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Car accidents happen to everyone, and the physical, emotional, and financial toll can be overwhelming. A committed Arlington car accident lawyer can make all the difference. These attorneys can help you get the compensation and justice you deserve by navigating the complex automobile accident legal landscape. The injury lawyers at Regan Zambri Long will fight for justice on your behalf beginning with your free consultation. Call today.
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When you’re faced with the aftermath of a car accident in Arlington, the legal representation you choose can make all the difference. Here’s why Regan Zambri Long stands out as the premier choice:
Call today 202-960-4596 today to schedule your free case evaluation.
Busy city roads and open country roads are both scenes for hundreds of car accidents every year. According to recent data from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, 2,042 car crashes occurred in Arlington County. Of those motor vehicle accidents, there were 826 injuries and 4 fatalities.
If you find yourself in this predicament, see a qualified Arlington personal injury lawyer. We examine Arlington’s common vehicle accident causes:
Arlington is a hub for local and out-of-state commuters due to its closeness to DC. Daily commuters, tourists unfamiliar with local roads, and metropolitan traffic can cause accidents. Arlington’s urban layout with several junctions, pedestrian crossings, and roadwork can also challenge drivers.
If you get into a car crash in Arlington, you should visit a car accident attorney to understand your rights and secure the compensation you deserve. Our experienced Virginia car accident lawyers can help you navigate the legal procedure and safeguard your interests.
You can’t control how other drivers behave on the road, but you can hire an experienced auto accident attorney from Regan Zambri Long to represent you so that you can hold the liable driver responsible for the accident.
In the aftermath of a car crash, victims are eligible to make a claim for two distinct kinds of damages: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages are tangible and calculable losses, including:
Non-economic damages are less tangible but still impactful, including:
In some cases, you may also recover punitive damages from the liable party. This payout is a punishment to the liable party for their willful and wanton negligence.
As the injured party bringing the suit, you and your legal team are responsible for proving negligence, or that the liable party acted with willful and wanton disregard for others or with intentional malice.
Proving willful and wanton negligence will be harder than simple negligence, but your car accident attorney from Regan Zambri Long will help you understand if your case goes beyond simple negligence and help you prove it.
Finally, if your case goes to court, you can also recover financial compensation to cover your legal expenses and court costs.
As your case moves forward, you may wonder whether you should accept a settlement or pursue a greater recovery in court. The American Bar Association states that only a fraction of personal injury claims make it to court, but you don’t want to wait until a trial is required to bring an attorney to your team.
The facts of your case and how the liable driver and insurance company are responding to the claim will guide the legal process, and your lawyer will provide wisdom and experience as you navigate this.
In most cases, a car accident settlement offers fair compensation and there is no need to pursue a trial. In fact, most parties will want to avoid the higher legal fees that come with a trial.
However, when a liable party or insurance company is refusing to pay a fair settlement, you may need to take further legal action and go to court.
When this happens, you will likely demand more compensation than you would receive from a settlement, in part because of the increased legal fees and in part because, if your case goes to court, your lawyer is very confident of winning.
Immediately following an auto accident you should call the appropriate emergency services and evaluate your own injuries and damage. If it is not safe for you to move about the scene, either because of debris or your injuries, wait for first responders to arrive.
If you can safely move, you should take pictures, get contact and insurance information from the other involved party or parties, and collect contact information and statements from witnesses.
Once responding police officers give you the OK to leave the scene, you should get medical treatment as soon as possible. Even if you feel fine after the accident, you may have delayed or internal injuries. Seeing a doctor after an auto accident provides a paper trail that will back up a personal injury claim if your injuries take time to manifest or reveal themselves.
As soon as you can after an accident and your medical exam, you should consult with a knowledgeable Arlington car accident lawyer. Although you are not required to have an attorney represent you in a car accident case, it rarely is in your best interest to navigate a claim alone.
Your injury lawyer in Arlington, VA will help you calculate the value of your claim, assess any settlement offers for fairness, and argue your case in court if a settlement can’t be reached.
Every car accident case is different, which means assigning a realistic value before a consultation and investigation is impossible.
Your auto accident attorney will meet with you to discuss the extent of your injuries and medical expenses, property damage, as well as any lost wages and missed work, mental anguish, trauma, fear, and other non-economic damages you may have suffered.
Once your lawyer has a picture of all the ways your car accident has impacted you, he or she will calculate the value of your accident claim.
Keep in mind that the liable party’s lawyer and the insurance adjuster will be doing the same thing but are likely to come up with different numbers, so the amount your lawyer calculates may not be the actual amount you recover.
Virginia’s statute of limitations gives you two years to file a personal injury claim after your car accident. You will want to be prompt in your filing, but not early.
Your Arlington car accident lawyer will help you decide when the best time is to file your claim—this will generally be after the full extent of your injuries and damages are known and when you have reached your fullest recovery, where possible within the two years.
Filing your claim too early may result in receiving less compensation than you need, as future unexpected bills come in.
Liability for a car accident can belong to anyone involved in or contributing to the accident.
In many cases, driver negligence is the cause of the motor vehicle accident, and that driver is liable.
Other at-fault parties can include pedestrians, bicyclists, trucks, manufacturers or distributors of vehicle parts that end up being defective, companies that are negligent in the maintenance and safety of fleet vehicles, and government or other agencies responsible for road construction and maintenance.
Your qualified Arlington car accident attorney from Regan Zambri Long will review your case with you to determine who is liable. If multiple parties share liability, we will bring claims against all involved parties to recover the compensation you deserve.
Virginia follows pure contributory negligence when it comes to car accidents. This means that any party who is found to have contributed to an accident is completely barred from seeking compensation for their injuries or damages. It is important that you do not claim or accept any responsibility after an auto collision in Virginia. Doing so may prohibit you from seeking compensation, and the full facts of the case are often understood only after an investigation.
Most car accidents hinge on proving fault and the idea of negligence—that the liable party had a duty to behave a certain way, that they breached that duty, and that the breach caused injury and/or damage to another party. But contributory negligence complicates matters for Arlington drivers by denying compensation to anyone who was the slightest bit negligent.
After a car accident in Arlington, you will want to consult with an experienced Virginia car accident lawyer immediately. It’s highly likely that the other involved party (or parties) will look to pin some degree of negligence on you to avoid a payout.
Your lawyer will help defend you against unjust accusations of contributory negligence while also proving that the other party is completely liable for the accident.
You are not required to have legal representation to pursue compensation after a car accident. In some cases, such as those where you were not injured or the accident was very minor, you may decide it isn’t worth hiring a lawyer. Or if you have gone through the car accident claim process or insurance process before, you may feel confident taking it on yourself this time.
In many cases, however, hiring a personal injury lawyer or law firm will be in your best interest. Legal counsel can often help you recover a higher payout, negotiate a settlement more successfully, and calculate your losses.
The personal injury attorneys at Regan Zambri Long offer a no-obligation free consultation to help you determine whether you need a lawyer to help you navigate a successful claim.
