Car Accident Lawyer Serving Hattiesburg, MS
We hope you never have to deal with the pain and stress of a Hattiesburg car accident, but if you do, the Harris Law Firm is here to help you receive the compensation you deserve.
Car accidents can range from mild fender-benders that result in minimal property damage to life-changing injuries or fatal accidents.
Though we can’t go back in time and stop the accident from occurring, an experienced Hattiesburg car accident lawyer can help you achieve the best possible legal remedies for your situation.
Common Car Accident Injuries
There are a wide range of injuries that could occur when you are in a car accident. The speed of the vehicles involved, the angle of impact, and your position in the vehicle can all have a big effect on the type of injuries sustained. Some common, but severe injuries may include:
- Broken bones,
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI),
- Internal injuries to organs,
- Loss of limbs,
- Permanent disfigurement,
- Spinal cord injuries,
- Neck injuries including whiplash,
- Full or partial paralysis,
- Soft tissue injuries,
- Back injuries, and
- Death.
If you sustain or suspect any sort of injury from a car accident, you should be seen by a medical professional. Injuries that may seem minor at the time could persist or become problems in the future.
What to Do When You Are in a Car Accident in Hattiesburg, MS
If you are in a car accident, there are things you can do immediately and shortly after the occurrence to keep yourself safe and have a stronger case for compensation.
- Evaluate your surroundings and move to safety;
- Call the police and have an accident report made;
- Gather contact and insurance information from other parties involved;
- Stick to facts and never admit fault whether talking to another party, insurance, or police;
- Document the accident scene with photos;
- Get medical treatment for any potential injuries;
- Do not accept any insurance settlement offers; and
- Contact a Hattiesburg car accident attorney.
Your best chance at receiving the compensation you deserve is to speak with a Hattiesburg car accident lawyer who is familiar with the complex issues that can arise in personal injury cases.
Hattiesburg Auto Insurance Laws and Liability
Mississippi is a fault-based state that maintains a pure comparative negligence compensation system. Comparative negligence means that a degree of fault is assigned to each party depending on the circumstances of the accident.
Either party can bring a personal injury claim against the other, so long as they were not 100% at fault. The amount of compensation they can be awarded is essentially reduced by their percentage of fault.
Liability auto insurance is required for all drivers in the state. The minimum amount is $25,000 for personal injury and $50,000 if more than one person is injured.
In many cases, these amounts can cover damages, but in others they do not. You are not bound to settlements in these amounts.
Compensation for a Car Accident
The amount of compensation you receive as the victim of a car accident depends largely on the extent of your injuries. There are two types of compensation available.
Economic damages are meant to cover all the actual expenses that you have incurred because of the car accident. These may include:
- medical bills,
- property damage,
- lost wages,
- medications,
- treatments,
- therapy, and more.
Non-economic damages are the compensation you receive for things that do not have an actual price tag but do impact your life. These can be things like:
- pain and suffering,
- loss of enjoyment of life,
- permanent disfigurement, and
- wrongful death.
How Can a Hattiesburg Car Accident Lawyer Help?
Though it may seem clear as to who was at fault in the accident, insurance representatives will always try to reduce the fault of their customer. This can leave you with a lower settlement than you deserve.
Accepting a lower settlement can leave you in debt and nursing long-term or life-long injuries without compensation. The negotiation process is rarely simple.
You have only 10 days after a car accident to file a written accident report. This record may be crucial to achieving compensation. Individual insurance companies may also have their own filing deadlines.
The statute of limitations to initiate a personal injury lawsuit is three years from the time of the car accident.
Contact a Hattiesburg Car Accident Lawyer at Harris Law Firm
The experienced team at Harris Law Firm understands how difficult it can be to recover from a car accident and how much stress the legal system can cause.
We provide individual attention to each of our clients to make sure that we are knowledgeable about all aspects of your potential case. Not only are we unafraid to confront insurance companies, we are also able to conduct our own investigation of your accident and evaluation of the relief you deserve. Contact a car accident attorney in Hattiesburg, MS today for your free consultation.