Kentucky Accident Attorneys
Were you injured on Kentucky’s roads? Contact your Central Kentucky Accident Attorneys at McCoy & Sparks today! A car accident attorney usually has an overwhelmingly positive impact on the lawsuit or settlement process. An experienced Kentucky accident attorney will help you get financial compensation and enjoy a smoother, more informed process.
Every year in Kentucky, thousands of people experience car accidents and hundreds of them lose their lives. These accidents can be extremely traumatic and leave victims with lifelong scars. In fact, car accidents are the #1 cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the general population.
Have you or a loved one been injured in a recent car accident? It is important that you retain the legal services of an experienced attorney immediately after you have received medical attention. Wait too long, and you could miss your chance to recover the compensation you need to heal and move forward.
Often, insurance companies use aggressive tactics that shift blame to reduce potential settlement costs for auto accidents. This is an intimidating situation for a car accident victim after a serious accident has already happened, so it helps to have a skilled and experienced car accident lawyer on board. Remember, insurance companies don’t always have the last word on accident claim outcomes.
If someone causes a car crash, even a minor accident with injuries, the car accident attorneys at McCoy & Sparks can help you recover the losses that you have suffered.
Why You Need an Attorney for a Car Accident
Your attorney can likely help with car accident claim tasks like:
- Reconstructing your accident
- Talking to the authorities
- Examining the driver’s insurance policy
- Dealing with the insurance company and insurance adjuster
- Gathering your bills for medical expenses
- Identifying witnesses
- Locating experts who can comment on your case
- Organizing your legal paperwork
- Handling the claims process
- Pursuing full and fair compensation
- Preparing for meetings and court dates
- Building a strong car accident case
- Settling your case or take it to court
If you choose to pursue a settlement for financial compensation, your Kentucky car accident lawyer will look out for your best interests during the settlement negotiations and help you stand up for your rights. Your car accident lawyer will help you understand your various legal options and ensure you can feel confident about what you want to do next.
Lawyers also help accident victims clear up myths and misconceptions about the law. Many people misunderstand Kentucky’s status as a no-fault car insurance state for car accident claims. It doesn’t mean nobody will be held responsible. It means your car insurance may be expected to kick in before any other insurance covers damages. You may still be entitled to seek additional compensation with the help of your car accident lawyer.
Skilled and experienced Kentucky car accident attorneys have the wisdom to anticipate potential missteps you might make and alert you to the consequences that would possibly impact claiming maximum compensation. They’ll look at the evidence from the accident scene, look at the insurance defense, and look out for your rights.
Ask your lawyer to explain how liability might be assigned in your vehicle accident, how the legal concept of negligence might impact your case, and how the courts tend to handle cases like yours. Generally speaking, Kentucky law allocates fault by comparing each party’s share of total responsibility under the pure comparative negligence rule.
After your car accident, the car accident attorneys at McCoy & Sparks will help you recover the money you need to move forward with your life. Contact McCoy & Sparks, PLLC, Central Kentucky car accident lawyers, at 1-844-4KY-WINS, or start by filling out our online form.
What Is the Car Accident Settlement Process in Kentucky?
After a Kentucky car accident, your legal case has a high likelihood of resulting in a settlement rather than going to court. In Kentucky and across the nation, about 95% of personal injury lawsuits are resolved through out-of-court agreements based on creating just compensation to injury victims for medical treatment, lost wages, and other losses.
Car accident settlements make sense for all parties involved. The negligent driver and insurance company can finally put an end to the situation, avoiding an expensive court battle or bad publicity. Injured people benefit, too.
You, as the injured person in a minor to a serious car accident, have an opportunity to negotiate an arrangement to cover your lost wages, vehicle damage, physical rehabilitation, medical bills, and more. Work in partnership with your car accident attorney to seek compensation and create an agreement or settlement that seems fair to you, then negotiate with the other party and insurance companies in your motor vehicle accident. Settling your case allows you to focus on recovery and move forward in your healing.
In this process, a written document is created with the help of your car accident attorney as a demand letter to make you whole again. The other side has an opportunity to examine the document and either offer a settlement or keep negotiating.
Next, the final agreement will be signed. This has the same force as if a judge or jury decided the case. The settlement agreement is a legally binding document for all parties involved. When a settlement is impossible to reach, you may need to move forward with pursuing a car accident lawsuit and go to court.
A car damage settlement agreement is just one aspect of an overall accident settlement. An injured person can request payment for many types of damages. Make sure your settlement includes the full value of your many costs and losses including your medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost wages and earning potential, your pain and suffering, and other values determined by your attorney.
Can You Sue For a Car Accident in Kentucky?
Kentucky car accident victims may not file personal injury lawsuits unless the level of personal injury damage is $1,000 or above, or if the accident caused a compound, compressed, or displaced bone fracture, a weight-bearing bone fracture, permanent disfigurement, permanent injury, or a permanent loss of a body function.
This threshold is for physical injuries only. After an accident occurs, you can also start a claim against the at-fault driver for your property loss or for damage to your vehicle beyond what is going to be covered by your auto insurance.
If you’re a Kentucky driver dealing with an accident you caused, using no-fault insurance could be to your advantage. Why? Because the driver is not allowed to sue you for their damages unless their medical expenses are going to rise above a certain threshold.
As the victim of an accident caused by another driver, you are likely eligible to have your costs covered easily and quickly, but things may be more complex than you expect. When your expenses exceed the amount of the insurance coverage, including any available at-fault driver’s policy, you may need to file a lawsuit and pursue another route to the full compensation you need.
Is Kentucky a No-Fault State for Car Accidents?
Kentucky is a no-fault state, more specifically a “choice no-fault” state. Vehicle owners can opt out of the no-fault car insurance system and choose to sue – or be sued – after a car accident.
With no-fault car insurance in Kentucky, your insurance policy covers your medical bills and other economic losses after a car accident. This occurs regardless of who caused the accident.
Again, you can opt out of the no-fault system and preserve your right to sue the at-fault driver after a car accident. However, all Kentucky vehicle owners must have a minimum amount of auto insurance that includes liability coverage.
Who Pays Medical Bills After a Car Accident in Kentucky?
After a car wreck, your medical insurance may pay for your urgent care for serious injuries. Kentucky’s no-fault personal injury protection (PIP) coverage will help cover your most pressing medical bills and your lost wages, even if you were completely or partially at fault for the accident.
The driver’s insurance company or the responsible party’s insurance company may or may not cover all of the costs of the crash. Insurance companies don’t always do what feels right to accident victims in car accident cases.
Costs above and beyond those covered by insurance and personal injury protection may be recoverable from the responsible party. Contact a Kentucky auto accident attorney for more information about your specific circumstances.
What is the Statute of Limitations on a Car Accident in Kentucky?
Under Kentucky law, the statute of limitations places a two-year limit on an injury claim following an accident, including claims for wrongful death. Aside from this statute of limitations, a state insurer may also set a separate deadline for filing.
This key deadline means you should speak to an experienced Kentucky car accident attorney or wrongful death attorney immediately about a car accident claim. Do not speak to representatives from insurance companies before contacting the right personal injury lawyers and selecting a lawyer for your personal injury case.
How Do I Acquire a Copy of the Police Report About My Accident?
To access a copy of the police report, contact the police department that responded to the scene of your accident or oversees the jurisdiction where it occurred. Many people work with their personal injury attorneys to request a copy or arrange an incident report if there is no police report available. Personal injury lawyers are accustomed to working with the police to acquire documentation.
What if My Car is Totaled From the Car Accident?
A car accident victim will often assume that they will simply get enough money for property damage from their own insurance company to pay for the damage their vehicle sustained in a car wreck. This isn’t always the case. If the damage to your car will cost more than its value, repair might be ill-advised. The car insurance company will want to conduct an inspection or have a mechanic do it on their behalf.
Your insurance company, or the other driver’s insurance company, might consider the vehicle a total loss. Of course, most drivers don’t automatically know the actual value of their car. The other driver’s insurance company may also hold a different view from you as to what your car is worth because insurance companies use their own calculations.
In Kentucky, a car is generally considered totaled when the expense of the repairs would be more than 75% of the actual value of the car. If it won’t be considered totaled and they offer you a low value, you may not feel that the amount you receive is just compensation. Plus, you may have bills for medical treatment and other losses.
What Are the Common Types of Car Accidents in Kentucky?
Fatality car accident statistics from insurance companies and government agencies show people are most likely to become car accident victims on rural highways driven during their daily lives. Kentucky State Police accident data has shown that the most common types of car crashes are on rural two-lane highways that have no medians. An accident like this can lead to a car accident claim.
Here are the primary types of accidents we see in Kentucky.
Head-on Collisions
Head-on collisions, also known as frontal collisions, are extremely dangerous for car accident victims and can lead to serious injuries. Potential injuries include spinal injuries, head injuries, chest and organ injuries, neck injuries, and more.
Rear-end Collisions
A rear-ending can occur almost anywhere including a highway, suburban driveway, while stopped in traffic, in a parking lot, and more.
It is known that distracted driving has a strong connection to rear-end collisions.
Side-Impact Collisions
Also known as T-bone collisions, these involve an impact where one car hits another car in the side. These accidents often have crushing injuries with bodily damage when a door crumples inward.
Sideswipes
A sideswipe happens when one car slides into the other’s side while traveling in the same direction. These crashes can cause rollovers and multi-car collisions, even at low speeds.
What are the Main Causes of Kentucky Car Accidents?
Accident causes have been heavily studied for more than half a century by insurance companies and safety agencies. In Kentucky vehicle crashes, some of the most common causes of accidents with property damage and personal injuries are:
- Carelessness and driver error
- Debris and hazards in the road
- Distracted driving
- Driving in bad weather
- Drowsy driving
- Drunk/drugged driving
- Exceeding the speed limit
- Failure to maintain the vehicle equipment
- Failure to stop when needed
- Mobility and vision issues
- Reckless driving
- Road racing and road rage
What Are the Most Common Injuries from Car Crashes?
Do you have major injuries or minor wounds from an accident? You could have many different types of injuries after a car accident. Visit a qualified medical professional for a full evaluation and diagnosis. Insurance companies don’t always cover all costs related to these injuries, which we’ll cover in another section, below.
Scrapes and Cuts
It’s common to have cuts and scraped-up areas on your skin after an auto accident. Debris from the car or even deployed airbags can bring injuries in a car accident.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Some of the most common types of soft tissue injuries include bruises, whiplash, and muscle strains. Although it’s called a soft tissue injury, this type of injury can take plenty of time and cost to heal.
Head Injuries
The delicate brain is vulnerable to a car accident injury. You may have a mild brain injury, like bruising or a concussion, or it could be a more severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).
A TBI is one of the more serious injuries caused by car trauma accidents, yet it may show subtle symptoms. TBIs often require specialized hospital care and long-term rehabilitation.
Neck and Back Injuries
Your neck and back can be instantly injured in a vehicle accident. Common diagnoses include pinched nerves, Cervical Spondylolisthesis, a disc slip or herniation, a muscle sprain or strain, tendon stiffness, bone compression or fractures, spasms, paralysis, arm or leg weakness, sexual dysfunction, numbness, tingling, or ongoing mobility issues.
Chest Injuries
Depending on the intensity of your car accident, you could have a chest injury from mild to severe. Mild symptoms include bruising and more severe injuries may include broken ribs, organ damage, a heart attack, or a collapsed lung.
What Types of Auto Accident Compensation Can I Claim in Kentucky?
There are many types of compensation you can pursue after a Kentucky auto accident. To strengthen your case and build your chances for the most compensation, save evidence like your medical bills, receipts, pay stubs, insurance claim paperwork, and any other documentation related to your car crash. Your total compensation level usually depends on your share of the blame. With fair compensation, you can begin to find some peace of mind and stay on the road to recovery. These are all helpful during car accident claims and help you show that you deserve maximum compensation for your losses.
We help car accident clients claim compensation for:
- Medical costs, including current and future medical bills
- Lost income and the future earning power you will miss
- Costs for services you may need now, like rehab or in-home aides
- The value of your pain and suffering
- Other costs and losses as applicable
Do You Offer Free Car Accident Case Consultations?
Yes, will offer you a free consultation and work on a contingency fee basis while seeking maximum compensation on your behalf. We care about helping you understand your situation and protecting your right to fair compensation, so we offer a free consultation to get your case off to a great start.
We work to help people in Central Kentucky and beyond with our experience and compassion. When working with the car accident lawyers at McCoy & Sparks, you’ll see that we’ll take the time to review the details of your case, get to know you, and arrange a strong legal strategy to pursue the best possible outcome.
You are not just a number to our legal team. Your auto accident injury claim feels very personal to us, and we will provide you with the personal attention and care you need. Our goal is always to figure out exactly who was responsible for your auto crash and hold them accountable so you can recover the full amount you deserve for your losses.
Your accident happened, but it doesn’t have to ruin your life. To learn more, please take a look at our many case results to see how other people in Kentucky are winning compensation for car accidents with our help and expertise.
McCoy & Sparks – Kentucky Accident Attorneys
With McCoy & Sparks, you’ll have a Kentucky car accident lawyer with experience representing people hurt in car accidents near you. We take cases throughout Kentucky and we care about our local communities.
As an experienced car accident lawyer, your Kentucky car accident attorney will know what it takes to build a case on behalf of people injured in motor vehicle accidents. We have decades of experience and hundreds of satisfied clients to confirm our knowledge and work.
Contact McCoy & Sparks, PLLC, Central Kentucky car accident lawyers, at 1-844-4KY-WINS, or start by filling out our online form to set up a free consultation about your accident now. If you choose to visit us in person, our offices are located at 212 W. Stephen Foster Ave. in Bardstown, Kentucky.