According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), a driver running a red light causes hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries every year in the United States. If you were hit by a driver that ran a red light, you first need to determine whether you suffered any injuries. A personal injury attorney helps injured clients receive just compensation for the negligence of a red-light runner. Before you decide on a lawyer, make sure you understand the attorney’s fee structure, as well as find out how much your claim is worth.
Were You Injured by a Red Light Runner?
Drivers that run red lights have the potential to hurt other drivers and passengers. However, some red-light running accidents do nothing more than cause damage to one or more other vehicles. If you received an injury that was caused by a red-light runner, a state-licensed personal injury lawyer will organize all your medical documents, as well as any expenses related to repairing your vehicle. Your attorney will also ask your employer to confirm how much you lost in wages because of your injuries. Working with an attorney also demonstrates to the other driver’s insurance company that you are serious about pursuing a claim in civil court. The primary goal for your attorney is to get you the just compensation you deserve.
Auto accident cases include a report filed by the law enforcement agency that responded to the incident. Civil court judges consider a police report to be the official version of events. Based on the police report, your attorney might decide to file a request to see the video shot at the scene of the red-light running crash. Most municipalities have installed traffic cameras at busy intersections to document speeding and red-light running violations. It is crucial to hire a lawyer that has a proven record of winning personal injury claims because part of your just compensation includes expected future medical expenses.
How Do You Pay Your Attorney?
Personal injury lawyers use a different billing model than the billing model used by other types of litigators. Instead of billing by the hour, most personal injury attorneys handle cases on a contingency fee basis. This means your lawyer most likely will collect a percentage of what you earn as just compensation. Not only do you not have to pay any upfront expenses, but a contingency fee billing model also motivates lawyers to go the extra mile to win lawsuits. If you opt to represent yourself, then you must pay court and administrative fees, as well as the costs for gathering information.
Determining the Worth of Your Case
You can calculate how much your claim is worth by adding together all medical bills and the amount of money lost because of unemployment. However, the worth of a personal injury claim also includes a more ambiguous factor called pain and suffering. An experienced lawyer should be able to understand your story and how the red light runner adversely impacted your life beyond treating and rehabilitating your injuries. Pain and suffering are linked to the level of physical and emotional duress.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation
One of the first things your personal injury attorney will do involves conducting a free case evaluation to determine if there are any holes in your version of events. Fill out an online case evaluation form to get the legal ball rolling on your claim.
