While recovering from your physical injuries and even emotional distress after being involved in a car accident, one of the most daunting impacts for victims of vehicle collisions is the financial aftermath. Some of your financial considerations in a crash will include diminished value as your vehicle will likely be worth quite a bit less at the time of the accident compared to its original purchase price.
What's more, if you are purchased your vehicle with the help of vehicle finance or a personal loan, you will also have to consider the loan's interest. Recovering your damages from your insurance can be daunting, so to help you best list your costs, we have listed all the things you can legally claim after being involved in a car accident.
Diminished Value
Car insurance is undoubtedly essential, although policyholders almost always find themselves frustrated when in a position to claim from an insurer. Your insurer will likely attempt to settle for a low initial offer in most cases. However, it is vital to understand your policy and how to claim correctly to get the most out of your policy when you need it. A diminished value claim is a separate claim from your car accident claim. It is best to rely on legal representation when claiming from your insurer to solidify your case.
Property Damages
Property damages could be included in your car accident claim if you had any personal belongings in your vehicle that were damaged due to the accident. Property damages can also include property that was damaged as a result of the collision. This type of claim is handled separately from bodily harm claims.
Lost Wages
Suppose the impacts of the accident left you unable to earn an income for some time. In this case, you will be able to claim lost wages as damages that resulted from the car accident. However, you will need to provide valid evidence that you have lost income due to the accident, including a letter from your employer. Lost wages are usually quite straightforward to prove in a car accident claim, granted you have evidence from your employer as well as bank statements to solidify your missing income claim.
Medical Bills
One of the most common claims from victims of car accidents is medical expenses. However, if you have medical insurance that is covering your bills for you, you might not be able to recover medical costs. On the other hand, all you will need to prove this expense is the physical receipts from healthcare practitioners and any treatment recommendations for ongoing bills, and your diagnosis reports.
Emotional Distress
Claiming for emotional distress damages in a car accident claim is significantly more challenging than most other types of relevant damages. However, this is because it can be challenging to prove that emotional turmoil impacts the accident. Although you can claim for pain and suffering with the right medical professionals behind you and the correct legal representation caused the accident. Obtaining diagnoses such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and others will be necessary to prove your experience was genuinely damaging to your mental health.