Rear-end collisions can happen whenever traffic bunches together. The majority occur at intersections. The driver behind misjudges the distance ahead, or is simply not paying attention. Sometimes the driver is texting while driving. While the accident is usually less violent than a head-on or side-impact collision, serious injuries can still occur: fractured skulls, broken bones, severe bruising and “cervical acceleration-deceleration syndrome,” commonly called whiplash. Some cases result in fatality, especially children, who are thrown around in the vehicle.
Victims of rear-end accidents must cope with their injuries, often requiring months of physical therapy and rehabilitation. Every injured person wants to know: How do you afford this? How do you afford missed paychecks and giant hospital bills? Will my body ever be the same? What about the emotional suffering that accompanies a disabling accident? Can such a thing be expressed in dollars? How will I ever be made whole?
Common Injuries in Rear-End Accidents
Rear-end accidents can result in a variety of injuries, and all of these injuries can potentially have serious (and costly) consequences. Ensuring you have the necessary financial resources to cover the costs of your injuries is crucial, and this begins with having an experienced Bethlehem rear-end accident attorney on your side.
Our attorneys help rear-end accident victims seek just compensation for all types of injuries sustained in serious collisions. This includes common injuries such as:
- Concussions and Other TBIs – Concussions are common injuries in rear-end collisions. Even if your front-impact airbag deploys, this won’t necessarily be enough to prevent the forces of the collision from causing a concussion. Other types of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are common as well, and all forms of TBIs require a prompt diagnosis, effective treatment, and sufficient recovery.
- Hand, Wrist, and Arm Injuries – Hand, wrist, and arm injuries are also common in rear-end collisions. Whether you braced for impact or you had no idea that you were about to get hit, holding onto the steering wheel during a rear-end collision can cause internal trauma throughout your upper extremities.
- Leg, Knee, and Ankle Injuries – Rear-end collisions also commonly result in leg, knee, and ankle injuries. These injuries frequently result from impacts with the dashboard (often referred to as “dashboard knee”) or from the feet being forced forward with no place to go. From sprains, strains, and tears to broken bones, these injuries can prove both painful and costly, and they will often require surgery.
- Lower Back Injuries – If you are experiencing lower back pain after a rear-end collision, you should see a doctor promptly. This pain could be symptomatic of a variety of types of injuries, all of which could leave you facing extensive medical bills and a long and difficult road to recovery.
- Neck Injuries – Neck injuries are common in rear-end collisions as well. The forces involved in a rear-end collision (including the forces of whiplash) can cause various forms of internal trauma. Damage to the nerves, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and vertebrae in the neck can all have potentially serious consequences.
While these are among the most common types of injuries in rear-end accidents, they are by no means the only injuries that victims can suffer. Victims can suffer broken bones, nerve damage, and soft tissue injuries throughout the body, and, for those who suffer internal bleeding or organ damage, seeking emergency medical treatment can be critical for mitigating the risk of long-term or permanent effects.
No matter what types of injuries you suffered, if someone else was at fault in your collision, an experienced Bethlehem rear-end accident attorney will be able to help you seek just compensation. One of the first steps in this process involves determining who (or which company) is liable for the crash.
Determining Liability in a Rear-End Accident
As with any type of car accident, determining liability in a rear-end collision involves conducting a thorough investigation. While the driver of the following vehicle (the one that does the rear-ending) will most often be liable, you need to be able to prove liability in order to seek the financial compensation you deserve. This means that you need evidence from the crash site and any other sources from which evidence may be available.
It is also important to note that while the driver who rear-ended you is most likely to be liable, there are other possibilities as well. For example, if the driver was working at the time of the accident, if the driver’s brakes failed, or if the driver was pushed into your vehicle in a chain-reaction accident, these are all circumstances in which you may need to seek to hold a different party accountable.
How a Bethlehem Rear-End Accident Attorney Can Help
If you are facing medical bills and other costs after a rear-end accident in Bethlehem, there are many ways an experienced attorney can help you. Some of the main ways a Bethlehem rear-end accident attorney at Drake, Hileman & Davis, P.C. can help you include:
1. Determining Causation and Liability
We will conduct an investigation focused on determining the specific cause of your rear-end collision. Once we understand why the accident occurred, we can determine who (or which company) is liable for your accident-related losses. As discussed above, while you may have a claim against the driver who hit you (or against the driver’s insurance company), you may also need to pursue financial compensation through other means.
2. Calculating Your Present and Future Losses
Along with determining who (or what company) is liable for your rear-end accident, another critical step in the process is determining how much you are entitled to recover. Accident victims are entitled to seek just compensation for their financial and non-financial losses under Pennsylvania law. Common financial losses include:
- Medical care, medical supplies, and prescriptions
- Other out-of-pocket costs
- Loss of income, benefits, and future earning capacity
- Common non-financial losses include:
- Pain, suffering, and emotional trauma
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of consortium, companionship, and enjoyment of life
The losses you are entitled to recover are unique to you. Our attorneys will work closely with you to ensure that we are able to recover full financial compensation for you.. Crucially, this includes compensation not only for the losses you have already incurred, but for the losses you will incur as well.
3. Seeking Just Compensation While You Recover
Once we have calculated your present and future losses, we will fight for just compensation on your behalf. By handling the details of your claim, it is our hope that you will only need to focus on your physical and emotional recovery. Let us worry about everything else, as we keep you informed throughout the process.
If a settlement offer is on the table, we will help you determine whether to accept it. If we need to take your case to court, we are prepared to fight for the full financial compensation you deserve. We are committed to doing everything we possibly can to help our clients, and we are prepared to pursue your legal rights by all means available.
Serving Bethlehem, Allentown and Most of Eastern Pennsylvania
At Drake, Hileman & Davis, P.C., we work with accident victims to resolve the worst of these financial worries. We have talented accident investigators, forensic accountants and others who can build a cogent and aggressive case for maximum compensation.
While you heal, we will go about the work of building a strong case for you.
If you have been rear-ended and suffered significant injuries, choose a firm that knows the law surrounding these kinds of accidents — not just the law on the books, but the law as interpreted in cases similar to yours.
Contact us at 215-348-2088, or toll-free at 888-777-7098. We can be reached 24 hours a day. With offices in Bethlehem, Doylestown, Allentown, Easton, and Stroudsburg. we are always close by. We can even meet you in your home, nursing home, or the hospital.
Spanish-language services are also available.
