Car Accident Lawyer in Nampa, ID
After being involved in a Nampa car accident that someone else caused — especially one that has left you injured — it can be overwhelming to think about what to do next. If you’re like most people, this is the first time you’ve ever had to deal with an accident claim. You may be asking yourself, “Do I need a car accident attorney?” Or, “Can I handle this on my own?”
The answer to both of those questions is “maybe.” It depends on the severity of the accident and the extent of your injuries. But even if you decide you don’t need a lawyer, we still recommend that you at least speak to one, which is why we offer a free case evaluation at Mountain States Injury Law. During your free consultation, the Nampa car accident lawyer you speak with can help you understand your rights and options and give you a better idea of what to expect during the claims process.
If you do decide to hire a lawyer, it’s important that you choose one you’re comfortable with and who has experience handling car accident cases in Nampa. The attorneys at Mountain States Injury Law have been helping personal injury victims in Nampa for years, and we’re ready to put our experience to work for you. If you don’t decide to hire us, that’s fine too — our free consultation comes with zero obligation.
Contact us today to schedule your free consultation. We’ll review your case and give you our honest opinion of whether or not we think you need a lawyer, as well as what you can expect moving forward. And if you decide to hire us, we’ll work tirelessly to get you the compensation you deserve.
Take a look below to get a better idea of how damages are handled in a car accident claim and why working with a Nampa car accident attorney is one of the most important decisions you can make after such a painful and traumatic experience.
Dale G. Casares
Colorado, Idaho, and Montana
Personal Injury Attorney
Free Consultation
We won’t charge a fee until
your claim is settled.
What Our Clients Say
“Dale was extremely kind and helpful in a moment of panic after a car accident. She went out of her way to ensure I had the correct information in regards to what Colorado laws protect me after an accident and how to properly approach the situation.”
— Tom
“Dale helped me and my family through a very hard time. She was professional, diligent, extremely knowledgeable and knows how to get the job done. I would never hesitate to recommend Dale or use her in the future.”
— Brett
“Dale Casares is an incredible attorney and human being. Ever since I met her, she has been willing to fight for me and support me. Dale excels at listening, understanding, and using her knowledge and skills to help people.”
— Angela
5.0 Rating Based on 41 Google Reviews
Free Consultation
We won’t charge a fee until
your claim is settled.
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Common Damages After a Nampa, Idaho Car Accident
The following sections will detail some of the more common types of damages that are available to accident victims in Nampa, Idaho.
The most common type of damages in a car accident case is compensatory damages, which are intended to compensate the victim for their losses. They can include things like medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. They are divided into two distinct sub-categories:
Economic Damages
Economic damages are those that can be easily quantified, such as medical bills and lost wages — anything with a dollar value associated with them. They are intended to compensate the victim for their actual losses and are not meant to include things like pain and suffering.
Loss of Income
This is the most common economic damage in a car accident. If you are unable to work because of your injuries, you can sue for the income you have lost as a result. If you’ve been injured and these injuries will continue to impact your ability to earn a wage in the future, it’s important that the insurance company pay for these damages, as well.
Medical Bills
If you have to go to the hospital or see a doctor because of your car accident, you can sue for the cost of those medical bills. While these may seem pretty straightforward, you’ll be surprised how hard insurance companies will work to claim that your car accident injuries were either pre-existing or are less serious than you claim. Your Nampa car accident lawyers can counter these claims with substantial proof.
Future Financial Impacts
If your injuries will have long-term effects, you can also sue for the future income you will lose and the future medical bills you will incur. Victims can calculate this area of compensation best with the support of an experienced team of lawyers, who will first establish proof that the injuries will continue to cause issues in the future and then calculate a realistic figure for those damages.
Property Damage
If your car was damaged in the accident, you could sue for the cost of repairing or replacing it. Many other types of property can be included in this section, including your personal possessions in the vehicle that were damaged due to the crash, such as your phone, clothing, or anything you may have been transporting at the time.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are more difficult to quantify, such as pain and suffering. They are meant to compensate the victim for their intangible losses, such as emotional distress, mental anguish, and physical pain.
Pain and Suffering
You may also be able to sue for pain and suffering, which is compensation for the physical and emotional anguish you have suffered as a result of the accident. It can be difficult for an injured party to accurately quantify the extent of these issues and then calculate the compensation they deserve, but the team at our Nampa, Idaho law firm will do what it takes to make sure your claim reflects the reality of your situation.
Emotional Distress
If the accident has caused you emotional distress, you may be able to sue for that as well. As with pain and suffering, this is a tricky area of a personal injury claim that injured victims find it difficult to comfortably seek monetary compensation for. Our law firm will fight to recover the non-economic damages you are entitled to after a car wreck while you stay focused on getting the care you need.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are designed to punish the at-fault driver for their actions and deter them from doing it again. They are not available in every case but may be awarded by a judge or jury at the resolution of a trial if the at-fault driver was especially reckless or negligent. Car accident victims are not able to seek these directly as they work to recover compensation, and our law firm of accident lawyers in Nampa, Idaho, will not include these in your personal injury claim or calculations about what they believe you are owed.
In Idaho, punitive damages are capped at $250,000 or 3x the total compensatory damages.
Seeking Fair Compensation in a Car Accident Claim
Identifying the damages you’ve suffered is only the first step in calculating a fair settlement amount. Once you’ve done that, you need to put a dollar amount to those damages to come up with a fair demand for your case. Here are some tips on how to do that:
Know the Value of Your Case
The first thing you need to do is get an idea of how much your case is worth. To do that, you need to know what damages you can sue for and how to value those damages. An experienced car accident lawyer will be able to help you with this by taking the necessary time to identify damages, calculate their individual values, gather supporting evidence, and finally tally all of these individual line items into a total that they will then send in a demand letter to the insurance adjuster.
Don’t underestimate your pain and suffering
One of the most common mistakes accident victims make is underestimating their pain and suffering. Many people think that their pain and suffering is only worth a few thousand dollars when in reality, it can be worth much more. An experienced lawyer will know how to value your pain and suffering properly.
Even when victims who have suffered injuries understand how serious they are, the insurance company will use aggressive tactics throughout the claims process. They will try to get the claimant to “slip up” and say something that impacts their case or outright deny their non-economic damage calculations in the hopes that these intimidation tactics work.
Don’t accept the first offer
The insurance company’s initial offer is almost always shockingly low. They know that you need the money and they will try to take advantage of that by offering a one-time payment in exchange for waiving your rights to any future legal action, regardless of whether or not the settlement is full or fair.
Get help from an experienced car accident lawyer
This is the most important tip. An experienced car accident lawyer will know how to value your case, how to negotiate with the insurance company, and how to get you the best possible settlement. Don’t try to handle your case on your own; get help from an experienced lawyer.
The Importance of Working With a Car Accident Attorney — Nampa, ID
After you’ve been in a car accident, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed and uncertain of what to do next. One of the most important decisions you will make is whether or not to hire an attorney. Many people choose to handle their own cases without legal representation, but this is usually not in their best interest. Here are a few reasons why you should consider working with a car accident attorney:
You need someone on your side
The insurance company will have its own insurance adjuster working to minimize the amount they have to pay you. You need someone on your side who is looking out for your best interests and who knows how to level the playing field.
You need someone with experience
An experienced car accident attorney will know how to value your case, negotiate with the insurance company, and get you the best possible settlement. They will also know what to do if your case goes to trial.
You need someone who knows the law
The law is complex, and it changes all the time. Insurers know this, and with a team of legal support behind them, they will find every possible loophole to use these complexities to their advantage.
An experienced attorney will know the ins and outs of the law and how it applies to your case. They will also know what to do if the other side tries to use a technicality to deny you compensation.
You need someone who is not afraid to take your case to trial
Many lawyers are reluctant to take cases to trial, but an experienced car accident attorney will not be afraid to take your case all the way if that’s what it takes to get you the compensation you deserve.
If you’ve been in a car accident, don’t try to handle your case alone. Get help from an experienced car accident attorney who can fight for you and get you the compensation you need.
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Frequently Asked Questions About a Nampa Car Accident
The following are just a few of the many common questions that car accident attorneys answer during their initial consultations and throughout their work with car accident victims. If you have suffered injuries in a Nampa car accident, contact us right away.
Whether or not you see your questions below, remember that these are only meant to give you a general sense of how these details work in personal injury cases stemming from car accidents — the actual answer will be highly dependent on the details of your Nampa car accident.
How long will it take to settle my car accident case?
The length of time it will take to settle your case depends on many factors, such as the severity of your injuries, the amount of insurance coverage available, and whether or not the other driver was insured.
Generally speaking, if you have suffered serious injuries, or if there is a major disagreement about issues like fault or damages, it will take longer to settle your case than if you have only suffered minor injuries.
What if the insurance company doesn’t want to settle?
If the insurance company doesn’t want to settle, your only option is to file a lawsuit and take them to court. An experienced Nampa car accident attorney will know how to build a strong case and present it in the Idaho courts to get you the compensation you deserve.
They may also be able to give you advice or connect you with professionals that can help you manage your debt and mounting bills while they fight to recover full and fair compensation on your behalf.
What if I was partially at fault for the accident?
In Idaho, the law uses a comparative negligence standard, which means that you can still recover damages even if you were partially at fault for the accident. However, your recovery will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you were found to be 20% at fault for the accident, you would only be able to recover 80% of your damages. While this doctrine is great for protecting victims, insurance companies will use this law to their advantage to reduce the amount your claim will ultimately cost them.
What are the most common car accident injuries?
The most common injuries from a car accident include whiplash, neck and back injuries, head injuries, broken bones, and soft tissue damage. However, any type of injury can occur in a car accident, no matter how minor it may seem at first. Many people become self-conscious about their injuries, especially in a low-speed accident like a fender bender, and choose not to bring them into their claim. Your attorney will help you feel comfortable claiming your injuries — you don’t deserve to suffer without compensation because of someone else’s dangerous behavior.
Will I have to go to court if I file a car accident lawsuit?
Most car accident cases are settled out of court, but if the insurance company refuses to settle or if there is a major disagreement about who was at fault or how much your injuries are worth, your case may go to trial. If your case goes to trial, your attorney will be with you every step of the way to help you present your case to the judge and jury.
Source: https://courtdata.idaho.gov/Charge
With 77,381 civil cases filed in the Idaho Courts throughout the fiscal year 2022, waiting for your case to make its way through the court system can be frustrating and time-consuming. This is one of many reasons why insurers and attorneys focus on reaching a settlement agreement before filing a lawsuit and preparing for a trial.
Do I need a Nampa car accident attorney if I was only a passenger in the car accident?
It’s always a good idea to talk to car accident attorneys after automobile accidents, even if you weren’t the driver. Passengers can often be injured just as badly as drivers, and they may have claims against both the driver of the car they were in and the other driver involved in the accident. Your attorney will help you figure out who is responsible for your injuries and get you the compensation you deserve.
Contact Our Firm Today To Connect With Nampa Car Accident Lawyers
No one ever expects to be in a car accident, but unfortunately, they happen every day. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, don’t try to handle your case on your own — get help from the Nampa car accident lawyers at Mountain States Injury Law. The consultation is free, and we only get paid if we win your case.
The insurance company will try to lowball you with a settlement that doesn’t adequately cover your medical bills or non-economic damages like pain and suffering. But our experienced car accident lawyers know how to get you the compensation you deserve. We’ve recovered millions of dollars for our clients, and we can help you too.