A car crash in Bowling Green, Kentucky, isn’t just a frightening experience that ends in a few moments. The consequences of a crash can affect your quality of life—and finances—for months or years. Our Bowling Green car accident lawyers at Minner Vines Injury Lawyers, PLLC, can review your case and answer your questions. Contact us today at (859) 550-2900 for a free case review to learn more.
You may worry about how you’ll pay for your medical care after a crash. Perhaps you fear you’ll be unable to work and earn an income. You may also have to struggle with pain, anxiety, and other intangible consequences of a wreck.
You can seek compensation for these losses. How you do so may depend on several factors. A personal injury attorney could help you pursue the compensation you’re entitled to if you choose to hire us.
Common Causes of Bowling Green, KY Car Wrecks
Car crashes may occur in Bowling Green for various reasons. They include:
- Speeding
- Drunk driving
- Fatigued driving
- Distracted driving
- General carelessness, like not checking a blind spot before changing lanes
- Vehicle failure
- Hazardous road conditions
- Hazardous weather
To seek compensation by suing the party who caused a wreck, you may need to determine what caused the wreck in the first place. Determining the cause of a crash allows you to know who is responsible. You’ll need to file an insurance claim with the at-fault party’s insurer once you learn who that is.
What You Need to Know About Kentucky’s No-Fault Car Crash Laws
Kentucky is a no-fault car crash state. In a no-fault state, to register a motor vehicle, you must purchase Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. In Kentucky, you must purchase PIP coverage to register any motor vehicle except a motorcycle.
If you sustain injuries in a crash, you can seek compensation by filing a claim with your PIP insurance. Doing so is your first option, regardless of whether another person caused the wreck.
Basic PIP coverage provides up to $10,000 in compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and other out-of-pocket losses resulting from a crash. A policy may offer additional coverage depending on which policy a driver purchases.
Opting Out of Kentucky’s No-Fault Car Crash System
Kentucky allows drivers to opt out of the no-fault system. They must file a Kentucky no-fault rejection form with the Kentucky Department of Insurance to do so.
You maintain the right to sue someone who caused a crash if you opt out of the no-fault system. However, you also leave yourself vulnerable to legal action if you cause a wreck. In addition, you can’t turn to your own insurance for compensation after a crash.
When You Can Sue an At-Fault Party After a Kentucky Car Crash
You may take legal action against the driver who caused a wreck even if you haven’t opted out of the no-fault system. You might have the option to sue a driver who caused a crash if the wreck resulted in any of the following:
- At least $1,000 in medical expenses
- A broken bone
- Permanent disfigurement
- Permanent injury
- Death
Taking legal action against an at-fault party may be an option to consider if your PIP coverage doesn’t fully compensate you for your losses.
Compensation Available in a Bowling Green Car Crash Case
The amount of compensation you may receive in a Bowling Green car wreck case can depend on many factors, including the severity of your injuries, the duration of your recovery, whether you had to be off work, and more.
Someone pursuing compensation after a car wreck can generally seek money for the following types of losses:
- Economic
- Non-economic
An economic loss has a specific dollar value. For example, medical bills are economic losses. So are lost wages.
An economic loss can also be a loss you haven’t technically incurred yet. For instance, you may need long-term medical care. When negotiating for a settlement with an insurance company, you can account for the potential cost of future medical treatment.
Determining the “cost” of non-economic losses is slightly more complex. That’s because non-economic losses don’t have exact dollar values.
You may endure pain when recovering from car wreck injuries. You could seek compensation for your pain, and your attorney can use their experience to provide a dollar value for this kind of loss.
How a Bowling Green Car Accident Attorney Can Help
Coordinating with a Bowling Green, KY, car accident law firm is often helpful after a motor vehicle wreck. The following are key ways we can help:
- Explaining your options – This may be the first time you’ve sustained injuries in a motor vehicle crash. As such, you might not know how to begin seeking compensation. Our lawyers can review your case and explain how you may begin filing a claim or lawsuit.
- Investigating – If you plan to sue an at-fault party, you’ll need to identify them first. This may require conducting an investigation. An attorney can investigate the crash on your behalf. Along with identifying the liable party, they can gather evidence to prove they caused the crash.
- Handling administrative tasks – Seeking compensation after a car crash may involve completing paperwork, submitting it by deadlines, responding to correspondence from insurance companies, and more. You don’t need to handle these tasks yourself. You could make life a lot easier by hiring an attorney to handle them for you.
- Negotiating – Whether you file a claim with your own insurance, a lawsuit against an at-fault party, or both, you may have to negotiate for fair compensation. A lawyer with experience negotiating on behalf of clients like you can handle negotiations as well. In addition, a lawyer can help you determine whether a settlement offer is fair.
The initial case review is free. There’s no risk in speaking with a law firm’s representative, as you’re under no obligation to hire them.
Can You Afford a Car Crash Lawyer in Kentucky?
Your financial woes may be serious after a car crash. You’re already worrying about how you can afford to pay for medical care. Can you justify the cost of hiring a lawyer now?
Yes, when your attorney works on a contingency fee basis.
Many Kentucky personal injury lawyers don’t charge upfront fees for their legal services. Doing so would pose an unreasonable financial risk for a client who has no guarantee they’ll receive compensation.
Instead, a lawyer who works on contingency collects their fee as a percentage of the compensation you receive. That means you don’t pay anything for legal services if you don’t receive compensation or damages first.
The contingency fee system also incentivizes attorneys to fight aggressively on their clients’ behalf. The more you get paid, the more your attorney earns.
How Long Do You Have to File a Bowling Green Car Crash Lawsuit?
You may not file a Kentucky car crash lawsuit more than two years after the date of the crash or the date you received your last PIP payment.
Don’t wait to speak with an attorney about your crash. You might be unable to seek all the compensation you deserve if you miss a lawsuit filing deadline.
Tips from a Bowling Green Car Crash Law Firm
Keep the following suggestions in mind while your case is pending:
- Don’t discuss your case with anyone other than your lawyer. Under Kentucky’s comparative negligence law, the amount of compensation you may receive after a wreck will decrease if you are partially at fault. Thus, an insurance company or an at-fault party’s lawyers may try to find statements you’ve made that suggest your own actions or carelessness played a role in the wreck. Guard against this by limiting who you speak to about the crash.
- Limit social media usage until you receive compensation. An insurance company or defendant could also use your social media posts against you. For example, maybe a photo or video you recently posted shows you playing sports. Someone may argue that if you can play sports, your injuries must not be as serious as you claim. Also, when settling your case, review the terms of the settlement carefully. They may prohibit you from discussing it publicly.
- Keep copies of all records and receipts relating to car wreck losses. For instance, you should keep documentation of all your medical bills. You should also keep documentation of lost wages.
- Follow the advice of medical professionals. You may have a better chance of receiving compensation if you can show you’ve undergone treatment and are doing what you can to recover from your injuries.
Ask your lawyer if you should also take any steps to document your non-economic losses. Sometimes, attorneys recommend that their clients keep pain journals to describe how their injuries affect them on a day-to-day basis.
Your lawyer can explain whether keeping a pain journal is a wise decision in your case. They may also suggest other ways to document non-economic losses.
Contact a Bowling Green Car Accident Lawyer Today
At Minner Vines Injury Lawyers, PLLC, we understand the aftermath of a motor vehicle wreck can be a very confusing time. We can help by offering the representation you deserve. We’d be happy to discuss our track record, helping you better understand why we’re the right firm for your case. Learn more about what a Bowling Green, KY, car accident lawyer can do for you by contacting us online or calling us at (270) 517-2014 for a free case review.