Kansas Car Accident Injury Client Story
Names and details of this story have been changed to protect the privacy of our client. This story is intended to teach you about car accident injury cases. It’s also meant to answer commonly asked questions. It’s important to read it to the end. There is a lot of helpful information here for you. When you’re finished, please give yourself the benefit of our free legal consultation to get the specific information you need about your case. A few years ago, three weeks after their youngest child’s birthday, a couple in Newton, Julie and Dave Bowen, decided it was time to resume their weekly date night. Now four and seven, their children were old enough to be left with the responsible teenager up the street for the evening. To Julie and Dave’s surprise, when the sitter Annie arrived, there were no tears. In fact, Annie’s energy and happiness were a big hit and there were giggles all around. Julie and Dave had a great time at the movies, laughing about how much more popcorn there seemed to be without the kids pilfering their buckets. They left the theater hand-in-hand, relaxed and debating whether to follow up the popcorn with some ice cream. In the end, they decided not to push their luck, and happily headed home. They spent the drive back to the house chatting about what they’d do on their next date. As the couple entered the intersection to make the left turn onto their street, an oncoming car going way too fast ran the light and slammed into the passenger side of the car, and Julie. Airbags deployed in the same instant the ear-splitting clash of metal tore through the couple’s awareness and both Dave and Julie were knocked unconscious. A moment later it was completely silent, except for the ticking of the engine. In the eerie quiet, Dave awoke and tried to comprehend what had happened. He wiggled his fingers, moved a foot. He seemed to be okay… Then, with a sickening rush everything came back — Julie! He reached over and gently touched her cheek. She was alive, but unconscious, and he could feel her faint breaths on his hand. Dave began to call Julie’s name, hoping she could somehow be okay. He knew he shouldn’t try to pull her out. Then, remembering the scenes from the movie when cars exploded after colliding, Dave began to panic. Could he get her out? Should he try? Just then, his door was opened by a first responder who’d arrived at the scene. He and another EMT helped Dave safely out of the car while three other first responders worked to open Julie’s door with the jaws of life. Both Dave and Julie were taken to the hospital by ambulance. Even though Dave didn’t feel injured at the scene, he too got checked out in the emergency room. He was found to be all right, aside from some minor bruising. He immediately sought out information about his wife. Julie was in surgery. The accident had crumpled Julie’s door so badly, she was left in a coma for four days. She also suffered a concussion, a broken arm, a broken rib that had punctured her right lung, and a fractured hip. She would spend the next three weeks in the hospital. Every time she woke in her hospital bed, she found Dave by her side. As she grew stronger, they talked it over and decided to find a lawyer to help them with a car accident claim. We received a call from David after he found our website. Because Julie was still in a hospital bed, we came to them for a free consultation. The instant we met them, it was clear Julie and Dave were wonderful people. We shared a laugh when it quickly became clear that each of them was clearly more concerned for the other, in addition to the children. They were filled with questions. Read on to find answers to Julie and Dave’s questions that you most likely want to know for your own claim. How much does a car accident attorney cost?
When one of our Kansas car accident attorneys arrived at her hospital room, Julie had been there for 16 days, and awake for only twelve of them. Her arm and hip would take months to heal. Her concussion left her with headaches and periods of fogginess that may, or may not, go away. Even though Julie had two young children in her care, their schooling and activities enabled her to work part-time for good pay. Dave was still in the process of launching what they were sure would be a lucrative lawn care business, but it wasn’t off the ground yet. As a result, Julie’s small but mighty part-time job played a big role in family finances. A job she would be unable to do for the foreseeable future. Money would be tight for a long time. Even after Julie’s broken bones healed, she would need to undergo physical therapy to regain strength after so much time off her feet. One of the first questions out of Julie’s mouth was, “How much will it cost to hire you?” Our Kansas car accident attorney’s answer to them both was, “Our law firm doesn’t charge upfront.” The attorney explained that we would fund the entire case and cover all the expenses. Working on a contingency basis like this, our firm only gets paid after the successful resolution of Julie’s case. The explanation was followed by an audible exhale of relief from both Julie and Dave. “We were worried we couldn’t afford to hire you,” Dave said, as Julie nodded. How much is my case worth?
While the couple was comforted by our contingency fee format, Julie remained concerned about the financial outlook for the family. She next asked, “How much could my case be worth?” We then let them both know that it is truly almost impossible to predict the value of a case early on. Our firm would need to conduct a thorough investigation first, and make a solid assessment of the couple’s damages. To do this, we would begin an immediate investigation of the accident. This would involve as much evidence as was available from the scene, as well as witness statements and anything else involved in getting the case ready. Julie and Dave’s assignment was to focus on Julie’s recovery and treatment. The very best thing Julie could do to strengthen her case and her body was to follow the doctor’s orders. Julie would need to reach maximum medical improvement. Maximum medical improvement is the point where the doctors can either pronounce you back to normal or tell you your current state is as good as it gets. This is also the place the doctor can confirm there will be no more surgeries, and future medical care can be predicted. “Once we know this information, we will be able to sum up your current and future economic and non-economic damages,” our lawyer explained. Dave and Julie looked at each other somberly and nodded their agreement. How long will my car accident claim take?
At this point, Dave spoke up and asked, “How long does a car accident claim take in Kansas?” This too, is tough to determine in the early phase of a case. There are two determining factors when addressing the question of a case’s timeline. The first is how long it will take to get a clear picture of damages. The second is how reasonable — or not — the insurance company turns out to be. We again emphasized the importance of Julie and Dave putting the focus on her recovery. Only when she reached maximum medical improvement would we truly understand her damages. We told the two of them, “Upon having an understanding of damages, we will send a demand letter to the insurance company. “If the company responds reasonably and with fairness, we can settle the case quickly.” We then let Dave and Julie know that while we were hoping this to be the case, sometimes insurance companies are neither fair nor reasonable. In such an event, we would take her case to trial. We assured the couple not to worry, because either way, we were ready, and they would be, too. “We bring cases to trial regularly,” our lawyer said, adding, “The insurance companies know this, and it’s the last thing they want.” We also assured Julie and Dave that when a case is put in suit, it often spurs the insurance company to come to the table with a more-than-fair frame of mind. Our lawyer then said, “This is the biggest reason to hire a lawyer who has trial experience. That lawyer will prepare every case, from the beginning, as if it’s going to court.” “Your best compensation will be recovered by an experienced car accident trial attorney.” Dave and Julie echoed our point of view and retained our law firm. We are pleased to report that Julie’s case was awarded more than seven times what was initially offered by the insurance company. Call Our Kansas Car Accident Attorneys Today
Hopefully, this information has helped you gain a clearer idea of your car accident injury claim. You can probably tell how much the specific variables of a case can affect its compensation and timeline. Call our office as soon as you can to get information about your case during a free legal consultation. You don’t have to figure this out or take it on all alone. Call us for free advice on your injury claim today.