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Motor vehicle accidents are always a shock. If you commute from Irwin to Pittsburgh by way of Lincoln Highway or the Pennsylvania Turnpike, you’re probably aware that serious accidents frequently bring traffic to a halt.
If you’re unfortunate enough to be involved in one of these accidents, there’s a good chance you’ll need help recovering injury compensation. An Irwin motor vehicle accident lawyer can help you achieve this goal.
Understanding the Irwin Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Process
If you’ve been driving for a while, you probably understand how the car accident injury claims process works. When an Irwin driver causes a crash, you inform both driver insurance companies and file a claim for injury compensation through the other driver’s policy.
This is how the car insurance system is meant to function in theory. The reality is much more complicated. It’s important to remember that auto insurance companies are for-profit businesses. Their bottom line is to increase profits, and they do so by keeping car accident payouts as low as possible.
When you’re involved in a crash in Irwin, the other driver’s insurance company will attempt to ask you a series of leading questions during the claims process. These questions are often designed to elicit an admission of full or partial fault for the crash, which reduces the amount the insurance company must pay.
Even if the insurance company offers you a settlement for the Irwin crash, you can be certain that it’s not for as much as your claim is worth. Car insurance providers typically start with lower amounts to have room to negotiate if you counter with a higher offer.
Compensation for an Irwin car accident can make a life-altering difference, especially if the crash results in significant medical bills or lost wages. It’s a mistake to file a claim on your own and just hope you’ll be fairly compensated. The best way to protect your financial future is to contact an Irwin motor vehicle accident lawyer.
Compensation for Motor Vehicle Accident Injuries
Compensation for an Irwin motor vehicle accident can reimburse you for a wide range of accident costs. Compensation is typically split into two main categories: economic and non-economic damages. The first compensates you for the accident costs that have a dollar value, such as:
- Past and future medical bills
- Physical therapy
- Medical devices
- Assistive care
- Past and future lost wages and benefits
To recover compensation for these expenses, your lawyer needs to collect evidence proving your losses. This can take the form of bills, receipts, or pay stubs showing lost wages.
When an Irwin car accident results in long-term or permanent injuries, you can recover compensation for future costs. One common example of future costs is the lifetime earnings the injured person would have earned if they hadn’t been harmed in the accident.
Irwin motor vehicle accident compensation can also reimburse you for the accident’s mental and emotional impact. This type of compensation is called non-economic damages, which can reimburse you for losses related to:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of companionship
- Diminished quality of life
Compensation usually increases in proportion to the severity and long-term impact of the injuries. Minor injuries or those that heal quickly receive lower compensation than major or permanent injuries.
Proving Fault After an Accident
One of the most important reasons you need an Irwin motor vehicle accident lawyer is to prove fault. Compensation for motor vehicle accident injuries comes out of the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy. To recover the damages you need, your lawyer must first prove that the other driver was at fault for the accident.
Your Irwin motor vehicle accident lawyer will investigate the crash and collect evidence. This might take the form of:
- Police reports
- Eyewitness statements
- Traffic camera footage
- Accident reconstruction specialist testimony
- Blood testing
- Cell phone records
How your lawyer proves fault depends on how the accident happened. For example, if the crash occurred because a drunk driver ran a red light on Barnes Lake Rd in Irwin, your lawyer can use their blood alcohol test results to prove fault.
Alternatively, the other driver may have caused the crash by texting. In that case, your lawyer could request access to their cell phone records to prove they were sending a message when the collision happened.
Pennsylvania uses a 51% comparative negligence rule. This is relevant in accidents where both drivers may have been partially at fault. As long as your lawyer can prove you were less than 51% at fault for the accident, you can still recover some compensation.
Time Limits for Filing an Accident Lawsuit
The best way to protect your finances after an Irwin motor vehicle accident is to contact a lawyer as soon as possible. Getting a lawyer involved from the start of your case helps ensure you don’t fall victim to insurance tactics during the claims process.
A lawyer also helps you preserve any evidence you might need for your case. For instance, they can keep track of things like blood alcohol testing if substance use is suspected as a reason for the accident.
Every state places a time limit, called the statute of limitations, on how long you have to file a personal injury lawsuit. In Pennsylvania, that time limit is two years.
While not every case requires filing a lawsuit, it’s important that you don’t run out of time in case one becomes necessary. Waiting to consult a lawyer can put you at risk of missing your opportunity to recover the Irwin motor vehicle accident injury compensation you need.
Why Choose Stine & Associates
Stine & Associates is a personal injury law firm with over three decades of experience. Attorney Cindy Stine has a long track record of successfully helping her clients in Irwin and the surrounding areas recover the personal injury compensation they need.
Attorney Stine is a member of a variety of legal organizations, some of which include:
- Allegheny County Bar Association
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- The National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives
- Pennsylvania Association for Justice
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association
- Westmoreland County Bar Association
The Stine & Associates client testimonials demonstrate firsthand the life-altering impact our firm has on our clients. When you need a skilled Irwin motor vehicle accident attorney with decades of experience and a commitment to success, Stine & Associates is the firm for you.
Contact an Irwin Motor Vehicle Accident Attorney Today
Don’t make the mistake of waiting to get help with the costs of an Irwin motor vehicle accident. Our firm has a long track record of helping clients recover the compensation they need after a negligent driver’s actions derail their health and finances.
Stine & Associates is located in downtown Greensburg, a short 16-minute drive from Irwin. Our legal team is ready to review your case and help you understand your options for recovering personal injury compensation. We offer free consultations and contingency fee agreements. That means you pay nothing up front, and you only pay for our legal services at all if we win your case. Contact us online to schedule your free consultation with an experienced Irwin motor vehicle accident attorney.