Helping Victims Make The Right Choices After A Car Accident
The sobering reality is that car accidents happen every day and not always by accident. In many cases, deliberate actions such as texting, speeding or driving under the influence lead to catastrophic collisions that injure or kill innocent people.
You should not have to suffer because of the negligence of others. At Satterley & Kelley PLLC, in Louisville, our lawyers take on the insurance companies of careless drivers and win. We have recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for our clients.
We handle all types of motor vehicle accident cases, including:
- Wrecks involving tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles
- Crashes involving motorcycles
- Collisions with trains
- Teenage driving accidents
- Accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists
- Single-car collisions caused by vehicle defects or unsafe roads
- Wrecks involving uninsured and underinsured motorists
- Distracted driving accidents
- Crashes caused by drunk drivers
Video Transcript
If you’ve been involved in an automobile collision, it would be best to consult with Satterley & Kelley or another attorney to make sure that your interests are being protected and not being detrimentally harmed by the interest of the insurance company. Insurance companies make money by not spending money and sometimes the insurance company’s interests are adverse to your interest and to automatically assume that your insurance company is operating on the up-and-up with you is probably not safe to assume. The insurance company is trying to maximize their profit and trying to avoid paying you everything that you deserve for the injury that you’ve suffered.Under Kentucky law for motor vehicle collisions, every driver is required to have $25,000 of automobile insurance. That $25,000 is almost never appropriate for the injury that you’ve suffered. Some drivers don’t even comply with the law and have no insurance or some drivers only get the minimum $25,000 insurance and your medical bills are four times that.
You may be thinking I’m limited in the recovery that I can get, but you have your own insurance. You have underinsured motorist protection which you can get on top of the liability coverage provided by the at-fault driver. If the at-fault driver did not have insurance, then you can go to the uninsured motorist coverage under your own insurance policy and obtain additional benefits which is why I encourage all my clients, all of my friends, family, everyone I know to purchase as much underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage as you can manage, because it may become important to you someday to compensate you for the injuries that you’ve suffered.
If you’ve been injured in an automobile collision, contact Satterley & Kelley. We will vigorously represent you to ensure that you obtain the compensation that you and your family deserve.
Different Types Of Accidents
As a motorist, you are constantly required to identify and respond to hazards. However, accidents can still happen while you are vigilant. Another driver’s negligence can lead to any number of serious collisions:
- Side-impact: You could be far more vulnerable to a driver hitting you in the side, often referred to as a “T-bone” collision. Many car protections are designed for an impact in the direction of travel, while additional protections like side airbags are not universal.
- Rear-end collision: The impact can be more jarring when you do not see it coming. These often happen when you are stopped at an intersection, or yielding to another driver in traffic. Another driver’s distraction or impairment could cause them to hit you at a much higher speed, especially when they fail to apply the brakes.
- Head-on collision: The force is multiplied when you collide with another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. Though seatbelts and airbags are generally designed for these situations, they aren’t capable of negating such an impact. These types of accidents can cause severe injuries and fatalities.
- Contact while merging: You can lose control and be sent into harm’s way when a car makes contact with the side of your vehicle. Without the ability to steer out of danger, you are susceptible to other vehicles and barriers.
- Multiple vehicle accidents: The damage is likely to compound with more vehicles involved. The greater threat of injuries, the larger amount of danger and the increased number of insurance companies involved can make these serious accidents incredibly challenging to navigate.
How Debt Piles Up Following A Car Accident
Car accidents cost millions upon millions of dollars each year. The cost of a car accident is not singular. Yes, car accidents cost quite a bit of money when it comes to physical damage to the vehicle, but they also cost money in various other ways. One of those ways is when the victim of a car accident cannot return to work and winds up going into debt. This is another cost of car accidents.
One of the biggest ways debt piles up after a car accident in Louisville is when the victim cannot go to work due to his or her injuries. Being out of work means it becomes too difficult to pay for utility bills, the mortgage, student loans, car loans and credit card bills. All of these unpaid bills pile up month after month until the victim is in a ton of debt.
Debt can also pile up after a car accident when the victim has a pile of unpaid medical bills. Being injured in a car accident means you will have been transported via ambulance to a hospital, been subjected to various tests and maybe even required surgery. All of these bills are hefty, especially if your medical insurance won’t cover them or will only cover them partially.
Debt following a car accident can be incredibly difficult to pay. Even if you received a settlement from the accident, it might not be enough to pay for medical bills and everyday bills.
Car accidents are very common on the roads of Louisville. They can also be quite tragic. It’s best that you have the proper insurance lined up prior to hitting the road and always seek medical attention if involved in an accident.
Why You Should Seek Legal Advice As Soon As Possible
If you have been involved in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, it is important to speak to an experienced lawyer as soon as possible. Your right to file a personal injury claim is subject to strict time limits. It is crucial to act quickly and preserve your ability to fight for compensation.
Attempting to deal with the insurance company of the at-fault driver on your own can be costly. Insurance adjusters will do almost anything to minimize the amount they have to pay. Here are just a few examples:
- Check your posts on social media for information that can minimize your injury
- Ask you to make a recorded statement and then use your statements against you
- Ask you to sign a release form that will give the insurance company access to all of your medical records — even those that have nothing to do with the accident
- Offer you a lowball settlement that will bring your case to an end
Protect your rights: Understand what steps you should and should not take after a car accident. Review our car accident FAQ for answers to your questions after an accident.
From the negotiation table to the courtroom, our lawyers have the skills and experience to help you get the medical care and financial compensation you need to get your life back on track after an accident.
Want to know if your settlement is fair? We can review the offer made by the insurance company to determine if you’re getting the compensation you need.
Speak To A Car Accident Attorney Today
We are your boots on the ground if you have been injured in a serious accident in Kentucky. Call Satterley & Kelley PLLC to speak with a skilled personal injury lawyer today. Call our office in Louisville at 502-589-5600 (toll-free at 855-385-9532) or complete our contact form to get started.