When someone has been in a serious vehicle accident caused by another driver but was not injured, this individual may still deserve financial compensation. The at-fault driver’s insurer is likely to offer a relatively quick payment for any damage caused to the person’s car or truck or to provide replacement value if it was a total loss. But what happens if the person who wasn’t physically injured believes he or she has experienced significant emotional suffering? Personal injury lawyers in Lacey, WA can evaluate the situation during a free initial consultation and advise this individual whether or not this is a good case.
Traumatic incidents don’t necessarily include direct physical injury to a person. That individual who was in the accident may have seen someone else become seriously injured or even killed. In fact, that person may have been in the individual’s own car when it was struck by someone else. This can happen when a car is broadsided by another vehicle and the impact mainly affects one side of the car. An episode like this would be expected to cause mental anguish, especially if someone witnessed a fatality.
Personal injury lawyers in Lacey, WA may believe the at-fault driver’s insurer should provide financial compensation for emotional pain and suffering. “Pain and suffering” actually is a legal term and the insurer will understand exactly what the attorney means in correspondence focusing on this issue. The money might be used for psychological counseling, for example. If the client has been missing work because of post-traumatic stress issues, a leave of absence might be in order; compensation could pay the wages that would normally be earned during that time.
The point is for the person to heal emotionally and mentally, even if no physical injuries occurred. This person will likely need other people to verify the emotional trauma. That could be a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist or social worker.
A firm such as Putnam-Lieb-Potvin, attorneys at law, wants to help people who have suffered physical or emotional trauma in vehicle accidents. Get more information at the website and schedule a free consultation with no obligation to hire a lawyer.