According to recent statistics, there are around 15,000 personal and property injury accidents each year in San Diego County. On average, that means that there are about 41 car accidents each day in and around San Diego. Even if you are a safe driver, you follow all the rules of the road, and try to be aware of other drivers – accidents happen. Unfortunately, we can’t control the behavior of other drivers. If you have had the misfortune to be the victim of someone else’s negligence (the legal term for fault), then you may be wondering what your car accident case is worth. The value of a car accident case in San Diego County can vary greatly and is dependant on a number of factors, according to San Diego County car accident attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates.
The first issue that must be taken into account is who was negligent. You may feel that the other driver was 100% to blame for the accident – and you may be correct. If, however, it turns out that you had any fault at all in the accident, then your ultimate dollar amount will be reduced by the percentage for which you were at fault. In other words, if the other driver was 90% at fault, but you contributed 10% to the accident, then the value of your case will be reduced by 10%. San Diego accident attorney Emery Ledger says that negligence, or fault, is a very complicated concept and one of the areas that he spends the most time negotiating and litigating on behalf of his clients.
Assuming that negligence has been determined and the other driver at fault – or at least had the bigger share of the blame – then it is time to determine damages. Damages can be economic or non-economic. The list for what qualifies as damages is quite long, but examples of both types are: medical bills; lost wages; pain; emotional distress; and property damages. Many of your damages will have documented monetary amounts attached to them. For instance, a bill for therapy from a doctor will have an actual dollar amount attached to it. You are certainly entitled to be reimbursed for actual expenses associated with the car accident. Where the value of your claim becomes tricky again is in the value of other consequences of the accident that don’t have exact dollar amounts, comments San Diego car accident attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates. How much is you pain worth? What about the emotional distress that the accident caused you? These amounts are much more subjective and do not have a “bill” attached to them. While there is typically some correlation between the type and extent of injuries that you suffered and the amount of pain and emotional distress you were in, that is not always a clear way to determine non-economic damages. The exact same injury can affect two people very differently. It will be your car accident attorney’s job to fight on your behalf to make sure that you receive the compensation that you deserve for the injuries that you suffered.
If you have been involved in a San Diego car accident and would like to talk to an experienced San Diego County car accident attorney, please contact Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or visit him online at www.ledgerlaw.com
