A highway accident can derail your life. If you were involved in one, an Aurora car accident lawyer can help you recover damages.
Highway accidents often involve higher speeds, tougher injuries, and more complicated liability questions than your typical fender-bender. A highway car accident lawyer in Aurora from Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C., can help you build a strong claim and obtain a fair settlement.
When to Hire an Aurora Highway Car Accident Lawyer
Highway accident cases are rarely clear-cut. You should consider hiring an attorney if:
- Your injuries are serious or long-term.
- Liability is unclear or multiple vehicles were involved.
- A commercial truck contributed to the crash.
- The insurance company has delayed or denied your claim.
- You need help calculating your long-term medical and financial damages.
An Aurora personal injury lawyer can gather evidence, negotiate with insurers, and, if needed, file a lawsuit and fight for a fair outcome for your case.
Types of Compensation You Can Pursue After a Highway Crash
Victims of highway collisions in Aurora may be entitled to several categories of damages, such as:
- Medical expenses: You can recover the costs of ER care, surgeries, medications, imaging, rehabilitation, and any future medical treatment related to the accident.
- Lost income: You can claim pay you missed out on while recovering, plus compensation if your injuries reduce your future earning capacity.
- Property damage: You can get reimbursed for the repair or replacement of your vehicle and any personal items damaged during the crash.
- Pain and suffering: You can seek compensation for the physical pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life caused by the accident.
- Scarring or disfigurement: You can pursue damages for long-term physical changes from burns, fractures, or surgeries.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: You can be compensated if your injuries affect your daily activities, hobbies, or independence.
- Punitive damages: You may be able to pursue additional damages meant to punish the at-fault party if their behavior was especially reckless or intentional.
An Aurora highway car accident lawyer can help make sure your claim accounts for all of your losses.
How to Prove Liability in a Highway Accident Case
Several types of evidence can strengthen your claim and show exactly how the crash happened, including:
- Dashcam footage: This can prove sudden lane changes, tailgating, or distracted driving.
- Traffic camera recordings: Many Aurora highways have cameras that capture collisions or key moments before impact.
- Black box data: Commercial trucks and some passenger vehicles store speed, braking, and steering information.
- Accident reconstruction reports: Experts can recreate the crash to determine impact points and fault.
- Medical records: These can connect your injuries directly to the accident.
- Cell phone records: These can confirm whether the other driver was texting at the time of the crash.
The stronger your evidence is, the harder it will be for an insurer to deny or minimize your claim.
Common Causes of Highway Accidents in Aurora
Highway crashes are usually the result of someone making an avoidable mistake at high speeds. Some of the most common causes in the Aurora area include:
- Speeding and aggressive driving: Drivers going well over the limit are more prone to causing accidents.
- Distracted driving: Texting, checking GPS, eating, or any other distraction makes it easy to drift lanes or miss stopped traffic.
- Commercial truck errors: Highways in Aurora see heavy truck traffic. When a trucker misjudges braking distance or fails to secure cargo, the results are often catastrophic.
- Driving under the influence: Alcohol and drugs impair drivers’ judgment and coordination, making serious collisions more likely.
- Fatigue: Long highway stretches lead to drowsy driving, delayed reactions, and poor situational awareness.
- Poor weather or road conditions: Snow, ice, heavy rain, and potholes contribute to spinouts and multi-vehicle crashes.
What to Do After a Highway Crash in Aurora
The steps you take after a crash can make or break your case. Here’s what you should do:
- Call police immediately: You will need an official crash report documenting the scene, the parties involved, and any initial fault findings.
- Take photos and videos: Capture skid marks, vehicle positions, road conditions, debris, and any visible injuries.
- Collect driver information: Get insurance details, license plates, and contact info from everyone involved in the accident.
- Gather witness statements: Witnesses often leave quickly, so get their names and numbers as soon as possible.
- Get medical care right away: A delay gives insurers leverage to argue your injuries weren’t serious or weren’t caused by the crash.
- Avoid giving recorded statements: Insurance adjusters will press you for one. Don’t speak to them until you have contacted a lawyer.
- Contact an attorney: Get in touch with a highway car accident attorney in Aurora to go over your legal options.
Talk to a Highway Accident Attorney in Aurora
Highway accidents can be physically and emotionally traumatizing. An Aurora highway car accident attorney from Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C., can handle your case and pursue the compensation you deserve so you can focus on healing.
Schedule a free consultation to discuss how you can get justice.
