Car accidents can happen at any time, from minor fender-benders to major collisions. They can cause debilitating injuries, property damage, mounting medical bills, and worse. When you incur losses because of an accident that was not your fault, you could bring legal action to get compensation. A knowledgeable car accident attorney could explain more.
Recoverable damages after an Olive Branch car accident could include lost wages, as well as compensation for medical expenses and physical and emotional pain. Deadlines apply for filing court papers, so it could be helpful to contact a Board-certified personal injury attorney at the Law Office of David E. Gordon as soon as possible.
Causes of Accidents
Driving is an important part of daily life, but it can be dangerous when other motorists drive negligently. Car accidents happen for many reasons that are often not the injured party’s fault, including:
- Tailgating
- Speeding
- Illegal turns
- Drunk driving
- Distracted driving
- Defective car parts
- Driving while tired
- Unsafe road conditions
After a car accident caused by one of these situations, the injured client may be able to bring a lawsuit in Olive Branch for recoverable damages. David can help explain these circumstances.
Damages After a Car Accident
The goal of legal action is to put the injured person back to where they were before the crash as much as possible. This means monetary damages to compensate for injuries and losses and help them move forward with life.
Recoverable damages after an Olive Branch car accident include non-economic damages and economic damages. Non-economic damages compensate for pain and suffering and harm that impedes someone’s ability to participate in life, but has no specific dollar value. Emotional distress, depression, anxiety, mental anguish, inconvenience, impairment, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life are all examples. Non-economic damages are capped at $1,000,000.
Economic damages compensate the injured plaintiff for costs that have dollar amounts and can quantified. These are things like medical bills, property damage, lost income, lost future earnings, and lost employment opportunities. There is no limit on the economic damages an injured client can recover.
In rare cases involving malicious or especially bad conduct, a jury also might award punitive damages to punish the victim for their bad conduct.
Comparative Negligence
In some car accidents, both parties are at fault. In Mississippi, even if an injured client shares some blame for the accident, they can still recover damages but will be reduced by the percent the jury decides they were at fault.
For example, in a case in which a person was distracted by sending a text at the time they were rear-ended, the jury might decide that the injured person was 15 percent to blame and the defendant was 85 percent to blame. If the total damage award is $100,000, the injured client would only recover $85,000. David can help clarify this concept.
Statute of Limitations
Legal action for car crash injuries in Mississippi must be filed within three years of the accident. Missing this deadline can ruin the chance of someone hurt in an Olive Branch car accident to get any recoverable damages, so it is important not to neglect this time limit. Limited exceptions exist for minors.
If the defendant is a government entity, the filing deadline is one year from the date of the accident, with additional steps that need to be taken even sooner.
Get Information About Recoverable Damages After an Olive Branch Car Crash
Whether you were sideswiped, rear-ended, or got tangled in a pileup, you could be entitled to damages from the at-fault person. An experienced attorney could provide guidance on potential recoverable damages after an Olive Branch car accident.
Timelines apply for court action and missing these deadlines could block recovery. Call the Law Office of David E. Gordon today for a free consultation.
