It’s not uncommon to feel lost when you’re speaking with someone from an auto accident law firm. Legal jargon can feel like its own language that you’ve never heard before in your life. At Rodzik Law Group, we understand this and want to make it easy for you to understand some of the terms you’ll hear when working with our law firm.

Adjuster

An adjuster is someone who comes to put a value on your vehicle and the property that was damaged in an auto accident. Your insurance company or that of the other party involved in your accident will send an adjuster to evaluate the state of your vehicle and all property involved.

Damages

Damages refers to the final amount of money awarded to the party involved in an accident as compensation for loss or harm to a person or property. Once a final ruling has been made by a judge, damages will be paid based on the amount adjusters have determined is appropriate for property damage. Furthermore, damages can be paid to rectify emotional distress, physical harm, and loss of partnership as a result of an auto accident.

Emotional distress

An auto accident can be a traumatic experience. Those involved can be treated for psychological damage or mental injury, which is known as emotional distress. Costs associated with treating emotional distress can be awarded in court as a part of damages.

Future damages

Not all harm or injury can be resolved with short-term solutions or treatments. Future damages are injuries or harm that last for years after a car accident. Courts can award damages to ensure an individual receives the care necessary to treat the injuries with medication, rehabilitation, loss of income, and others.

Liability

Liability is put on the party responsible for a car accident. The legal system will often determine liability after attorneys present a case in court. Not only can liability be put on one person, but it can also be divided based on responsibility for the accident. Eye witness reports, statements, police reports, and more can be used to establish liability in an accident.

Liability insurance

Your insurance is designed to protect you financially in the event of an accident. You can buy plans that vary from automobile liability, bodily injury liability, and property damage liability insurances. Each is meant to protect the aspect of an injury highlighted in the name. Ultimately, your liability will help to cover damages if you’re determined to be responsible in an auto accident.

Lost wages

Those who have been in a car accident sometimes have to miss work while rehabilitating injuries or emotional distress. Courts can award compensation for lost wages as a part of the damages given to the party determined to be the victim of an accident. Even someone who was determined liable for the accident can get compensated for lost wages from their own auto insurance.

Negligence

Negligence is a failure on a party’s behalf to behave in a way that a reasonable person would in a certain circumstance. Reckless driving can lead to negligence in an auto accident, making them liable for damage or injury to another person. Negligence should never be confused with intentional actions.

Reach out to learn more

If you need an auto accident firm to fight your case, get in touch with us at Rodzik Law Group. We understand that not everybody has experience with legal terminology related to a car accident, so leave it to our staff to make everything easy to comprehend. Give us a call at our Wilmington office at 910-762-1199 or our Supply location at 910-755-2001.