If you have been injured in a car accident and intend to pursue compensation, you may be concerned about whether you will need to go to court to resolve your case. It is very normal to be apprehensive about a potential courtroom battle. Particularly if you have not had reason to experience a trial, the prospect may seem intimidating. Fortunately, most people are able to resolve their car accident cases without entering a courtroom.

Your attorney will likely make efforts to settle your case out of court before proceeding with trial preparation. However, some motor vehicle accident claims are ultimately decided in court after a trial. It is a possibility that your case cannot be settled by agreement, and you will go to court, although this is a much less common result than settling. An attorney can keep you apprised of how your case is progressing. 

Reasons Your Case Could Go to Trial

There are a number of reasons why parties may ultimately go to court to resolve the claim. Parties are not always able to reach a settlement. Some reasons that a case may go to trial include: 

It can be very scary to be a passenger in a car driven by a risk-taking driver. There is very little you can do to prevent a car accident when you are not in the driver’s seat. Getting out of the car may not always be a good option. Asking the driver to please slow down or get off their phone may be ineffective, and doing so could even cause the driver to behave even more recklessly. 

If you get into an accident due to your driver’s negligence, you may be able to recover compensation. There can be differences in how your case should be handled depending on your relationship with the driver. For example, your case might be different if you are a friend of the driver as opposed to an immediate family member. If you were injured in a car accident as a passenger of the at-fault driver, your best option is to speak with an attorney. 

Recovering Compensation as a Social Passenger

If you were a friend, acquaintance, or even in some cases a family member of the careless driver who caused the accident, you may be able to recover compensation through the driver’s insurance policy. If the driver had the right types of coverage, you may only need to file a claim as one normally would after an accident. You may even have a bit of an easier time showing that the driver was negligent, as you likely had a very clear view of exactly what the driver did to cause the accident. Seeking compensation for medical bills through your own insurance coverage may also be an option for some. 

Drivers in cars or trucks should be well aware that they are sharing the roads with motorcyclists. Now that the weather has warmed up, more people are using motorcycles to get around or even just riding for enjoyment. With the current gas prices, motorcyclists may even manage to save a bit of money considering the fuel efficiency of a bike compared to a car. However, there is one major disadvantage to riding a motorcycle - it can be considerably more dangerous than driving a car. When a motorcycle crashes, the person or people on the bike have no protection other than the gear they are wearing. 

Unfortunately, not all drivers are as attentive as they should be when it comes to preventing motorcycle accidents. If you were injured by a negligent driver while riding a motorcycle, we may be able to help you recover full compensation. 

How Careless Drivers Put Motorcyclists at Risk

When drivers are alert and mindful that there are bikes around them, most crashes can be avoided. A few careless habits some drivers have that put riders in danger include: 

The answer to this question largely depends on whose fault the car accident was. In many cases, single-car accidents are not the fault of the driver, in which case you may be able to recover compensation in one of several ways. In some cases, even if your single-car accident was your fault, you may have options for recovering funds from your own insurance company. If you were not at fault for your crash, then you may be able to recover compensation.

There are several parties who could potentially be on the hook for compensating you, ranging from the party responsible for your crash to your insurance company through uninsured motorist coverage. Identifying the party who is liable to you and then proving it can be complicated in single-car crashes, so you will need the help of an experienced attorney. 

What Causes Single-Car Accidents and Who May be Liable for Them?

It is important to identify the exact cause of your single-car accident before your lawyer can determine who might be liable. In some cases, it can be difficult to prove what happened. Witnesses often play an important role. Some common causes of single-car accidents include: 

Getting rear-ended can be a very startling event. Most people are not looking backward and do not see the car crash coming. Rear-end collisions are often impossible to avoid for the driver in front. Depending on how fast the vehicle in the back was going, and the relative sizes of the two vehicles, these crashes can be very dangerous. Even if the damage to the vehicle you were in does not look too bad, the damage to you can be severe. If you get rear-ended, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. The sooner you seek care, the sooner you will have a complete picture of what injuries you have sustained. It is important not to wait too long to seek care. Your next step should be to contact an attorney. 

What Serious Injuries Can Rear-End Collisions Cause?

It is easy to think of most rear-end crashes as minor accidents. However, the forces involved in these collisions can cause serious injury, particularly to the brain and spinal cord. Injuries that are frequently sustained during rear-end collisions include: 

• Brain injuries - People who are in a vehicle that gets rear-ended often describe being thrown forward and then back into their seats. This sudden and harsh motion can shake the brain and lead to injuries like contusions and other traumatic brain injuries. 
• Neck and spine - The same motion that tends to cause brain injuries can also harm the spinal cord or neck. These injuries sometimes lead to long-lasting and debilitating pain. 
• Arms and hands- The driver of the car that is struck from behind often has their hands on the wheel. The sudden force associated with rear-end crashes can cause injuries to the arms, wrists, and hands. Losing the use of an arm or hand even temporarily can create a serious disruption in your life, forcing you to take time off from work or causing you to struggle with basic household tasks. 
• Facial injuries - If the accident was bad enough to throw you forward into the steering wheel or seat in front of you, you may have suffered a facial injury like a broken bone or disfigurement. 

The injuries people can sustain during rear-end crashes should not be brushed off, and they almost always warrant some type of medical attention.