If you have been injured in a Meridian auto accident, there are several things you need to do as soon as possible for your future. The first is to have a medical evaluation to determine whether you were injured in the accident. All too often, those involved in an auto accident think they are “fine,” and don’t see a physician following the accident. Immediately following an accident of any type can cause your body to be flooded with adrenaline, which can, in turn, mask symptoms of injury.

Because of this, you may refuse to go to the hospital or to see your doctor, only to find out days or weeks later that you did suffer injury from the accident. Unfortunately, any delay in treatment can result in an insurance company later denying your claim, under the theory that you could have been injured later, or that you refused treatment, so could not have been badly injured.

Idaho Car Accident Statistics

In 2014, a person in the state of Idaho was injured in a car accident every 44.7 minutes, and a person was killed in a traffic accident every 47.1 hours. Overall, a traffic accident occurred every 23.8 minutes in the state, although come of those accidents were minor bump-ins, such as parking lot accidents. Aggressive driving was a contributor to these crashes, with an auto accident caused by an aggressive driver occurring every 6 days.

Impaired driving was also a factor—every 5.1 days in 2014, a person was killed in an auto accident due to a drunk or high driver. Drivers and passengers in the state were not as vigilant at wearing seat belts as they should have been; every 5.5 days, a person who was killed in an auto accident was not wearing a seat belt. Contributing factors to single-car accidents include:

• Drove left of center;
• Drove while fatigued or drowsy;
• Overcorrected;
• Drove while impaired;
• Drove while distracted;
• Animal in the roadway, and
• Other causes.

What Compensation Could You Be Entitled to Following a Meridian Car Accident?

If you were injured as a result of the negligence of another person, you are likely entitled, at the very least, to be reimbursed for your medical expenses. Medical expenses fall under compensatory damages, and, further, under special damages. Special damages are those which can be quantified—such as medical expenses. Special damages compensate the victim for out-of-pocket losses due to the defendant’s negligence, and also include lost wages and lost earning capacity, loss of irreplaceable items, and repair and replacement of damaged property.

General damages also result from the defendant’s wrongful action and can include mental anguish, loss of consortium or companionship, lowered quality of life, physical pain and suffering and physical impairment or physical disfigurement. General damages are much more subjective than special damages, and, therefore, much more difficult to calculate. It can be difficult to put a price on a person’s pain and suffering, because only that person knows just how bad the pain and suffering is, and to what extent it affects his or her life.

Both general and special damages (such as lost wages and lost future earnings) are usually calculated by using a specific formula.

Generally speaking, the insurance adjuster will add up the total medical expenses related to the injury, then the amount of special damages will be multiplied by about one-and-a-half to three times in the case of minor injuries, and up to five or more times when the injuries sustained are long-lasting, serious, or particularly painful or disfiguring. The insurance adjuster will then add income you have lost as a result of your injuries, and the resulting number will be where the settlement negotiations begin. However, these figures are not representative of every case.

Remember, this is only the starting point for the final settlement amount. Once the starting point is established, other facts about the accident and your specific injuries will come into play. The more painful your injuries, the higher the formula used, the more invasive your medical treatments, the higher the formula, and the longer the recovery period and the more visible and serious the effects of your injuries, the higher the formula.

This leaves only punitive damages, which are awarded in very few cases. Punitive damages are not tied to the harm you suffered, but are intended as a punishment for particularly careless or malicious behavior. Punitive damages are also meant to deter others from acting in the same manner. As an example, if the driver who caused your accident was driving under the influence, or was driving 80 mph in a 55 mph speed zone, then their behavior might be considered particularly egregious, leading to punitive damages.

Statutes of Limitations, and How They Affect Your Personal Injury Lawsuit

If you are planning on filing a personal injury lawsuit to recover damages for your injuries, it is extremely important that you know there are time limits which could preclude your claim altogether. These are known as statutes of limitations, and vary from state to state. In the state of Idaho, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim is two years. While this may sound like a significant length of time, in fact that time can go by very quickly, and you could be left injured, with no way to make the negligent person pay for those injuries. Having an experienced Meridian car accident attorney by your side can ensure you do not miss any crucial time deadlines such as the statutes of limitations.

Do’s and Don’ts After a Car Accident

If you are involved in an auto accident, there are several things you can do—and several things you should not do—which will make the aftermath of the car accident much easier for you, and will ensure you are able to collect damages from the at-fault driver. These are the things you should do:

• Call the police. Don’t let the other driver convince you to “take care of the accident between the two of you.” This is never a good idea. First, no matter how nice the other driver seems, he or she may not actually have the means to pay for the damages to your vehicle and for your injuries. In most cases, when the other driver wants to avoid the police, there is a reason. Perhaps he or she does not have auto insurance, has an arrest warrant, or has been drinking.
• Call your insurance agent. As soon as you have called the police and attended to your medical needs, make the next call be one to your insurance agent. Give the agent the basics of your accident, while avoiding placing blame. If you had the police come, you will soon have a police report which will most likely detail which driver was at fault.
• Review and understand your insurance coverage. If you have a good understanding of your insurance coverage, you will also have a better understanding of how your case will proceed.
• Take detailed notes. As soon as you get home, take the time to sit down and make detailed notes about the accident. Throughout the process, keep notes regarding your medical injuries and treatments, and if you talked to any witness at the scene of the accident, make sure you have his or her contact information in your notes as well.
• If you are medically able, take photographs at the scene of the accident. Most of us have a cell phone, so take the time to snap a few photos of the vehicles involved in the accident (including the license plate of the other vehicle and the damage to both vehicles), as well as the scene of the accident.

Now for the “Don’ts”…

• Don’t give a recorded or written statement to your insurer or to the other person’s insurer until you have discussed it with your attorney. You are not required to do so, and have the right to refuse.
• Don’t automatically accept the first settlement offer, especially before you know how extensive your medical expenses will be and how long you will be off work.
• Don’t sign a release or waiver of any kind until you have spoken to an attorney. If you are having financial difficulties, you may be tempted to accept an inadequate settlement, however such a settlement can leave you without enough money to cover your medical expenses, damages to your car and time away from work.
• Don’t accept a check from the insurance company marked “final payment,” unless you are absolutely sure you want it to be the final payment.
• Don’t ignore any time limits associated with your insurance policy. The best way to ensure you meet all time limits is to have a knowledgeable Meridian car accident attorney taking care of those time limits.

Contact Meridian’s Car Accident Lawyer

If you have suffered injuries from a car accident, and that car accident was the result of the negligence of another driver, it is particularly important that you contact a Meridian car accident attorney as soon as possible. Your attorney will make sure your rights are protected, and that you receive the settlement you are entitled to.