Sustaining any injury can be devastating, not only because it can leave you suffering and in pain, but it can also leave you with astronomical medical bills. As such, understanding who you can file a claim against to receive justice and compensation for the damages you’ve suffered is critical. Most commonly, you’ll find that filing a third-party personal injury claim is in your best interest. You’ll want to keep reading to learn more about how these claims work and why you need an Ouachita Parish, Louisiana personal injury lawyer to help you navigate these complex matters.
How Does a Third-Party Personal Injury Claim Work?
When you are in an accident, such as a single-car collision, you may file a claim through your insurance to receive coverage for medical care. This is known as a first-party injury claim. However, when you are injured by another person, such as a negligent driver, you’ll file a third-party claim against the negligent driver’s insurance company.
Similarly, a third-party claim can also refer to someone else involved in the accident who may not have been directly involved in the collision. For example, if you’re hurt because a driver crashes into you, you may also find that aside from filing a claim with their insurance because they were driving negligently, you can file a suit against the vehicle manufacturer if there was also a defect with the vehicle.
What Kind of Compensation Can I Recover?
If you are injured by another party, understanding the compensation you can receive for the injuries you’ve endured is critical. Generally, you’ll find that the most common form of compensation you can receive is economic damages. These refer to actual monetary losses you’ve experienced because of the accident. Most commonly, these will be medical bills, property damage, lost wages from time spent off work healing, and any other economic damages you’ve suffered.
However, you can also recover non-economic damages. These can be harder to achieve as you must often prove the losses. These include things like pain and suffering, humiliation, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. Generally, you’ll need to prove these things, so having friends and family speak on your behalf or photos of you before the accident can help you recover compensation.
When you are hurt, knowing who to hold liable for the injuries you’ve endured is essential. Unfortunately, many don’t know the proper channels to recover the funds they are entitled to. As such, they may not recover the funds they deserve for the harm they’ve suffered. That’s why working with an experienced attorney is critical to a favorable outcome for your circumstances.
If you need help, Breithaupt, DuBos, & Wolleson, LLC, is ready to help. Our team understands how confusing it can be when you’re hurt and want compensation. That’s why we’re here to assist you through these challenging times. Contact us today to learn how we can help you through these difficult times.
