It can be difficult to recover from the havoc unleashed by the fury of an auto accident that you didn’t cause. The immediate crisis of an auto accident can turn your entire life upside down. Nobody plans to have a car accident and the devastation they cause can be extensive. Property damages, medical expenses, trauma, and lost wages may be incurred due to no fault of your own.

The best thing you can do immediately following an auto accident is to call law enforcement and contact an attorney who specializes in auto accidents. Call a trusted firm like Betz and Baril to speak to a skilled car accident attorney with years of dedicated experience to ensure you get the full compensation you are due. 

Determining the Value of Your Case

Each case is different and evaluated on an individual basis, even car accidents. That said, there are certain factors that are almost always considered to help determine the value of a case. In the state of Tennessee, damages are divided into two main categories when determining the total value of a case. These categories include economic and non-economic damages. Here is a short summary of the two.

Economic Damages

Economic damages include all expenses that directly impact your bank account because of the accident. They include but are not limited to:

• Property Damage
• Medical Expenses
• Lost Wages
• Lost Future Earnings

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are often referred to as intangible damages because their measure is open to interpretation. They are no less real or less important, just harder to assess with a monetary value. Non-economic damages may include but are not limited to:

• Pain and Suffering
• Future Pain and Suffering
• Emotional or Psychological Trauma
• Loss of Consortium

An experienced car accident attorney in Gary will be able to walk you through the damages you suffered in your accident and explain where they may fit into the scheme of things.

How Liability Affects the Value of an Auto Accident Case

The state of Tennessee functions under a modified comparative fault state. This means that you must be less than 50 percent responsible for the accident to collect damages. If 50 percent or more of the fault is assigned to you for an auto accident, then you will not be able to collect any damages under Tennessee law.

Liability will often be determined by the responding officer and insurance adjusters. It is absolutely paramount that you call law enforcement to respond to the accident before calling your car accident attorney. The courts and the insurance companies both lend a lot of weight to the accident report filed by the responding officer.

Your Car Accident Attorney Will Help Determine Collectability

Collectability is another tricky subject when it comes to Tennessee auto accidents. Even when you are absolutely positive who is at fault in an auto accident, your car accident attorney is not entitled to know the at-fault party’s coverage limits. An experienced car accident attorney in Tennessee will know which specific questions to ask to help determine the collectability of a case. They also know exactly where to look to find additional money when an at-fault party is under-insured.

Let an Experienced Firm Help Your Case

The issues of liability, damages, and collectability in the state of Tennessee are tricky and can be difficult to navigate. Working with the right car accident attorney can mean the difference between collecting on a claim and paying for all the related damages yourself. Always be sure to call law enforcement to respond to an accident and then call a skilled car accident attorney at Betz and Baril to get the compensation you’re entitled to.