Car Accident Lawyer

A serious car accident injury can be not only traumatizing in the moment, but also in the months of recovery to come. You could become swallowed in medical bills and out-of-pocket costs. You may lose valuable income because you had to miss work to recover from your accident. Simple aspects of your everyday routine may be met with dread when you’re suffering from an injury due to a car accident. In some cases, even your relationships might suffer. If your car accident was the fault of another person, this stress can be even more maddening.

It can feel as though you have no support, but Fielding Law and our team of car accident lawyers are here to help. If you were injured in a auto accident due to the negligence or misconduct of someone else, you deserve justice. We’ll fight for your right to the compensation you need and deserve during this painful chapter of your life.

Common Causes of Car Accidents

Unfortunately, as common as car accidents may be, they’re usually preventable. Negligence and human error, from simply forgetting a turn signal to drunk or distracted driving, are often the cause. If your car accident was caused by the negligence of the other driver or another involved party, you may be entitled to compensation. Here are some common causes of car accidents in the United States.

• Distracted Driving. These days, distracted driving causes more car accidents than drunk driving. It’s often said that as a society, we’re attached to our smartphones, but when you’re behind the wheel of a car, texting and driving or even just reading a message can have disastrous consequences. Drivers should never text, eat, read, or apply makeup while driving. You might think that you can multitask, or that you’re only taking your eyes off the road for a second, but that second can make the difference between arriving at your destination safely and a car accident.
• Speeding. Most drivers feel as though they’re on a hurry to get somewhere, so some drivers will justify driving over the speed limit, especially on the highway. It may seem like a small infraction, but higher speeds mean slower reaction times, so speeding cars may not be able to move or stop soon enough to stop an accident. Speeding can even lead to accident pile-ups in some cases.
• Drunk Driving. In all 50 states, driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit above .08% means driving under the influence. In Utah it’s even lower at just .05%. It may not feel like drunk driving. It may simply feel like buzzed driving, but this slows your attention and reaction time on the road, making accidents much more likely. Drunk driving is most likely to occur on the weekends or during the holidays, when people are most likely to be out drinking socially. If you drink when you’re out with friends, make sure to get a ride home or take a rideshare home.
• Reckless Driving. Many accidents are caused simply because the driver wasn’t paying enough attention or was otherwise careless. For instance, they might change lanes or merge into traffic without looking, or they might make a turn without turning on their turn signal. Tailgating and ignoring traffic lights count as reckless driving, but so does driving a cars that’s known to be defective, such as cars with defective brakes.
• Drag Racing. Street racing is illegal in most states, and for good reason. Some drivers see it as a thrilling pastime to rev their engines and start to race each other, but unfortunately, they’re rarely the only cars on the road. If driving a few miles over the speed limit can slow reaction time and increase the likelihood of accidents, the extreme speeding of drag racing can have catastrophic events. According to nationwide statistics, about 49 drivers out of every 1,000 who participate in street racing are subsequently injured.
• Design Defects. Sometimes the car manufacturer gets something wrong. It could be an issue with faulty brakes or rollovers, as has been the case in famous car accident cases. A defective ignition switch, delayed airbags, or flawed tires can also be the cause of serious car accidents. These cases can be especially terrifying, as the driver has little control over their vehicle in the accident. In these cases, even if you were the driver of the defective vehicle, you may not be at fault and may be entitled to compensation from the car or car part manufacturer.

Call (877) 727-8518 to schedule your FREE consultation or fill out a contact form

Types of Injuries You Might Suffer In a Car Accident

Car accidents vary in nature, from a rear end collision to a side impact, head-on collision, and more. Thus the injuries that can occur from car accidents tend to vary in nature. In a major car accident, injuries are far more likely to occur and can be quite severe. Even in minor car crashes, however, there can be serious injuries that require medical attention and can take time to recover from.

A few common physical injuries as a result of a car accident include:

• Broken bones
• Whiplash
• Scrapes and cuts, which could lead to infection
• Concussions or traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Internal bleeding or organ damage
• Spinal cord injuries

However, it’s not just physical injuries that could be a concern. The trauma of a car accident can also leave mental and emotional scars, particularly in the event of serious car accidents. These wounds also require recovery time and can severely impact your quality of life. If you suffer from any of these effects in the wake of your car accident, you may be entitled to pain and suffering compensation.

• Extreme stress
• Anxiety or depression
• PTSD
• Insomnia or night terrors
• Triggers that cause you to relive your trauma
• Emotional withdrawal
• Loss of relationships

What to Do In the Event of a Car Accident?

In the immediate aftermath of a car accident, it can be difficult to think clearly. However, much of your case depends on the actions you take immediately after the accident. Insurance companies will look into your behavior surrounding the accident — whether you sought medical attention, whether you followed up with your doctor — and may use these facts against you in your case. If you fail to report the accident to the police, you lose out on important official records you may need for your case. So, no matter how overwhelming the accident, there are a few things that it’s important to do immediately after your accident.

Talk to the other driver (and don’t admit fault)

The worst thing you can do is to attempt to drive off immediately after the accident. Talk to the other driver and exchange insurance information with them. In the moment, you might think that you’re at fault for the accident, but you should never admit fault in this conversation. Even a passing comment in conversation could come back to hurt your case later, and you may not have all the essential information at the scene. Simply exchange insurance information and let authorities sort out the rest.

Call the police while still on the scene

If the car crash ends in personal injury, death, or if there’s potentially property damage exceeding $1,000, calling the police isn’t a suggestion but a legal mandate. Even if you’re unsure your car accident meets that criteria, it’s a good idea to call the police anyway. The police will create a report, which will offer a legal record of the case. Without this police report, you may not have enough evidence to pursue a personal injury claim.

Take pictures

This is also key to your case down the road. The more evidence you’re able to present, the better. Take pictures of the cars, the accident scene — especially any skid marks or debris — license plates, and of course yourself in the case of a serious injury.

Seek out medical attention

Once you’ve exchanged insurance information with the other driver and talked to the police on the scene, go to the hospital. You may not think in the moment that your injuries are very severe, but some symptoms have a delayed onset and when you’re full of adrenaline after an accident, some internal injuries may be slow to manifest. If injuries become apparent later, insurance companies will question why you didn’t seek medical attention right away. For the sake of your health and your case, it’s best to go to the hospital right away.

Call (877) 727-8518 to schedule your FREE consultation or fill out a contact form

Types of Compensation You Could Receive After Car Accidents

Any personal injury can cause expenses to rack up quickly, and car accidents are no exception. You may find yourself dealing with hefty hospital bills, as well as struggling to make ends meet due to lost wages from time off work or losing your job. These bills can be a struggle to take on by yourself, and if your accident was because of the carelessness of another person, they may not be your responsibility. Here are the different types of compensation to which you might be entitled after a car accident:

• Medical Expenses. Any medical bills that you have to pay as a result of an accident, injury, or death of another person, can be compensated in the event that the accident was the fault of another party.
• Lost Wages. Had to take time off work to recover, or lost your job because of your accident? You can claim lost wages and have that amount compensated. If you will be unable to work for some time, or have lost a loved one in the accident, you can also be compensated for lost future earnings.
• Funeral Expenses. If you lost a loved one as a result of the accident, any funeral expenses can also be compensated.
• Pain and Suffering. Pain and suffering is awarded when the plaintiff has suffered extensive physical or emotional suffering, such as depression, anxiety, limitations on your usual activity, or scarring.
• Loss of Companionship. Losing a loved one is always hard, and the emotional strain of the loss of their companionship and support can be one of the hardest things to face. Fielding Law’s personal injury team can help you get the compensation you deserve for loss of companionship in the event that the worst happens.
• Punitive Damages. Punitive damages are often awarded in the event that the accident was caused by gross negligence or misconduct on the part of the other person. For instance, drunk driving cases and, in some instances, distracted driving cases can be cause for punitive damages.

Unfortunately, no one can turn back the clock and undo your car accident or take away the pain that you may experience as a result. However, with representation from Fielding Law, you can be compensated for some of the biggest stressors following the accident in order to help you move on with your life.

Why You Need Legal Representation

An injury due to a car accident can be a traumatic experience, and dealing with unscrupulous insurance company representatives only adds to the stress. Most laypersons lack the legal experience to properly fight for all the compensation they deserve and will likely unknowingly settle for far less than their case is worth. No matter what, it always helps to have an experienced attorney on your side, and that’s what Fielding Law can offer.

Our team will represent your interests fiercely, whatever they may be. We will work with the insurance companies to get you the best possible settlement. If negotiations fail to produce a reasonable settlement, we won’t hesitate to take your case to trial and fight for every dollar you deserve. Our top priority is your success, and we’ve helped hundreds of victims who have been involved in car accidents receive the compensation they deserve.

If you live in Utah, Texas, Arizona, or Idaho and you’ve recently been involved in a car accident, don’t wait to hire our Salt Lake City car accident lawyers or our Mesquite car accident lawyers that can help you receive compensation. Call us today at (801) 666-2912 or contact us online to set up a free evaluation. Hablamos Español: (877) 880-4090.

This is what our former clients are saying about us:

“After the auto accident, we could not have done better than to have Mitchell Fielding represent us. He is knowledgeable and does the research. He will talk to you any time and lets you know that he is there to help with anything. This man will go the extra mile and then some. I hope we never have another situation like this, but if we did, Mitch is our go to guy.” -Debra White