When you are injured in a car accident, insurance will typically cover medical expenses, property damage, and related expenses. The amount insurance is willing to pay and how far that payment goes is dependent on several factors, including the role you played in your accident.
When you are injured in a car accident you did not cause, your insurance may still pay for medical and related expenses, but you have the additional option of filing a lawsuit to seek compensation from the responsible driver as well. This can help to cover damages that insurance is unlikely to consider.
Insurance Settlement vs. Personal Injury Lawsuit
Insurance settlements can arrive relatively quickly and may prove useful for covering economic damages. They are not, however, typically ideal for serious or life-changing injuries.
When you sustain a serious injury, the long-term consequences can be profound. You may find yourself unable to work again. You may need to make modifications to your home, require adaptive technologies, and suffer untold amounts of physical and emotional pain. Compensation for these things often requires legal action.
Will My Case Go to Trial?
While taking legal action is often the best way to receive full compensation, very few personal injury claims ever got to trial. In fact, over 90% of these cases are settled pretrial, during mediation or settlement negotiations.
Despite most cases settling before trial, Herbert Thornbury prepares every case for such an eventuality. This helps to ensure that, irrespective of the final course, your best interests are always being protected.
Uninsured Drivers
When you are injured by an uninsured driver, things can get trickier. Depending on the type of coverage you have, a claim for an injury sustained in a car accident with an uninsured driver will be made with your own insurer. Uninsured motorist coverage is not required in Tennessee, but it is a good idea to carry it. Without this coverage, there may be no way to recover your damages following a car accident with an uninsured driver.
Have you been injured in a car accident in or around Chattanooga? Call Herbert Thornbury, Attorney at Law at 423-752-0544 to schedule a free consultation today.
