After a La Crosse car accident, you may find yourself with severe injuries, many of which may lead to lifelong challenges. Car accident injuries can change your ability to work, the activities you can enjoy, and even your ability to spend time with friends and loved ones. Not only that, car accident injuries can cause substantial financial challenges: significant medical bills that you must find a way to pay on top of your inability to work.
Did you suffer severe injuries in a car accident caused by another party's negligence somewhere in La Crosse? An experienced La Crosse car accident injury lawyer can help. Contact Nicolet Law today for a free consultation regarding your car accident claim
Injured in La Crosse? Get Nicolet.
Why Should I Hire the La Crosse Car Accident Lawyers from Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers?
Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers is an award-winning team of lawyers committed to pursuing full and fair compensation for victims of La Crosse car accidents, and for families of victims who tragically perish in those accidents. With decades of combined experience among us, our car accident lawyers possess the experience and skill set necessary to secure maximum payment for our clients in even the most challenging personal injury cases.
Whether an accident happens at a South Avenue intersection or out near the University campus, the lawyers in our La Crosse office have the local knowledge and reputations crash victims need to hold the parties at fault legally and financially accountable through a personal injury claim
How Our Personal Injury Lawyers Help Our Clients
When potential clients want to know about Nicolet Law's reputation, we can point to a well-established track record of top-dollar successes in car accident cases throughout Wisconsin.
Recent favorable outcomes for our firm’s car accident clients include:
- $1.2 million for a young child who suffered burns in an auto accident;
- $572,000 for a family that suffered injuries in a vehicle accident; and
- $250,000 for a woman injured in a motor vehicle accident.
We cannot promise similar results in future car accident cases, of course, because every personal injury case we handle has unique facts and circumstances. We can, however, guarantee to our clients in La Crosse that we will leave no stone unturned in our quest to secure justice and seek compensation for their car accident injuries.
Where We See Accidents in La Crosse
Motor vehicle accidents happen all over La Crosse, but occur more often in some locations than others.
Wisconsin Department of Transportation crash data overlaid on a map of La Crosse reveal striking clusters of motor vehicle accidents:
- The length of the in-town north-south running corridors, including South Avenue, 3rd Street, 4th Street, West Avenue, and Losey Boulevard.
- Hwy. 16 from the I-90 junction down to the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse campus.
- The vicinity of the Rose Street and I-90 interchange.
No matter where an accident happens in La Crosse, however, Nicolet Law Office’s experienced car accident lawyers possess the skill and local resources to locate critical evidence and to build a winning case that secures full compensation for accident victims.
The Injuries Many Car Accident Victims Suffer in La Crosse, Wisconsin
A serious car accident can cause severe injuries, many of which can cause severe impact on the rest of your life.
If you suffered a serious injury in your car accident, get in touch with an experienced car accident injury attorney as soon as possible to learn more about your right to compensation.
- Traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, can impact every area of a victim’s life. TBI may lead to severe cognitive, emotional, and even physical challenges: not just memory disturbances, which can prove difficult enough to deal with, but severe emotional disturbances, ongoing problems with focus and concentration, and even substantial changes in sleep patterns.
- Back and neck injuries. Back and neck pain can make it incredibly difficult to engage in normal activities, from sitting behind a desk for the duration of a workday to lifting a heavy object that needs to move to accomplish a task. Worse, spinal cord injuries can cause complete paralysis below the site of the injury. Many victims with severe spinal cord injuries may need to change their professions and the activities they regularly enjoy.
- Amputations. Amputees permanently lose a limb due to the damage caused by a car accident. Many amputees, especially those who lose more than one limb, need to relearn how to perform common activities following their injuries. Amputees often choose to use prosthetic devices to aid in mobility and improve function. Those devices, while convenient, can prove expensive, since amputees need to replace their prosthetics an average of every three to five years.
- Burns. Car accidents, especially severe car accidents, have a high risk of causing burns if the gas tank punctures or the car bursts into flame. Many burn victims suffer permanent disfigurement. They often have a long road to recovery, including the potential for multiple complications.
- Broken bones. Severely broken bones can leave victims unable to care for themselves. Even a single broken bone can decrease mobility, and some victims have ongoing pain in the injury even after it heals. Multiple broken bones, especially those that require surgery to set, may lead to a long recovery, during which victims may struggle to engage in basic self-care tasks or take care of work responsibilities.
Claiming Compensation After a La Crosse Car Accident
Talk to an attorney as soon after your accident as possible to get a better idea of how to file a car accident claim and what you will need to include in your claim.
Identifying the Liable Party
Your attorney will start by identifying the party that bears liability for your car accident. In some cases, you may clearly see that the other driver caused your accident. However, other factors may contribute to your car accident, which may leave other parties liable for your injuries.
If your attorney can identify multiple parties that share liability for the accident, it can ultimately increase the compensation you may receive for your injuries.
- Did a driver on the clock cause your accident? Commercial drivers fill the roads: big trucks, delivery drivers, and Uber and Lyft drivers, for example. In some cases, if a driver on the clock causes an accident, the driver’s employer may share liability for the accident. For example, a company that forces its drivers to drive in unsafe conditions may share liability for an accident caused by one of those drivers. Likewise, if a company fails to properly maintain company vehicles, leading to an accident, the company may bear liability for those actions. Commercial drivers may also carry higher-value insurance plans than drivers who drive only for personal use.
Determining the Compensation You Deserve
An attorney cannot guarantee the compensation you deserve for injuries sustained in a car accident, regardless of who caused your accident. However, an attorney can evaluate the liable driver’s insurance policy and the damages you suffered as a result of your injuries and give you a better idea of how much compensation you can claim.
Most car accident injury claims include:
- Compensation for your medical bills. Severe car accident injuries can leave you with high medical bills, which you must somehow pay off. Your medical bills will typically form the foundation of your car accident injury claim.
- Compensation for lost wages due to your injuries. Many severe car accident injuries can prevent you from immediately returning to work. Your employer may work with you so that you can work from home or on a limited basis, but you may still have reduced income coming in during your recovery. Talk to your attorney about how to calculate wages lost due to your injuries.
- Compensation for pain and suffering following your accident. Many car accident injury claims include a category for pain and suffering: compensation, not for the financial losses you suffered in your accident, but for the emotional distress and other effects of your injuries. In addition to physical pain, you may have to deal with immense emotional upheaval: lost enjoyment of life, decreased ability to care for yourself, and lost relationships due to the inability to socialize normally during your recovery. An attorney can help you calculate these elements of your claim.
La Crosse Car Accident FAQ
If you have questions that relate specifically to your car accident, you should contact an experienced car accident injury attorney as soon as possible to talk about the details of your case. Until you can call us for specifics, take a look at some frequently asked questions for guidance regarding your car accident injury claim.
1. How much is my La Crosse car accident worth?
The compensation you will receive for a car accident will depend on several factors. First, you should consider who caused your accident. Many drivers, for example, may carry minimum liability insurance. Those insurance policies usually have strict limits regarding the compensation you can claim following an accident, which may impact the compensation you can ultimately claim. Next, you should consider the cost of your medical bills, your lost wages due to your inability to work after your accident, and your pain and suffering. An attorney can help calculate the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
2. The insurance company that covers the other driver offered me a settlement for my La Crosse car accident. Should I take it?
A settlement offer may seem very tempting after your accident. You have a long road to recovery and a lot of bills in front of you, and the insurance company will usually offer enough to make the offer look good. In many cases, however, that offer will not reflect the compensation you really deserve for the injuries you sustained.
Before accepting a settlement offer, talk to an experienced car accident injury attorney. A lawyer can provide you with a better idea of how much compensation you can expect and guide you through when to accept a settlement offer.
3. Do I really need an attorney to handle a La Crosse car accident case?
Yes. People may assume they can handle a car accident claim on their own, or perhaps with some help from their car insurance companies. In many cases, however, this may mean that you leave money on the table. Many car accident victims have found that working closely with a car accident injury attorney increases the compensation they can ultimately receive for their accidents.
A La Crosse car accident attorney can also provide immense peace of mind throughout the process. You do not want to have to deal with calls from the insurance company while recovering from your injuries, especially if the insurance company pressures you to accept a low settlement offer. Instead, turn your claim over to an experienced car accident injury attorney who can help protect your rights and keep your best interests in mind at every step of the process.
4. How much does it cost to hire a La Crosse car accident attorney?
After a car accident, you have enough bills to deal with already. Experienced car accident injury attorneys often understand your financial condition and will work to make your legal fees affordable. You will start with a free consultation, during which the attorney will evaluate your claim and help you understand your rights.
Often, the attorney will accept your case on a contingent fee basis. Instead of asking for payment for legal services upfront, the attorney will accept payment only as a percentage of your claim, if successful. For many accident victims, this makes a car accident attorney much more affordable.
5. Who pays my medical bills after a car accident in La Crosse?
After a car accident in La Crosse, especially if you sustained substantial injuries, you may have medical bills that add up fast. As the person receiving treatment for those injuries, you will need to make arrangements to pay for your medical bills. However, you can use your medical insurance or, if you carry it, personal injury protection insurance to help pay for many of your medical expenses. You may also use the funds from your car accident injury claim for your medical bills. The liable party, however, will not pay those bills directly; rather, you will use the funds from your settlement to pay for needed medical treatment.
6. If I didn’t go to the hospital right after my La Crosse car accident, but later discovered I had sustained serious injuries; can I still file a car accident claim?
Yes. Any time you suffer serious injuries in a La Crosse car accident, even if you do not immediately seek medical attention, you can pursue compensation for your injuries through a car accident injury claim. However, if you chose not to seek immediate medical attention, you may have a harder time proving exactly when your injuries occurred. Contact an experienced La Crosse car accident attorney as soon as possible to learn what evidence you need to establish grounds for a car accident claim.
7. How long do I have to file a car accident claim in La Crosse?
You will need to file your car accident injury claim before the statute of limitations runs out. The statute of limitations in car accident injury cases defines how long the victim has to seek compensation for injuries sustained due to another party’s negligence. The statute of limitations may vary in several cases: for example, minors often have longer to file a car accident injury claim than adults.
Even if you believe the statute of limitations has run out on your car accident injuries, contact an attorney. Sometimes, an experienced attorney can identify exceptions that will allow you to file your claim even if the statute of limitations has passed.
Ideally, you should pursue your claim as soon after your car accident as possible. Start working with an attorney immediately after your accident to gather evidence and build your claim.
Contact the La Crosse Car Accident Lawyers at Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers Today
Suffering injuries and losses in a car accident in La Crosse throws victims’ lives into turmoil. They need the steady, experienced guidance of a skilled lawyer to secure the compensation that helps them address their physical, emotional, and financial pain.
The Nicolet Law Office S.C. is that kind of law firm. Our lawyers live and work in La Crosse. They take pride in fighting to make sure their fellow La Crosse residents receive the financial support they deserve in the wake of a devastating car accident.
If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a crash in La Crosse, then contact Nicolet Law today online, or call us at our La Crosse office at 608-527-0876 for a free consultation to learn about your right to compensation.