With a total 214.9 sq km area, Springfield makes it harder for drivers to drive on the road during the winters. In the wake of deteriorating conditions and heavy ice accumulation, the Missouri Department of Transportation urged drivers in southern Missouri to stay off the roads. In such conditions, the chances are high you may get involved in a car accident.
If you were not at fault, then you can receive compensation for the damages. This article explains how to work with a Springfield car accident lawyer to recover your rightful compensation.
What the Law in Springfield, Missouri Says?
Missouri follows a “fault” system when determining the financial liability for the damages resulting from an accident. So the driver who caused the accident is responsible for compensating for the damages. It’s usually his insurance carrier who will absorb the cost.
There were around 2108 Citizens filed crash reports in 2019 in Springfield, out of which 14 were fatal crashes. If you’re a victim of any such accident and suffered an injury or damage, you can proceed with the following ways:
- File a claim with your insurance carrier, given that the damages are covered under the policy
- File the third-party claim with the at-fault driver’s insurer
- File a personal injury lawsuit
Types of Compensation You Can Receive
There are different types of compensation you can receive depending on the damages you incurred. Those are:
- Medical expense compensation
If you were involved and injured in an auto accident and had to incur medical expenses, you can request compensation for the same. The expenses include all medical stays, medications, doctor visitation, therapies, etc. If there is any ongoing medical care, then the laws allow you to request compensation for it as well.
- Lost income
Car accidents may leave you physically handicapped, either temporarily or permanently. So you may end up missing work, which will result in a loss of income. You can seek compensation for this as well.
- Punitive damages
You could seek compensation if the at-fault driver’s actions were particularly irresponsible. Or it was done intentionally for punitive damages to cause harm to people on the road. Such cases are relatively rare and apply to about only 5% of verdicts.
How Can a Lawyer Help in Rightful Compensation?
If you’re involved in a minor wreck, and there were no injuries involved, then the cases are mostly settled outside the court. Your auto insurance provider will cover the damages.
But when there’s a more severe vehicle crash, you should get a car accident lawyer involved in the process. In such cases, dealing with insurance carriers of both sides can become complicated. An accident lawyer can better deal with the insurance companies to sort things out and seek compensation on your behalf.
The claims can also turn into lawsuits. In such cases, you will not be able to reach a settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurance provider. Or they may offer you an unfairly low settlement amount.
By filing a lawsuit, you can force them to consider your case more seriously and reach a settlement faster. This will speed up the compensation process.
It’s recommended that you get in touch with a local Springfield car accident lawyer at the moment you suffer the accident — even ahead of your insurance carrier. They can advise you accurately, from a neutral point of view, on how to proceed with the compensation process.