How Do I Know What’s a Fair Amount in a Bakersfield Car Accident Settlement?

There are some common car accident hardships that every victim should receive help with. That can include the cost of an emergency room visit, like a trip to Adventist Health Bakersfield, and the cost of fixing or replacing a damaged vehicle.

But there are many other damages that victims might not realize a car insurance company should be responsible for:

• The costs of follow-up visits to doctors, surgeons, and physical therapists. Support for medical care until the victim is back at 100% health.
• The long-term costs for victims who suffer permanent physical disabilities due to injury. This can include the cost of nursing home care or home care. It might involve home renovation costs and medical equipment expenses to make the victim’s life easier. The cost of finding a new career when an injury makes a previous career impossible should be considered.
• The costs of travel to see doctors. Out-of-town travel costs to see specialists who might be in another city or out of state. These expenses can be enormous when you are in a wheelchair or are on crutches and can’t drive yourself.
• The impact on the victim’s earnings while they can’t go to work. The money needed for patients to support themselves and their families. Settlement money to keep up with rent or mortgage payments, credit card bills, car payments, and other normal monthly expenses.
• The support victims need to deal with the pain they are left with. Money for pain treatment and medication for months or years.
• The support victims need for the emotional trauma that a frightening accident and major injury can cause. This should factor in the loss of enjoyment of life a serious injury causes. Perhaps leaving victims without the ability to participate in their favorite hobbies or in family activities. The anxiety and depression that an injured patient is left with should be considered. The PTSD symptoms victims might face, bringing them back to the moment of impact in a crash, should receive support. Support would include the money for the victim to get the counseling and therapy they need to overcome these very real consequences of an accident.

Victims must ensure they get everything they’ll need to cover their expenses now and in the months and years ahead. A skilled attorney can help victims document each loss they’ve endured and ensure that these losses are listed in a car accident claim.

It’s important to create a full and accurate list of what the victim expects compensation for, because anything left off is something the car insurance company can ignore.  An omitted hardship would be something the victim would end up financially responsible for.