Accident Victims Partially At Fault For Harm
Often, individuals who have suffered injuries due to accidents fail to explore their legal options. Many are under the assumption that investing their time and energy into working with a lawyer is a waste of time because they couldn’t possibly be owed significant compensation for their injuries. Other times, accident victims make the assumption that because they believe that they were partially responsible for what happened to them, they are owed little to no money.
In reality, it is important to avoid making assumptions about the potential strength of one’s case until a personal injury lawyer has thoroughly evaluated it. If you have recently been injured as a result of an accident, it may be worth your time and energy to explore your legal options because you may be owed far more compensation than you would initially assume. Additionally, it is important to understand that most accident victims who are partially responsible for their own harm remain empowered to seek compensation from others whose actions or inactions have directly contributed to the cause of their harm.
Different States, Different Approaches
As an experienced car accident lawyer – including those who practice at The Law Offices of Barry P. Goldberg – can confirm, the options that accident victims have available to them vary based upon where their accident took place. In a very small handful of states, it is virtually impossible for accident victims to recover compensation from others if they were partially responsible for their own harm. But, in many states, it is possible for accident victims to pursue compensation from other responsible parties as long as the victims themselves we’re not more than 50% responsible for their harm. Finally, in some states, accident victims can pursue compensation from other liable parties even if the victims themselves were 99% responsible for what happened to them.
It is partially for this reason that it is important to speak with a local attorney before making any assumptions about your own accident case. Depending upon where you live and where you suffered harm, you may be entitled to considerable compensation. Additionally, you may be falsely under the impression that you were responsible for more of the accident than you actually were. Oftentimes, there are invisible forces at work that contribute to the causes of accidents, and these forces cannot be identified until a lawyer has initiated a thorough investigation into the circumstances of any given accident itself.
Compensation Awards
The kinds of compensation available to accident victims are dependent upon the circumstances of the accident in question and how a victim’s injuries have affected their life. Depending upon the circumstances of your accident, you may be entitled to compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost wages, reduced quality of life, accommodations for permanent disability, and pain and suffering. Once an attorney has calculated the potential value of your case and how any fault on your part may impact that value, you can make informed choices about your next steps.