Louisville Car Accident Law Office

Helping Victims After A Louisville Car Accident

If you have been involved in a car accident, contact Satterley & Kelley PLLC to speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer. Dangerous driving can lead to catastrophic injuries that may not be your fault. You should not have to suffer from driver negligence. Our lawyers have the skills to help you get the compensation you deserve after a car or truck accident. We can help you figure out what to do after an accident. We have recovered millions in verdicts and settlements across Kentucky. and handle many types of auto accidents:

• Drunk Driving Accidents 
• Distracted Driving Accidents
• Truck Accidents
• Pedestrian Accidents
• Motorcycle Crashes
• Uninsured/ Underinsured Motorist Accident

If you have any questions about your legal options after an accident, call Satterley & Kelley PLLC or check out our resources for more information.

Future Costs After A Car Accident

When looking at the costs you want to recover in the wake of an accident, it’s easy to look at the immediate costs. Your car is totaled. You had to be driven to the hospital. You stayed there for three days and now you’re taking daily medications. You missed a week of work.

These costs are important, but don’t forget to consider future costs as well. They may bring even more compensation than the bills you’ve already had to pay.

A few examples include:

• Lost earning capacity. Perhaps you were making $100,000 per year in a skilled trade. Your injuries don’t mean you can’t work at all, but that career is over. You new job pays $30,000 per year. You’re losing $70,000 every year.
• Lost future wages. If you can’t work at all, or must see reduced hours, those costs add up.
• Loss of enjoyment. This is a bit harder to calculate, but you may deserve compensation for the lasting negative impacts on your life and happiness. For instance, perhaps you used to love running and hiking, but your injuries mean you’ll have to give both up.
• Disfigurement. You’re going to live with the physical reminder of your injuries for the rest of your life. This can cause you mental anguish.
• Household assistance and related services. You can’t properly care for yourself after the crash, and perhaps indefinitely. If you have to pay someone to help, you may be compensated.

These are just a handful of examples, but they help show how important it is to consider all costs and the way your life will be changed moving forward.

Common Contributing Factors Are At Play In Car Accidents

Car accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. Then the costs start rushing in almost as quickly. Knowing what leads to wrecks can help you avoid them, and also let you steer clear of the life-changing charges.

Over 30,000 people are injured in car crashes throughout Kentucky every year. Around 2,700 of those cases likely involve major injuries that could cost victims over $1.1 million for a full recovery. Keeping the bills at bay starts with knowing where the risks come from, so drivers need to know where and when accidents are likely to happen.

Defining Dangers

Car accidents can involve a range of scenarios by definition. Collisions with roadblocks, foot traffic or animal crossings can all contribute. But 67% of all accidents happen between two or more moving vehicles, with the most dangerous consequences resulting from collisions that take place at an angle or head-on.

A Time and a Place

While these types of accidents can happen anywhere, busy city streets hold the top spot for injuries. 61% of all collisions happen in urban areas, while just 39% occur out in the country. Lighting can also play a large role. Accidents were far more likely at times of low visibility, into the evening and late at night.

But location and time of day are only the beginning. Situations can have as much of an impact on collisions. Over 56,000 accidents happened because of distracted or inattentive drivers. And while that is by far the biggest cause, there are plenty of other circumstances that lead to accidents every year:

• Almost 15,000 drivers got into accidents when they didn’t yield properly
• More than 8,700 drivers were in a wreck because they followed too closely
• Over 5,000 accidents occurred when drivers were traveling too fast for the conditions

Understanding how accidents can happen is a crucial part of avoiding them. But you can’t dodge every incident, and knowing the contributing factors could be the first step in getting the compensation you need for your pains.

Safe Driving Tips For Louisville Residents

Nationwide has provided a few safe driving tips that can apply to almost any situation, and even if most drivers think these tips are basic, they are still worth going over again. The first tip that Nationwide gives is to stay attentive at all times. Cellphones are a major source of distraction, but so is eating, adjusting the radio and any other activity that takes drivers’ eyes off the road.

Speeding is dangerous as well; among other things, it gives drivers less time to react to emergencies and increases the severity of accidents. All impaired driving must be avoided, including driving when one is drowsy or has had a couple drinks. A “buzzed” driver can still be tested at a sobriety checkpoint and possibly be arrested.

Defensive driving is must. The essence of this is to expect the unexpected and to never assume that drivers will act safely. It’s important to leave a two-second cushion with the car in front, or four seconds in bad weather, and to use caution when changing lanes.

Other safe driving practices include wearing a seat belt and securing cargo that might move when the car is in motion. Items like money for toll fees and garage passes should be within easy reach. Before going, drivers are encouraged to plan ahead, allowing time for calls and food breaks.

From vehicle defects to unsafe roads, a variety of factors can come into play in accidents. When driver negligence is primarily to blame, victims might choose to file a claim against that driver’s auto insurance company. The process can be complicated and usually requires legal assistance. A lawyer may be able to calculate the degree to which the victim was at fault and determine a fair amount for a settlement based on that. He or she may then proceed to negotiations.

Additional Resources

• Car Accident FAQ
• Millions For Our Clients In Verdicts And Settlements
• Steps To Take After An Accident
• Do’s And Don’ts Of Working With Insurers

Call us today or visit our office for a free consultation.

Find Us On

• Yelp
• YellowPages
• HG.org

Business Hours
Monday: 9AM- 5PM
Tuesday: 9AM- 5PM
Wednesday: 9AM- 5PM
Thursday: 9AM- 5PM
Friday: 9AM- 5PM
Saturday: Closed (Please leave us a message)
Sunday: Closed (Please leave us a message)