Manassas Car Accident Lawyer

Manassas, VA Car Accident Attorney

It’s important that those who have suffered injuries in a car accident contact a Manassas car accident lawyer, like the one at Whitlock Law, LLC, soon after an accident. These incidents have significant costs to them, whether physical, in the form of injuries, financial, as the bills begin to mount, or psychological, as you deal with processing the impact of the accident and injuries.

Our Manassas personal injury lawyers can help you seek the compensation that you’re owed for these injuries. It can be difficult to face an insurance company’s team of lawyers as you try to get the restitution that you deserve.

Our firm, though, has years of experience pursuing our clients’ interests across from these lawyers, whether through settlements or litigation. We may be able to help you get the restitution that you seek as well.

What Does a Manassas Car Accident Lawyer Do?

When a Manassas car accident lawyer represents you, we are responsible for taking every option available to us to get the compensation that you deserve. This could be through negotiating a settlement or arguing your case in the courtroom if a fair agreement can’t be found. Before that, though, we must conduct a thorough investigation of the accident.

Investigate

When we investigate your accident and the circumstances surrounding it, we try to understand who should properly be considered liable for the situation. We are also gathering evidence that could be helpful when proving that liability in court, should that be necessary.

In addition to that evidence, we also search for evidence that may be helpful in arguing against any claims that you were also at fault for the car accident, as those could pose a risk to your opportunity to collect restitution.

Negotiate

Often, before going to court, there will be an opportunity to negotiate a settlement that both sides may find agreeable. As we represent you through this process, those on the other side can recognize the seriousness of the situation and the implicit possibility of taking the claim to court. This could encourage more serious, accelerated negotiations, getting you a fair settlement sooner.

Litigate

However, if a settlement can’t be reached, then we are prepared to take the claim to court and seek proper compensation through a personal injury claim in Manassas.

At our firm, we are prepared to pursue litigation if that’s what’s necessary, and we have experience putting forth a strong argument for our clients before the court. Our objective is to see that our clients get proper restitution by whatever path is necessary to obtain it.

What Compensation Is Available in a Manassas Car Accident Claim?

For someone to be liable for a cost, and for you to receive compensation for it, it must be shown that the cost is a direct result of the injuries that you received. In most cases, this must be demonstrated through bills, receipts, and any other documentation.

It’s critical that you keep a good record of the costs that you face, as that can help ensure that you receive proper compensation.

That compensation will be paid through two forms of damages:

• Economic Damages: When a cost that you face from the accident has a clear financial component, it’s going to be addressed through economic damages. This includes property damages, medical bills, and lost wages. In the case of more serious injuries, the future medical bills and lost earning capacity that are a result of these injuries will also be addressed.
• Non-Economic Damages: There are other negative impacts of the accident, and some injuries tend to be more psychological or emotional in nature, such as pain and suffering or mental anguish. Although these lack a direct financial component, they are still given a value and compensated through non-economic damages. The funds serve as recognition of the injustice of the situation and may be able to indirectly help you manage these issues.

What Is Contributory Negligence?

Contributory negligence is a set of rules that are involved with any personal injury claim, including a motor vehicle accident claim in Manassas, VA. These rules allow the defendant in a claim the opportunity to argue that the plaintiff was responsible, at least in part, for the accident and injuries that they suffered.

They must show that, without some act of negligence on the part of the defendant, the accident and injuries could have been avoided.

In most states, if this is proven, the plaintiff will have their damages award reduced proportionately to their share of fault.

In Virginia, as one of only a few states operating under contributory negligence instead of comparative negligence, this can result in not receiving any damages. Even if the plaintiff is determined to have been only slightly responsible, they could be barred from collecting any damages at all.

One of the most important tasks we do for our clients is preparing to defend against these kinds of accusations. Having experience with the litigation process, we understand how these arguments may be made and how to defend against them. It is important, though, to consider this element when looking at the possibility of taking a claim to court.

Should I Settle My Claim Instead of Going to Court?

Whether you should settle a claim or go to court is going to be a very personal decision. There are a variety of factors to consider, including your own desires and tolerance for risk. It will also be highly specific to the kind of offer that you are able to receive.

There are a few general principles, though, to remember regarding the benefits of a settlement. While a settlement could mean taking less money than you could get after a court case, there are some advantages to settling.

Time

One advantage of settling a claim is the element of time. How important this factor is to you will depend on how urgently you need the funds, but it is possible that you will receive them much sooner when you settle.

Most settlement agreements will stipulate that the funds be paid out within 30 days of signing the final agreement. That means the primary limiting factor is how quickly you can reach an agreement. A court case, though, may mean not receiving your funds for months or even years, depending on the complexity of the case and how crowded the court system is.

Risk

In addition to time, settling a case also has the significant advantage of eliminating the element of risk involved. When you take a claim to court, there’s the possibility that you may end up with a ruling that either drastically reduces the damages you’re awarded or, especially given the possibility of contributory negligence, prevents you from receiving any damages at all.

However, when you settle a claim, you are guaranteed to receive whatever funds were agreed to.

Who Could Be Liable in a Manassas Car Accident?

It is true that, in most cases, another driver of a vehicle is liable for a car accident. However, that’s not always the case. There are times when other parties might also, or entirely, be liable for the accident.

For someone to have been liable, they must have committed a negligent action that directly caused the accident and injuries that you suffered. Some of the parties that could potentially be liable include:

• A Driver Who Was in the Collision: Often, a driver involved in the collision has committed an act of negligence, such as driving distracted or violating some other traffic law, and that act has led directly to the accident and injuries.
• A Driver Who Was Not in the Collision: Some accidents are actually caused by a driver who was not directly involved in the collision. Their erratic driving may trigger an accident when someone is forced to take an evasive maneuver to avoid their reckless driving. This can lead to that first, erratic driver being found at fault.
• The Driver’s Employer: When a commercial driver is involved in an accident, there is a possibility that their employer could be held at least partially responsible. This is especially true if the driver can be seen as having been encouraged to behave recklessly due to a specific policy, like unreasonable delivery expectations.
• The Government: If an issue with poor maintenance of roads, signs, or traffic lights causes an accident, then the government in charge of these may be the properly liable party.

Let Us Help You Seek Compensation After a Car Accident in Manassas

We understand how daunting these challenges can appear after a car accident. The injuries are difficult to deal with, and the costs can seem steep. There is, though, the opportunity to seek restitution, and a Manassas car accident lawyer may be able to help.

At Whitlock Law, LLC, we have focused our practice primarily on all forms of motor vehicle accidents. The experience we’ve gained over the years gives our clients a tremendous advantage, whether in the negotiation process or in the courtroom.

We do whatever we can to give our clients the strongest opportunity at proper compensation for their injuries. If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, contact us to discuss your injuries and options.