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Auto accidents can be extremely frightening and confusing. If you or a loved one have been seriously injured, getting the medical help you need is the first priority. Serious injuries can have long-term consequences that you may not realize at the time of the accident or even in the days or weeks following the auto accident. In fact, you may not realize the long-term effects of your injuries until years down the road.
If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a car accident, the Louisville personal injury lawyers at Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers can help you fight for compensation. We have a long track record of recovering substantial damages for our injured clients and we want to put our resources to work for you to help you collect the compensation you deserve.
Nobody ever gets behind the wheel of their car expecting to be involved in a collision. There’s no way to anticipate such a traumatic event, and it’s something that has the potential to completely change your life. The aftermath of a car accident can be extremely perplexing and disorienting. It’s common for most people to be confused about handling a situation such as this. Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers are here to help you navigate the days, weeks, and months after an accident to ensure that your legal rights are protected.
We know what to do after a car accident so you can hold the at-fault driver accountable for their actions. We can guide you and support you, helping you make the best decisions possible to ensure a strong case for your claim.
To get your case off to a good start, there are several things you should do while still at the accident scene. You must dial 911 and wait for the police to arrive and conduct an investigation. They should first write a police report and then the officer will generate and submit an accident report. Reports from car crashes provide valuable information about the accident and are often used as evidence in a legal case.
There are two ways to get an accident report in Louisville:
If you are involved in a car accident, you should seek medical attention immediately. This is not the time to worry about medical bills. You can take an ambulance to the hospital or get a ride to see a medical professional if your injury isn’t life-threatening. Insurance companies are in the business of making money, so if you choose to file a claim, they are unlikely to be on your side. If you fail to seek treatment soon after your accident, the insurance company could use your lack of urgency as evidence that your injury isn’t serious enough to warrant a fair settlement.
Even if you think you’re fine, the shock you’re experiencing could be masking the severity of your injury. Seeing a doctor is the only way to know the extent of your injuries with certainty. Follow their instructions if they recommend imaging tests, physical therapy, chiropractic treatments, or another type of treatment. Do not make a habit of missing appointments or allowing too much time to pass between them. If your treatment is inconsistent, the insurance company may deny your car accident claim or offer you a settlement that is less than you deserve.
Your medical providers will develop a treatment plan that they believe will aid in the recovery of your injuries, the management of any ongoing pain, and the reduction of your symptoms. You should follow their instructions until you heal or your doctor says you’ve reached your maximum medical improvement (MMI). MMI suggests that your condition is unlikely to improve with additional medical treatment.
If able, take as many photos as you can at the scene of the accident. Photos can help personal injury claims by telling a story about how the crash happened, as well as the aftermath of the collision.
Motor vehicle accidents can leave accident scenes up for interpretation, especially when insurance companies do not want to pay. Having photos of the following can increase the likelihood of recovering compensation for an accident that wasn’t your fault:
If you’ve been injured in an accident, call Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers at 800-800-4600 for a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced, compassionate member of our legal team.
There are no upfront fees and no attorney fees unless we are successful in recovering compensation for you. Our local Louisville personal injury lawyers can help you. We know Louisville car accident laws and will fight for every dollar you deserve.
In any car accident case, evidence is crucial. It can help you prove who was at fault, your injuries, and the costs you incurred from the accident. Keep track of all the documents related to your case. Please forward any letters from the insurance company, bills from your doctors, or prescription receipts to us. We can keep track of all the records we’ll need to provide to the various parties involved in your claim.
Make a list of all treatments you receive, including the names, locations, and dates, so that we can request copies of your medical records. Keep detailed records of any out-of-pocket expenses incurred due to the crash. For example, if your car accident occurred while you were on vacation in Louisville and you had to extend your trip to see a doctor, you might be able to get reimbursed for your hotel stay and other expenses.
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Many drivers assume that another driver must be entirely at fault for them to be eligible for compensation after an accident. In Louisville, Kentucky, this is not true for two reasons.
Kentucky is a no-fault state which means that you will usually first turn to your own insurer to recover compensation. This means you can be 100 percent at fault and still recover compensation from your own insurer. If you meet certain criteria, you can step outside the no-fault system and file against another driver.
The second reason you can still recover compensation when another party is not totally at fault is Kentucky’s comparative fault laws. Per Kentucky’s pure comparative negligence law, you can be 99 percent at fault for an accident and remain eligible to collect compensation from the other driver for the percentage of fault they bear.
Suppose you rear-end another driver and suffer injuries. You have probably heard the adage that in a rear-end collision, the back driver is always at fault. However, this is not always accurate.
We might be able to show, for instance, that the driver you hit acted recklessly by slamming on the brakes without reason or that their brake lights were not working, which prevented you from recognizing that they were stopping.
After your rear-end collision, let’s say you secure the services of one of our attorneys, and we investigate and determine that the other driver, indeed, had faulty brake lights. Because this defect contributed to the crash, it is found that the other driver is 25 percent at fault, while you are 75 percent at fault.
Suppose that damages from the accident amount to $10,000. Since the other driver was 25 percent at fault, you have grounds to pursue them for 25 percent of your damages, or $2,500. Proving fault and percentage of fault is extremely important.
This law can also work against you in an accident. The other driver’s attorney might dig and find a reason to pin a portion of the blame on you and be able to sue you after a car accident, even if you have insurance. That is why it is essential to speak with a Louisville car accident lawyer as soon as possible after your accident.
Mr. Coleman is now the Managing Partner and majority owner of Hughes and Coleman Injury Lawyers, a firm he co-founded in 1985 with J. Marshall Hughes. The firm has grown for over 40 years, and we currently have over 30 attorneys and multiple offices across Kentucky and Tennessee, as well as an affiliate firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Mr. Coleman’s efforts and accomplishments have been widely recognized, including being named as a Kentucky Super Lawyer in Personal Injury since 2012, and being awarded an AV Rating, the highest rating given, by the nation’s preeminent Attorney Rating service, Martindale- Hubbell®.
A personal injury attorney can help you in a number of ways following a car accident. If you’ve been injured, you may wonder why you need a personal injury lawyer. A few key reasons to retain an attorney include:
After a crash, choosing a good car accident injury firm can be a bit overwhelming. So, how do you decide which is the best car accident lawyer for you? There are a few things that you should consider.
Accident lawyers in Louisville know the city, are well-versed in city, state, and federal laws, and can help to ensure that all your bases are covered. Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers has two locations in Louisville and is conveniently located near you so that you can easily visit our law firm at either office. Being local also allows our team to visit you, as well as the scene of the accident, to document evidence that may help your case.
In a car accident case involving a personal injury, experience matters. You need a firm that has the resources to investigate, ensures you receive the medical attention you need and gets you maximum compensation for your injuries. We’ve been helping injured victims in Louisville for over 40 years and are here to help you get through this difficult time. Let us do the heavy lifting while you focus on your recovery.
Look for accident lawyers who have enough experience to handle your auto accident case. Remember, you can only gain experience over the years and handling hundreds to thousands of cases. You only have one opportunity to pursue your claim. Ensure you have an experienced team behind you.
Accidents can happen anywhere at any time. Collisions can occur due to various factors, including driver error and poor road conditions, but the causes of a car accident can vary widely and can often be the result of a combination of factors.
A driver may face several distractions while driving, such as texting, eating, and changing the radio. Concentrating on anything other than driving is dangerous and can result in a collision.
When a driver travels at a high rate of speed, he or she has less time to react to avoid an accident. It becomes even more dangerous when the road is wet from rain or has potholes.
Alcohol and drugs impair a person’s ability to safely operate a vehicle. Drunk with a slower reaction time and other symptoms have a harder time recognizing and reacting to dangers on the road. If you were hit by a drunk driver in Louisville, a Louisville car accident lawyer can help.
There should always be enough space between two cars traveling side by side. If one driver follows another too closely, the risk of a rear-end collision increases if the driver in front suddenly brakes.
Defined under the law as driving a vehicle with reckless disregard for the safety or property of others, according to Kentucky law. Examples include making unsafe lane changes and running a red light.
When necessary, drivers must yield to other vehicles. Auto accidents can happen when someone drives through an intersection or merges onto a highway without looking for oncoming traffic.
This can be just as dangerous as driving while inebriated or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It has similar symptoms and impairs a driver’s ability to respond to an emergency, avoid a road hazard, and obey traffic signs and signals.
When a driver hits a pothole or can’t read an obstructed traffic sign, it can cause them to lose control of their vehicle.
A car accident lawsuit where defective parts are the cause of the wreck is often complex. They not only involve the insurance companies but also involve the manufacturer. In these types of cases, it is critical to speak with an accident attorney who can help identify all responsible parties and act in your best interest.
If any of these factors or another outside factor not listed above contributed to your motor vehicle accident, contact one of Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers’ Louisville car accident lawyers. We have years of experience investigating crashes to determine what caused them and proving who should be held responsible.
Andrew graduated from law school in 2017, completed and passed the Kentucky Bar Examination, and then launched his career as a lawyer working at Hughes & Coleman. In his years as an attorney, he has witnessed the underhanded tactics insurance companies use to coerce injured victims into taking a lower settlement than they deserve. Far too often, the initial insurance offer barely accounts for the personal loss that a client currently feels, and it certainly doesn’t project or account for the additional loss they will have to manage for the remainder of their life.
Injuries caused by car accidents may have a long-term impact on the lives of those injured in the accident. Perhaps you’re unable to work due to a physical disability, or you’ve racked up a mountain of debt trying to cover your medical expenses. Injuries frequently necessitate medical attention to heal, causing undue stress and financial strain. Some of the most common injuries we see are:
Whiplash is a neck injury caused by a violent, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck. Rear-end collisions are the most common cause of whiplash. Sports accidents, physical abuse, and other types of traumas, such as a fall, can all cause whiplash. Whiplash is also known as a neck sprain or strain, but these terms cover a wide range of neck injuries. Following a treatment plan that includes pain medication and exercise, most people with whiplash recover in a few weeks. However, some people suffer from chronic neck pain and other long-term consequences.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a type of acquired brain injury that occurs when the brain is damaged by sudden trauma. TBIs occur when the head collides with an object suddenly and violently or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue. TBI symptoms can range from mild to severe, depending on the extent of the brain damage. A person suffering from a mild TBI may be conscious or lose consciousness for a few seconds or minutes. Headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and problems with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking are some of the other symptoms of mild TBI.
A fracture, also known as a crack or a break, is a broken bone. A bone can be fractured completely or partially in a variety of ways (crosswise, lengthwise, or in multiple pieces).
Although bones are rigid, when a force is applied to them, they bend or give slightly. Bones will break if the force is too great, just as a wooden ruler will break if bent too far.
Internal bleeding, also known as hemorrhaging, occurs when a blood vessel within the body is damaged. Minor hemorrhages, such as those caused by small, ruptured blood vessels near the skin’s surface, are common and usually only result in tiny red specks or minor bruising. Large, uncontrolled hemorrhages, on the other hand, are life-threatening and one of the leading causes of death around the world. Hemorrhaging is not a condition in and of itself, which means it always has a cause. A traumatic injury is the most common cause of a hemorrhage.
The loss of muscle function in a part of your body is known as paralysis. It occurs when the transmission of messages between your brain and muscles is disrupted. Complete or partial paralysis is possible. It can happen on either one or both sides of your body and can occur in a single location or across a large area. Paraplegia is the paralysis of the lower half of your body, including both legs. Quadriplegia is the paralysis of the arms and legs. The majority of paralysis is caused by strokes or injuries such as a broken neck or spinal cord injury.
Most common neck injuries are a crick in the neck, a muscle strain, sprain, whiplash, arthritic herniated disc, tension (break in the cervical bone), cervical dislocation, stingers and burners (temporary injuries to the nerve root or brachial plexus), and a spinal cord injury.
The spinal cord may also be injured by damage to vertebrae, ligaments, or disks of the spinal column or spinal cord itself. There are several types of spinal cord injuries that can arise from a sudden, traumatic blow to your spine that fractures, dislocates, crushes, or compresses one or more vertebrae.
Concussions are brain injuries caused by traumatic events that affect your brain. These effects are generally temporary but can include headaches and issues with concentration, memory, balance, and coordination. A concussion usually occurs during a car accident because of a blow to the head.
A cut or laceration describes a skin wound. Unlike an abrasion, none of the skin is missing. A cut is typically seen as a damaged spot caused by sharp objects, such as glass shards. Lacerations are often caused by blunt traumas.
Chronic pain is pain that tends to persist beyond the normal recovery period or occurs along with a chronic illness, such as arthritis. Chronic pain may be “on” and “off” or continuous. People can be affected so much that they are unable to work, eat properly, participate in physical activity, or enjoy life.
An impairment in or injury to the beauty, symmetry, or appearance of a person renders the person unsightly, misshapen, imperfect, or deforms the individual in some way or otherwise causes a detrimental change in over 25% of the body that can be corrected only by cosmetic surgery.
Amputation is described by its meaning when a person loses an arm, leg, hand, foot, or toe. As a result of a violent car crash or a vehicle rollover, occupants inside a vehicle may suffer a limb loss or lose a finger or toe due to crush injuries. This disfiguring injury is a traumatic event that can lead to life-threatening consequences due to blood loss and shock or infection. As a result, emergency surgery is often required to save a person’s life.
If someone else’s negligence caused an accident, you may be entitled to compensation to cover your medical expenses, property damage, and other costs. You’ve endured enough, and you have the right to pursue legal action against the responsible party.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, call Hughes & Coleman at 800-800-4600 as soon as possible.
We get many calls from car accident victims wanting to know what their case might be worth. Although we cannot estimate a dollar value before conducting a full investigation of your accident, we can tell you that we are often able to recover a long list of damages for our injured clients. Your settlement or judgment could include any of the following types of compensation:
Medical expenses include not only the costs you have already incurred but also the costs we expect you to sustain in the future. These include the costs of your hospital visits, surgeries and procedures, doctor appointments, prescription drugs, medical devices, future care, and more.
Lost wages refer to the income you lose when you must miss work while recovering from your injuries. We can help ensure that the responsible party and their insurer compensate you for this loss.
If your injury is especially severe, it can impact your ability to earn a living not just during your recovery period but on a long-term basis, maybe even for the rest of your life. When an injury impacts your long-term earning capacity, we pursue the responsible party to compensate you for the difference in what you are making now and what you would have been able to earn had you not been injured.
In addition to injury claims, we can also help you recover compensation for property damage. This means that we can help you get maximum compensation for damage to your vehicle, as well as for other items in your car at the time of the accident that may have been damaged as a result of the car crash.
You deserve compensation not just for your financial losses but also for the pain you have suffered because of your injury. We aggressively pursue the responsible party and the insurance company for pain and suffering and other noneconomic damages.
Punitive damages are meant to punish the wrongful party for gross negligence. A personal injury lawyer can argue for punitive damages on your behalf to help prevent future negligent conduct.
To learn more about what your case might be worth, call us today at 800-800-4600
Every car crash is different, and our personal injury lawyers have experience with a wide range of cases. In Louisville, some of the most common auto accidents we see are:
No matter what type of accident you’ve been in, call us today to talk through it. We’re here for you 24/7.
Injury victims in Louisville have one year from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim under Kentucky law. This time limit is referred to as the statute of limitations. When you decide to hire a personal an attorney for a car accident, they will ensure you meet all required deadlines. If you wait to file a claim, you could miss your chance to recover compensation. The longer you wait, the more challenging it will be to recover compensation.
Don’t wait! Call us today at 800-800-4600
At Hughes & Coleman, Benjamin utilizes his desire for helping others to fight for the results his clients need. He understands that when someone is injured due to the negligence of another, their life can be turned upside down. Day in and day out, he maintains excitement for his future as a personal injury attorney and his ability to serve his community alongside the rest of his Hughes & Coleman family. Being able to see first-hand the passion his father and younger brother have for helping others and getting to work side by side with them is the highlight of Benjamin’s career.
It’s critical to understand that the insurance company will likely not provide you with the compensation you need, and dealing with the insurance company requires an experienced car accident lawyer to ensure you are represented and receive every dollar you deserve.
When it comes to your insurance and what you can receive when dealing directly with the insurance company, the amount depends on the type of coverage and amount of liability coverage listed on your insurance policy. If your expenses totaled $20,000, but the policy limit is only $15,000, you could only seek $15,000 in compensation. You’d have to find another way to make up for the rest of your losses, such as utilizing underinsured motorist coverage.
Underinsured motorist (UIM) insurance is an optional policy. A UIM policy provides coverage to accident victims when the policy limits of the at-fault driver aren’t high enough to cover all losses. When you bought liability insurance, your insurance company should have offered UIM insurance, and you would have had to sign a form if you chose to forgo this coverage.
In some situations, the defendant may not have any insurance. In these situations, it’s important to carry Uninsured Motorist Coverage or UM. A UM policy provides coverage to accident victims when the at-fault driver has no coverage.
PIP coverage is a requirement in Kentucky for all auto insurance policies.
This insurance coverage covers injury-related costs of up to $10,000 per person, regardless of who was found to be at fault for the accident.
When you get PIP coverage along with your auto insurance, there are some restrictions on your ability to sue and be sued. Although these restrictions include seeking recovery for medical expenses, loss of wages, pain and suffering, and other related costs, there are exceptions that allow you to hold the at-fault party responsible, regardless of PIP limitations. One or more of the following thresholds must be met under Kentucky law:
If any one of these is met or exceeded, you can file a claim against the at-fault party. A Louisville car accident attorney can help you recover medical bills and other damages. If you have been injured and have questions, call to speak with a representative of our law firm today or visit one of our accident lawyers in Louisville today at either of our locations.
An experienced lawyer does more than make promises; they deliver results. We founded Hughes & Coleman to get hard-earned results for each and every one of our clients. We fight hard every day and for every case.
The car accident attorneys at Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers have been helping injured victims in Louisville since 1985 . Don’t deal with the insurance companies on your own. After a wreck, ensure that you have experienced car accident attorneys on your side so that you can get the compensation you deserve.
If you’ve been involved in a car accident, give us a call. We always offer free, no-obligation consultations. We’re here for you 24/7.
We have decades of experience handling car accident cases that have ended with positive results for our clients. If your motor vehicle accident resulted in injuries, medical bills, lost wages, or pain and suffering due to someone else’s negligence, our law firm is here to fight for you.
We have recovered billions of dollars for our clients in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Our car accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means we don’t get paid unless we recover damages for you.
It’s your auto accident case, and you should be aware of how it is progressing. We pride ourselves on keeping our clients up to date on how their case is moving forward and what to expect along the way.
You should not have to think about medical bills after a motor vehicle accident. We help to ensure you receive the treatment you need so that you can focus on recovery.
A car accident attorney in Louisville understands what your case is worth, and how to deal with the insurance company to ensure you receive every dollar possible. In many cases, insurance companies will provide inadequate offers in the hope that you will accept. They are a business, like any other, and their goal is to protect their bottom line and pay you as little as possible.
When you hire a car accident lawyer Louisville has trusted for over 40 years, you will put yourself in the best position possible to recover all the money you’re entitled to. While some attorneys may take the initial offer, our legal team has shown time and time again that we will fight for every dollar you deserve. If the insurance company will not provide a fair settlement, we will not hesitate to push for more, and if needed, fight for you in court.
Here are just some of the cases that we have handled that demonstrate how we have fought to get our clients the compensation they were entitled to after low initial insurance offers.
$12,000,000 CAR ACCIDENT TRIAL JURY AWARD – INITIAL SETTLEMENT OFFER: $50,000
$500,000 CAR ACCIDENT SETTLEMENT – INITIAL SETTLMENT OFFER: $272,000
$250,000 CAR ACCIDENT SETTLEMENT – INITIAL SETTLMENT OFFER: $25,000
$207,800 CAR ACCIDENT SETTLEMENT – INITIAL SETTLMENT OFFER: $100,000
$205,000 CAR ACCIDENT TRIAL COURT RULING – INITIAL SETTLEMENT OFFER: $0
We are dedicated to providing you with the most positive experience possible and the most effective legal representation for your injury claim. After a Louisville car accident, count on the car accident lawyers at Hughes & Coleman to protect your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve. Let us put our experience to work for you.
When you call, we’ll talk through your case with you. If we can help, a Louisville car accident lawyer from our firm will begin working directly with the insurance company so that you don’t have to and will continue to be your advocate through the entire process.
If you’ve been injured and believe that you have a car accident claim, contact us as soon as possible. Even if you think it was a minor accident, many car accident victims later realize that the damages they have are much worse than they originally thought. Let us help you through this.
For a free, no-risk consultation with our team, call us today at 800-800-4600
Hiring a car accident lawyer near you can ensure you always have access to your legal team and immediate help with your car accident lawsuit needs. We’re available for you to visit and meet directly with your attorney, or to speak with a member of our team about your case if you’d like to learn more about our services.
Top notch firm. Christina Martin and Mariana Goff have been awesome. Always super nice and both explain every question in detail, so believe me when I say if you’re in a wreck, please don’t try to go it alone.
I cannot recommend Hughes & Coleman and their team highly enough. After my auto accident, I was overwhelmed, in pain, and unsure of what to do next. From the very first consultation, they were compassionate, professional, and incredibly knowledgeable.
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