Paducah Car Accident Lawyers
Attorneys in Paducah Committed to Aiding the Injured
Your first goal after a car accident is to recover from your injuries so you can move on with your life. However, moving on with your life has a financial component too.
Medical bills are often so high that some may contemplate filing bankruptcy to overcome them, and wages lost from missed work only make matters more difficult. Keep this in mind: If you were not at fault, you should not have to pay.
Negligent drivers should be held accountable for the car accidents they cause, and they should be forced to fully compensate you for medical costs and lost wages that exceed your own insurance coverage, pain and suffering, future medical expenses, and any other loss of income you may encounter in the future.
Our Paducah car accident attorneys have advocated for the injured since 1998 and can come to your aid when you call Katz Law.
Car accident claims have statutes of limitations, which means they have a deadline to be filed. If you recently got into an accident, it’s important that you contact a car accident attorney as soon as possible, to ensure that all of your paperwork is completed correctly and promptly, so that you can receive the compensation amount that you rightfully deserve.
Contact us online or by phone at (270) 778-5110 to get started on your injury case today.
Kentucky Auto Laws
Is Kentucky a No-Fault State?
According to the Kentucky Transportation Center, there were 34,774 reported injuries from car accidents in 2018. While crash reports show a decrease in accidents over the years, injuries and fatalities are still higher in Kentucky than the national average.
Unfortunately, a majority of these injuries and fatalities are caused by human error and can be prevented if individuals practice safe driving habits and avoid being distracted or intoxicated.
Kentucky is considered a “no fault” state in car accident cases. This does not mean that the driver who hit you is not at fault, but refers to the type of auto insurance system established by a state’s laws.
What Does “No-Fault State” Really Mean?
In Kentucky, the no-fault portion of your auto insurance is called Personal Injury Protection (PIP). It provides coverage for your own medical expenses and lost wages, up to a specified limit, depending upon how much coverage you purchased.
Drivers are also required by law to have bodily injury liability insurance to cover the costs of injuries or damages from a car accident.
Under this system in Kentucky, you can’t sue another driver unless you have more than $1,000 in medical expenses. Insurance is meant to cover damages like medical bills, property damage, pain and suffering, and lost wages. Medical bills can easily mount if your injuries require hospital stays, surgeries, medications, physical therapy, and more.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Kentucky?
After a car accident, it is important to take the right steps in order to protect yourself and your rights. Following these steps can help ensure that you receive the compensation you may be entitled to after suffering injuries in a crash caused by another driver’s negligence:
- Seek medical attention for any injuries immediately following the accident;
- Exchange contact information with all parties involved, including insurance information;
- Collect evidence from the scene of the crash (photos/video);
- Do not admit any fault or responsibility for the accident at any time;
- Contact an experienced car accident lawyer who can help review your case and advise on how best to proceed;
- Document expenses related to medical treatments, lost wages, pain and suffering, etc.;
- File an official claim for damages as soon as possible before statutes of limitations expire;
- Cooperate fully with law enforcement investigations and provide all relevant documents when requested;
- Keep up with any follow-up doctor appointments or recommended treatment plans prescribed by healthcare providers post-accident.
What Will a Kentucky Car Accident Lawyer Need From Me?
After suffering an injury in a car accident, it is important to contact an experienced Louisville car accident lawyer as soon as possible. A qualified attorney will be able to review your case and advise on how best to proceed with pursuing compensation for damages suffered from the crash. However, starting the process as soon as possible will help strengthen your case. To further build your case, your car accident attorney in Louisville may also need your help and cooperation.
Your lawyer will need certain information from you about the incident. This includes details such as witness statements, medical records related to any injuries sustained, photos or videos of the scene of the accident, and all relevant documents relating to insurance coverage.
Additionally, your lawyer may also request that you provide evidence of all expenses incurred due to treatments or lost wages resulting from the accident. Keep up with any follow-up doctor appointments or recommended treatment plans prescribed by healthcare providers post-accident. This will help prove that you suffered the damages you claim to have suffered, and will further bolster your case.
By providing these pieces of information in a timely manner to your lawyer, they can better represent your interests so that you receive just compensation for losses associated with the crash caused by another party’s negligence.
Can I File A Car Accident Claim After Insurance Pays?
Since most insurance settlements state in the agreement that the amount in compensation paid to you will be the only amount in compensation the insurance company will pay out, once you agree to a settlement it’s usually difficult to recover any more compensation.
If you have already signed an agreement, it’s important to call out firm today to learn about your options.
Common Car Accident Causes
Car crashes happen in the blink of an eye. You may not immediately know what happened. Later, you may learn from a police report or a witness statement that the negligent driver was seen texting before hitting you or had been drinking beer at a bar before getting into a car.
Ultimately, it is our role as your attorneys to determine exactly what took place and to prove it in order to build a strong case designed to get you full compensation.
We frequently handle cases involving:
- Texting and driving accidents
- Distracted driving accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Speeding accidents
- Reckless driving accidents
- Accidents due to inattention
As if the stress of recovering from injuries suffered in a car collision was not enough, victims have to suffer the added stress of trying to deal with the car insurance company.
How Can A Car Accident Attorney In Paducah Help You?
Having a car accident attorney to help and support you during this time is critical. An attorney will fight to protect your rights and help to ensure that you receive the maximum compensation that you rightfully deserve. However, when you are looking to hire a lawyer, it’s important to also take character into consideration.
Will your attorney truly care about you and your individual case? Or will they treat your case like any other? At Katz Law, although we have helped many individuals receive the maximum compensation that they deserve after a car accident, we understand that each car accident is unique, and make sure to treat each case as such. We take the time to really get to know our clients, in order to provide their case the individual attention that it needs.
A car accident attorney will help you in the following ways:
- Provide you with important legal guidance
- Prevent you from making costly mistakes
- Save you time and money
- Maximize compensation
- Ensure that your paperwork is completed correctly
- Gather important evidence to support your claim
- Negotiate with insurance companies
- Represent you in court
- Serving as an emotional support system
Our car accident lawyers in Paducah will fight tirelessly to protect your rights and your future. Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation with one of our attorneys, or to learn more about what we can do to help you after a car accident.
Suggested Reading:
- The Importance Of Medical Care After A Car Wreck
- Don’t Underestimate the Emotional Impact of a Car Accident
- Invisible Car Accident Injuries You Should Know About
Call (270) 778-5110 to contact an experienced Paducah car accident attorney. We can fight to secure the compensation you need to heal from your injuries and offers free consultations.