We assume that everyone driving a vehicle will drive safely and take care to avoid causing an auto accident. The truth is that auto accidents occur often and usually result in the serious personal injury of another driver or passenger.
Common Causes of Auto Accidents
Auto accidents can happen in the blink of an eye and have many causes. Typically, a careless or reckless driver causes an auto accident. Other times, auto accidents are the result of a defective vehicle or mechanical failure. A defective tire will cause a serious auto accident if the tread on the tire separates or the tire unexpectedly has a blowout.
Other causes of auto accidents include:
Inexperienced drivers
Unsafe weather and road conditions
Intoxicated drivers
Driving while distracted
Aggressive driving
Speeding
Types of Compensation in Auto Accidents
The types of compensation you can recover in your auto accident case depend on your specific injuries and the events of the auto accident. In an initial consultation about your case, your auto accident attorney will explain what kind of compensation you may receive.
Compensation is a monetary award given to the victim of an auto accident to cover economic and non-economic losses. Compensation for economic losses include all out-of-pocket expenses that you have either already paid for or will have to pay for in the future. Economic losses are all medical bills and costs related to fixing damaged property.
Some injuries will require further medical treatment or will result in your need for continued medical treatment or assistance throughout your life. The amount of compensation you will receive for economic losses will take your future need for care into consideration.
Compensation for non-economic losses include pain and suffering such as emotional and physical stress. The amount of compensation for non-economic losses is difficult to determine and are not meant to put a value on the pain you are experiencing.