occur at night.
If this were to happen, the maintenance provider may be liable. Additionally, if there was something dysfunctional about the brakes of the rear vehicle, it’s possible that the manufacturer of the part could be held liable.
There’s no guarantee that the rear driver will be at fault in every rear-end collision, so it will be important that your lawyer identifies who is liable, as you will need to seek restitution from whoever’s actions or inaction led directly to the accident.
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When you hire a lawyer, it becomes our job to act as your representative and advocate in the pursuit of compensation for your injuries. There are several tasks that help us do this.
Because so much of this process depends on having a strong understanding of the facts surrounding the accident, we first need to perform our own investigation of the situation. This will allow us to identify who is liable for the accident as well as collect evidence that can prove that liability.
Before taking the claim through litigation, we likely have the chance to negotiate a settlement, which has the advantage of avoiding some of the uncertainty that comes with taking a claim to court. It could also be a much quicker process, resulting in you receiving your funds months or even years before you would if the claim were to go through court.
However, there are times when the other side just isn’t willing to agree to a fair settlement. Should that happen, we are prepared for the process of demonstrating fault in court through a personal injury claim. In litigation, we can make the case for why you’re owed the compensation that you’re seeking.
At Merritt & Merritt Law Firm, working for our clients aligns with our belief in the importance of restorative justice. We believe that those who’ve been injured because of someone’s negligence deserve the opportunity to seek compensation from the liable party.
We understand how important it is that they receive proper restitution for their medical costs, lost wages, property damages, pain and suffering, and any other costs that they’ve suffered.
Our firm is dedicated to pursuing fair compensation for our clients through negotiation or litigation. Since 1973, we’ve been successful in getting our clients restitution through negotiated settlements.
When that option wasn’t viable, we’ve won many cases that were argued before a court. Our clients receive excellent service paired with our experience. If that’s the kind of legal help you’re looking for after a rear-end collision, contact our team today.