Wrongly Accused: Criminal Defense 101

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Mitigating Damages After An Auto Accident

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Accident victims often hire car accident lawyers to help them get compensated. However, you also need a car accident lawyer if you are at fault. Just because you caused an accident is no reason to pay far too much in damages to the victim. In many cases, your damages can be mitigated by using a car accident lawyer to defend yourself.

What is Damage Mitigation?

Damages is the term used to cover all the ways that victims are allegedly harmed because of an accident. This is important because they can be paid for each form of damage according to the extent of it. However, it's important to only pay what can be proven and verified or you could end up with unnecessarily high damages. Watch out for these ways damages can be inflated.

Medical Expenses

This is a common form of damage and you and your insurer will be responsible for paying all medical costs for the victim. Here is what to watch out for with medical expenses:

  • Expenses that have nothing to do with the accident.
  • Preexisting conditions that are being blamed on the accident.
  • Unnecessary medical procedures.
  • Treatment not covered by insurance such as massage therapy, acupuncture, medical tourism, and more.

Lost Income

The victim may be entitled to be paid for any time missed from work. In some cases, they may also be reimbursed for any paid time off they had to use because of the accident. However, your lawyer will be wary of all claims and verify that they were medically necessary before paying them.

Vehicle Repairs

Pay close attention to estimates for vehicle repairs and look for added costs that are not accident-related. The victim may be entitled to a new paint job but not a new transmission. If the victim is claiming other items like a child's car seat, electronic devices, clothing, handbags, and other expensive items, keep in mind that they are not entitled to reimbursement for old items at replacement cost, only at the original cost.

Won't Insurance Cover All That?

Insurance is great when you accidentally cause a wreck but it's not a complete solution. The at-fault driver, which could be you, must pay for all reasonable expenses for the other driver. However, insurance only covers so much, depending on your policy. That means you could be personally sued for the balance. Your retirement fund, home, bank accounts, and other assets could be frozen and seized in some cases. You must get an attorney to help you with your case so that you don't end up paying too much for an accident.

For more information about how a car accident lawyer can help, contact a local law firm.


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