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Common Car Accident Injuries and How to Seek Compensation

By Whalen Montalvo | Published on December 14, 2024

Car accident injuries can profoundly impact your life. Medical care is costly, and sometimes it’s necessary for a long-term period or a lifetime.

If another driver’s negligence caused your car accident injuries, you may want to contact a South Carolina car accident lawyer. A lawyer can determine if the other driver is liable for your harm and help you pursue compensation for your damages.

Common Car Accident Injuries

Car accident injuries are painful, costly, and disruptive.

A traumatic car accident can leave you with more than a broken leg. Common car injuries may require a lengthy recovery and an adjustment to a new daily routine.

Every car accident victim experiences different injuries. However, among the most common types of car accident injuries are:

  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI): A bump, blow, jolt, or penetrating head injury can disrupt normal brain function. The severity of the TBI determines a victim’s long-term prognosis and need for care.
  • Spinal cord injury: The spinal cord provides information to the brain concerning movement and sensation. A spinal cord injury disrupts this communication, resulting in forms of paralysis that impact mobility.
  • Bone fractures: A broken leg is a severe injury and just one example of a typical car accident injury. A bone fracture is a common injury, with the type of fracture impacting recovery.
  • Whiplash: A rear-end accident can cause a rapid back-and-forth neck motion called whiplash. This type of injury can cause severe headaches, loss of range of motion, and a host of other complications.
  • Internal injuries: Internal bleeding and other types of injuries are especially dangerous because there may be no visible signs of harm.
  • Burns: A car accident that results in one or more cars igniting can leave victims with intense burns. Burn care treatment is specialized care that typically involves transport to a burn facility.

One or more of these types of injuries prevent victims from working, making the mounting medical bills stressful. The emotional and psychological impact of your injuries can keep you awake at night.

Victims of negligence should never pay out of pocket for damages that result from the careless behavior of others. South Carolina car accident victims who suffer harm due to drunk, distracted, or otherwise negligent drivers have a right to fight for compensation from the liable party.

Seeking Compensation After a Car Accident

A South Carolina car accident lawyer understands state civil laws.

South Carolina car accident victims typically have one chance to pursue the compensation they need for their lives moving forward. The civil process is one of claims and lawsuits.

Insurance companies want claims settled quickly and cheaply. To protect profits, they generally offer victims low-dollar settlements. For most victims, the fast offers seem like the solution to their immediate financial needs. But car accident victims are vulnerable following a crash, and accepting an inadequate settlement offer can make a victim’s life harder, not easier.

A South Carolina car accident lawyer protects victims from unfair settlement offers that do little to protect their client’s financial future. Accepting an unfair settlement closes your claim. An expired statute of limitations leaves no other legal options. A South Carolina car accident attorney protects your best interests by pursuing compensation on your behalf promptly and legally and will negotiate with the insurance company to secure the best outcome possible.

Most car accident claims are settled outside of court. If your lawyer determines a trial is best for your case, they will keep you informed and prepared.

Steps to Take After an Accident to Protect Your Claim

The first steps following a car accident are among the most important.

The aftermath of a car accident is generally chaotic. However, your steps immediately following a car accident are crucial for a potential personal injury claim or lawsuit.

Perhaps the most vital first step is to accept medical transport to a hospital or trauma center. Silent injuries such as internal bleeding or organ damage are impossible to detect without medical imagery.  A hospital visit not only identifies your injuries but also serves as documentation for your future case. Medical reports are key evidence for your personal injury claim or lawsuit.

Another critical step following a car accident is to refrain from apologizing or accepting responsibility for the crash. While it is human nature to empathize with an injured person, an apology is often viewed as an admission of guilt.

Accident victims must focus on themselves and their injuries. Police reports, witness interviews, and accident scene photographs can help your attorney prepare your case.

When You Need a Lawyer for a Car Accident Claim

A lawyer stands by you and up for you in your civil case.

Insurance companies are very familiar with the civil process. Your car accident claim is not their first and will not be their last. Years of experience negotiating claims and fighting lawsuits give insurance companies an advantage over car accident victims. While their approach may appear friendly and helpful, they focus on the company’s best interests.

Common car accident injuries are distressing enough. No victim needs or deserves aggressive insurance adjusters pushing unfair settlements.

South Carolina car accident victims can protect their best interests by hiring an attorney who counters insurance company tactics. The knowledge that someone has your back can make your road to recovery less stressful.

Whalen Montalvo Attorneys at Law

Contact Whalen Montalvo Attorneys at Law Today

At Whalen Montalvo Attorneys at Law, we have helped countless South Carolina car accident victims pursue justice. James Whalen and Eric Montalvo deliver the best results possible by aggressively challenging insurance companies.

Experience, knowledge, and skill are just a few traits James and Eric bring to the table. Their calm approach to clients will put you at ease.

Place your South Carolina car accident case in the capable hands of Whalen Montalvo Attorneys at Law. Call our warm and welcoming office at (864) 770-7710 to schedule your free consultation today.

James M. Whalen

I grew up right here in Greenville, South Carolina. Following highschool, I attended Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, where I was an NCAA Scholar-Athlete for the Rhodes Lynx soccer program.

I completed my law degree at University of South Carolina School of Law, where I was on the mock trial team and an editor for the Journal of Law and Education. Following graduation, I served as a judicial law clerk for Senior Judge Robert H. Hodges, Jr. on the Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. My experience in D.C. trial courts solidified my desire to become a trial lawyer.
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