Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers to frequently asked personal injury questions — deadlines, settlements, and what to do after an accident.
What Is A Structured Settlement And Should I Choose One?
Instead of receiving your entire settlement as a lump sum, you have the option to structure it, meaning the insurance company or defendant buys an annuity that pays you a stream of income over time. Structured settlem…
What Should I Know About Pedestrian And Bicycle Accident Claims?
Pedestrian and bicycle accidents often result in more severe injuries than car-to-car collisions, since there's no steel frame protecting you. Insurance companies sometimes try to blame pedestrians or cyclists for the…
What Happens If My Accident Caused A Spinal Cord Injury?
Spinal cord injuries can range from minor nerve damage causing temporary numbness to severe paralysis requiring lifelong care. Even moderate spinal injuries often result in significant medical bills, ongoing treatment…
What About Rental Car Costs And Other Expenses While I Recover?
When your car is damaged or you can't drive while recovering from injuries, you may need a rental. Some states or insurance policies cover rental car expenses, while others don't. Additional expenses like medical tran…
Can I Recover Compensation For Mental Health Or Ptsd After An Accident?
Being in a serious accident can leave psychological scars, including anxiety, depression, sleep problems, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in addition to any physical injuries. These mental health impacts are…
What Happens If The Accident Caused A Pre-Existing Condition To Get Worse?
Insurance companies often try to argue that any injury you had before the accident means they owe you nothing, but that's usually not how the law works. If an accident aggravates or worsens a pre-existing condition, y…
How Is Lost Wage Compensation Calculated In A Personal Injury Claim?
Missing work because of accident injuries means lost income, and that's money you can recover as part of your claim. Calculating exactly how much you've lost requires documenting your regular income, the dates you mis…
What Is Personal Injury Protection (pip) Insurance And How Does It Work?
Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, is auto insurance coverage that pays your medical bills and lost wages regardless of who caused the accident, even if you were at fault. Not all states require it, and those that do…
What Should I Know About Medical Bills And Health Insurance With My Personal Injury Claim?
When you file a personal injury claim, your health insurance and medical bills become tied to the process in ways that can affect your final settlement. Your health insurer may have rights to recover some of what they…
Can I Get Compensation For A Traumatic Brain Injury (tbi) From A Car Accident?
Traumatic brain injuries, even mild ones called concussions, can happen without obvious head trauma in a car accident. The sudden deceleration and impact forces can cause the brain to move inside the skull, leading to…
What Are The Signs Of A Whiplash Injury After A Rear-End Accident?
Whiplash is one of the most common injuries in rear-end car accidents, but symptoms often don't show up until hours or even days after the crash. Many victims don't realize they've been injured until the delayed pain…
How Does A Motorcycle Accident Claim Work In Alabama?
Motorcycle accident claims in Alabama follow the same two-year statute of limitations and minimum insurance rules as other vehicle accidents, but they carry an extra layer of difficulty because of Alabama's pure contr…
What Happens If I'm Hit By An Uninsured Driver In Alabama?
Unlike many states, Alabama doesn't require drivers to carry uninsured motorist coverage, so if you're hit by a driver with no insurance and you rejected that coverage on your own policy, recovering compensation can b…
What Are Alabama's Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements?
Alabama requires drivers to carry liability insurance of at least 25/50/25, meaning $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Unlike some states, Alabama does…
How Does Alabama's Contributory Negligence Rule Affect My Claim?
Alabama is one of only a handful of states that still follows pure contributory negligence, a rule that can completely bar you from recovering any compensation if you're found even slightly at fault for your own accid…
Do I Have To Pay Taxes On My Personal Injury Settlement?
Getting a settlement check raises an obvious worry: how much of it will the IRS take? The good news is that most of a typical personal injury settlement is not taxable — the money you receive for physical injuries and…
How Long Does It Take To Get Your Settlement Check?
Once you've agreed to settle and signed the paperwork, it's natural to want the money right away — but a settlement check doesn't arrive the next day. There are several steps between signing the release and the funds…
How Much Is A Herniated Disc Settlement Worth After A Car Accident?
A herniated disc is one of the more serious and expensive injuries that come out of a car accident, because the spine's cushioning discs can rupture under the force of a crash and press on nearby nerves. Settlements f…
What Is A Diminished Value Claim And How Do I File One?
Even after a professional repair, a car that's been in an accident is worth less than one that never was — buyers pay less for a vehicle with a crash on its history report. That lost resale value is called diminished…
What Is A Demand Letter And What Happens After Your Lawyer Sends One?
A demand letter is the document that formally opens settlement negotiations in a personal injury case. Your lawyer sends it to the at-fault party's insurance company laying out what happened, the injuries and losses y…
What Is The Statute Of Limitations For A Personal Injury Claim In Alabama?
Alabama law generally gives you two years from the date of an accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. This deadline applies to most car accident, slip and fall, and other negligence claims, and Alabama courts enfo…
How Does A Slip And Fall Claim Work In Illinois?
Slip and fall claims in Illinois fall under premises liability law, which generally requires showing that a property owner knew or should have known about a dangerous condition and failed to fix it or warn visitors. Y…
What Happens If I'm Hit By An Uninsured Driver In Illinois?
Illinois requires every auto policy to include uninsured motorist coverage, so if you're hit by a driver with no insurance, you can typically file a claim through your own policy instead of chasing the at-fault driver…
What Are Illinois's Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements?
Illinois requires every driver to carry liability insurance of at least 25/50/20, meaning $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 per accident, and $20,000 for property damage. Drivers must also carry un…
How Does Illinois's Modified Comparative Negligence Rule Work?
Illinois uses a modified comparative negligence rule, sometimes called the '51 percent rule,' to decide how fault affects your compensation. As long as you're less than 51 percent responsible for an accident, you can…
What Is The Statute Of Limitations For A Personal Injury Claim In Illinois?
In most Illinois personal injury cases, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit in court. This deadline, set by Illinois law, applies to car accidents, slip and falls, dog bites, and most ot…
How Does A Truck Accident Claim Work In Texas?
Truck accident claims in Texas work differently from ordinary car accident claims because commercial trucking companies are required to carry much higher insurance limits and follow federal safety regulations. Interst…
What Happens If I'm Hit By An Uninsured Driver In Texas?
Getting hit by an uninsured driver in Texas is more common than many people expect, but it doesn't necessarily leave you without options. Texas insurers must offer uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage on…
What Are Texas's Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements?
Texas requires drivers to carry at least 30/60/25 liability coverage: $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage. These minimums haven't increased since 2008, which…
How Does Texas's 51% Comparative Negligence Bar Rule Work?
Texas follows a modified comparative negligence system, often called the 51% bar rule, found in Chapter 33 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. You can still recover compensation if you're found 50% or less…
What Is The Statute Of Limitations For A Personal Injury Claim In Texas?
In Texas, you generally have two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit, whether it stems from a car accident, truck crash, or another type of incident. This deadline comes from Texas Civi…
Do I Have To Report A Car Accident To The Police In Georgia?
Yes, Georgia law requires you to report a car accident if it caused an injury, a death, or at least $500 in property damage, which covers nearly every collision beyond a very minor fender-bender. You must notify local…
What Are Georgia's Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements?
Georgia law requires every driver to carry at least 25/50/25 liability coverage: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage. These are legal minimums, not a guarant…
What Happens If I'm Hit By An Uninsured Driver In Georgia?
Being hit by an uninsured driver in Georgia doesn't mean you're out of options. Georgia insurers must offer uninsured motorist (UM) coverage on every policy, and unless you rejected it in writing, you likely have it a…
How Does Georgia's Modified Comparative Negligence Rule Affect My Claim?
Georgia uses a modified comparative negligence rule, meaning you can still recover compensation even if you were partly to blame for a crash, as long as you weren't found 50% or more at fault. Your final award gets re…
What Is The Statute Of Limitations For A Car Accident Claim In Georgia?
In Georgia, you generally have two years from the date of a car accident to file a personal injury lawsuit, and up to four years to sue over vehicle or property damage. Missing this window almost always means permanen…
Can I Switch Personal Injury Lawyers If I'm Unhappy With Mine?
Yes, in almost all situations you're allowed to change lawyers if you're not satisfied with how your case is being handled. Common reasons include poor communication, feeling rushed toward a low settlement, or simply…
What's The Difference Between Settling A Case And Going To Trial?
Most personal injury cases end in a settlement rather than a courtroom verdict, but understanding both paths helps you know what to expect. Settling means both sides agree on a compensation amount without a judge or j…
What Should I Do Immediately After A Car Accident? A Step-By-Step Checklist
The minutes right after a car accident can feel chaotic, but a few clear steps can protect both your health and your ability to recover compensation later. Focus first on safety and medical care, then move into docume…
Does The Statute Of Limitations Pause For A Minor Injured In An Accident?
When a child is injured in an accident, the usual filing deadline often works differently than it would for an adult. Many places allow the clock to pause, a legal concept sometimes called tolling, until the child rea…
What Should I Do After A Dog Bite Or Premises Liability Injury?
Getting hurt on someone else's property, whether from a dog bite, a slip and fall, or a hazard the owner should have fixed, can leave you unsure who's responsible for your medical bills. The steps you take in the firs…
What Are Wrongful Death Claim Deadlines And Who Can File?
A wrongful death claim lets certain surviving family members seek compensation when a loved one dies because of someone else's negligence, but these claims are time-sensitive. Deadlines and eligible filers vary depend…
Who Is Liable In A Rideshare (uber Or Lyft) Accident?
Liability in a rideshare accident depends heavily on what the driver was doing at the moment of the crash and who else was involved. Uber and Lyft carry large commercial insurance policies, but those policies only app…
What Should I Do If The Trucking Company's Insurer Contacts Me?
If a trucking company's insurance adjuster calls you after a crash, slow down before you say anything. These insurers move fast because early statements, especially recorded ones, can be used to minimize what they eve…
Can I File A Workers' Comp Claim And A Personal Injury Claim At The Same Time?
In many cases, yes, you can pursue both, but they usually apply to different parties. Workers' comp covers your medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault when you're hurt on the job, while a personal injury cla…
How Is Pain And Suffering Calculated In A Settlement?
Pain and suffering covers the physical discomfort and emotional toll an injury causes, and it's usually the hardest part of a claim to put a number on. Insurance adjusters and attorneys typically lean on one of two ap…
How Does A Hit-And-Run Accident Claim Work?
A hit-and-run leaves you dealing with an injury and no one to hold accountable at the scene, but you still have paths to compensation. Your own uninsured motorist coverage often covers hit-and-run accidents specifical…
What Is The Discovery Rule In A Personal Injury Case?
The discovery rule is a legal principle that can delay the start of the deadline for filing a claim, called the statute of limitations, until you actually discover, or reasonably should have discovered, that you were…
Can I Still File A Claim If I Did Not See A Doctor Right Away?
Delaying medical treatment does not automatically ruin your personal injury claim, but it can make things harder because insurance companies use treatment gaps to argue your injury was not serious or was not caused by…
How Much Does A Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?
Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing upfront and no fee at all unless they win your case. The lawyer's fee is a percentage of whatever settlement or verdict you rec…
What If The Other Driver Has No Insurance?
Getting hit by an uninsured driver feels like a dead end, but you may still have options for compensation. Many drivers carry uninsured motorist coverage on their own policy specifically for this situation, and it can…
Should I Give A Recorded Statement To The Insurance Company?
Generally, you should be very cautious before giving a recorded statement to any insurance company, especially the other driver's insurer, before you have talked to a lawyer. These calls are often friendly in tone but…
What If I Was Partly At Fault For The Accident?
Being partly responsible for an accident does not automatically mean you cannot recover compensation. Most states use some version of a comparative fault rule, which reduces your recovery by your percentage of blame r…
Do I Need A Lawyer For A Minor Car Accident?
Not every fender bender requires a lawyer, especially if there is no injury and the property damage is minor and clearly the other driver's fault. But what feels minor at the scene can turn into a real injury days lat…
How Long Does A Personal Injury Settlement Take?
Most personal injury claims settle anywhere from a few months to over a year, and the timeline depends heavily on how quickly you finish medical treatment and how cooperative the insurance company is. Claims usually c…
What Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
There is no simple calculator that can tell you what your personal injury case is worth, because every case depends on a unique mix of medical costs, lost income, and how the injury has changed your daily life. Insura…
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