Founder and Managing Partner
California is notorious for bad traffic. In movies and television shows, one of the most associated images with a Californian setting is a traffic jam, so it makes sense that more automotive accidents happen there than in other places in the country.
If you’ve been in a car accident recently, you may need to seek out a California car accident lawyer, even if you haven’t been physically harmed. There are a number of things that a lawsuit can originate around when it comes to an automobile accident, not just bodily injury.
Property Damage
When looking to file a lawsuit following an automotive accident, you are able to seek compensation for property damage. When seeking compensation for property damage, there are two main ways to go about seeking it.
- Cost of Repairs – One of the ways to seek compensation for property damages is through reimbursement for any repairs that the vehicle needs following the collision.
- Cost of Replacement – Should the vehicle be totaled, meaning that the cost of repair exceeds the value of the vehicle, you can seek the replacement cost of the vehicle at its estimated worth.
In addition to the damage done to the vehicle itself, compensation can be sought for any property in the vehicle damaged in the accident. The value of the property in the vehicle needs to be well documented in order to pursue compensation for it.
Missed Income
If you’ve been involved in an automobile accident, it’s entirely likely that you’ve missed work due to a lack of a vehicle. This missed income needs to be estimated accurately and documented when building your case. Written communication between you and your employer is a key piece of evidence here, noting specific dates and times that you’ve missed work, and the hours missed. A pay stub providing evidence of your salary or hourly income is needed for making estimates, as well.
Travel Costs
While without a vehicle, you may decide to rent a car or use ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. If that is the case, you can be compensated for the costs of these services. Again, when building your case, the costs need to be adequately documented in order to seek the compensation due to you for them.
Pain and Suffering
Even if no physical injuries were incurred in the accident, victims of automobile accidents can still seek compensation for pain and suffering. While pain is more so related to physical injuries, suffering is a bit more expansive when it comes to the two terms.
Suffering can be related to any sort of grief related to mental or emotional pain, like the following:
- Fear
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
- Inconvenience
- Loss of enjoyment of life
These need to be documented in an official capacity and will need the expertise of a personal injury lawyer to truly be reimbursed for pain and suffering.
Should I Seek a Lawyer if I’m Not Injured in an Accident?
In nearly every automobile accident, to pursue a case that achieves reimbursement, an attorney is necessary. Even if you aren’t injured, a personal injury lawyer can assist you in making sure that you can recover the compensation that you deserve following an accident.