Many questions arise following a serious car accident. One of the most important questions pertains to how a victim will be able to cover the costs of future medical treatment and the impact on their job prospects after suffering a permanent or life-altering injury. Determining the medical costs or how wages will be affected in the future is more complicated than showing the damages that a victim has already incurred, since past medical bills and time missed from work are easily documented. The Jacksonville car accident attorneys at The Lawrence Law Group can help you make sure that you get the financial assistance necessary to move on with your life following a motor vehicle collision. We have extensive experience with all types of car accident cases, and we work tirelessly to investigate and illustrate all of the damages that a victim has endured. If you need legal guidance following a car accident, contact our office today to discuss your legal rights and options.
How are the Medical Bills and Wage Loss I Will Incur in the Future Determined After a Car Accident?Florida car accident victims are entitled to obtain certain damages if a negligent driver has caused their injuries. Depending on the extent of a victim’s injuries, a negligence case based on a car accident can be worth a variety of differing amounts. However, most claims include the amount paid for past medical costs, the amount that may be owed for future medical costs, as well as loss of wages, both from time missed from work already and from any anticipated time off or future earnings loss. It is relatively simple to show what has already occurred in terms of past medical costs, using records of hospital bills, doctor’s visits, and any physical therapy or rehabilitation costs that have been sustained.
Determining what medical bills will cost in the future is more complex. Only medical expenses that are ‘reasonably certain to be incurred’ can be recovered in a personal injury action. Under this standard, evidence must be presented that allows a jury to determine, with reasonable certainty, an amount of future costs. Courts will consider various factors in assessing how much future medical bills will be, mostly relying on expert testimony from doctors, rehabilitative specialists, and others familiar with the victim’s injuries and the likely progression of their condition. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you prove your estimated medical costs, by making sure that critical records and testimony are presented.
Proving future wage loss is a similar process. Expert witnesses are necessary to provide qualified professional opinions about how a victim’s physical limitations may affect their ability to work. Experts can also assess how long the recovery will take and how many days, weeks, or months of work will need to be missed. When a victim has sustained a permanent injury, a reasonable evaluation regarding their future capacity for work will need to be conducted. Often times, a detailed life care plan is also needed. Courts will take into account a victim’s general health, age, occupation, and salary before as well as after being injured. Making sure that a personal injury claim is filed in a timely manner is also important to ensure that the necessary evidence is gathered and retained.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney in Jacksonville to Discuss Your OptionsFiguring out which steps to take after a car accident can be overwhelming, and victims often worry about the impact that their injuries will have on their future. Contacting an experienced personal injury attorney at The Lawrence Law Group, who can answer your questions and explain your legal options, is an important step in protecting your rights. Our Jacksonville lawyers represent injured people throughout Duval, Clay, Baker, Brevard, Union, Columbia, Nassau, Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee, Hamilton, Jefferson, Volusia, and Alachua Counties. If you need legal assistance after being injured in a car accident, you can contact us online or at (904) 632-0077 to find out more about how we can help.