Every car accident is unique. Some happen in parking lots, driveways, or while people are pulling onto the road. Others happen on the open highway when two vehicles collide at high speeds. Anyone living or visiting Durango has seen multiple cars on the side of the road, victims of wrecks.
Regardless of how the accident occurred, injured victims must protect their right to compensation. At this difficult time, it is comforting to know that a Durango car accident lawyer is available at Cimarron Ridge Legal Group to represent you. Please contact us as soon as possible to review your case.
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Car Accident Injuries
Car accidents injuries are some of the most traumatic that we see. Two heavy vehicles, traveling at high speeds, can cause a tremendous amount of force when they collide. Even slow-moving vehicles can cause devastating injuries to pedestrians or those on bicycles. Injured victims can spend weeks in the hospital or at home recovering, experiencing considerable pain along the way.
Some of the more common car accident injuries include:
- Burns
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Head injuries
- Neck injuries
- Strains and sprains
- Contusions
- Chest injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Paralysis
Although some injuries can heal in a matter of months, others will last a lifetime and require expensive rehabilitation or surgery. It is vital that an accident victim immediately go to the hospital following a crash, regardless of how they feel. Many injuries develop slowly over a matter of days, so you might be injured even if you feel “fine.”
Compensation after an Accident
Our Durango car accident lawyers are skilled at obtaining the maximum compensation allowed under Colorado law for our clients. Unfortunately, we cannot get you your old body back. But we can obtain needed compensation to cover certain losses, such as:
- Medical care. Our clients can receive money to pay for all past, present, and future medical expenses, including surgery, hospital stays, prescription drugs, follow-up visits, and rehab. Medical care can cost thousands of dollars for even minor injuries. Major injuries can cost seven figures to treat.
- Lost wages. When an injury prevents a person from working, they should not have to suffer a drop in income. Fortunately, we can obtain lost wages when car accident injuries keep you from work. If you suffer a permanent disability, we can seek lost future earnings capacity.
- Property damage. An accident can damage or destroy your own vehicle. We can seek a sum of money to repair or replace your model. If other property was damaged—such as a phone—we can seek money for that, too.
- Pain and suffering. Physical injuries bring with them pain and inconvenience. This loss is subjective, but our clients can qualify for money to try and make up for them.
When the defendant acted egregiously, we might also seek exemplary (punitive) damages. They are meant to punish the defendant and deter future bad acts. Punitive damages are not available in every case, but we might ask for them in a drunk driving crash, for example.
Mistakes to Avoid Following a Car Accident
As experienced attorneys, we have seen many people make serious mistakes in the weeks following an accident. These mistakes cost our clients time and money, so we highlight the most serious so you can avoid them.
Never admit fault after a car accident. Under Colorado law, you might not be able to sue if you are equally to blame for the accident, and any admission of fault will be used against you.
Never give a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster without speaking to an attorney first. The adjuster is probably fishing for information to use against you. For example, the adjuster might downplay the seriousness of your pain and suffering, hoping you agree. Or the adjuster could trick you into admitting some responsibility for the wreck.
Avoid negotiating a settlement on your own. The insurance company has an incentive to try and get you to accept as little as possible. This amount is probably far below what you are entitled to. For example, many insurers minimize pain and suffering compensation, and few lay people really understand how much their injuries are worth.
Contact a Durango Car Accident Lawyer
Car accident victims would do well to quickly reach out to an attorney at Cimarron Ridge Legal Group today to review their case. Each of our attorneys is well versed in the relevant law, and we are unafraid of the state’s largest insurers. Please call us today to schedule a free consultation.
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