Castle Rock Car Accident Attorney

How Can a Car Accident Affect Your Life and Your Future?

Each of us will likely be in one or more car accidents over the course of our lives. The accidents may be minor parking lot bump-ins or more serious car accidents that can result in severe, even catastrophic injuries. Trying to heal from those injuries while being unable to work and make a living can cause serious stress and anxiety. One moment you are living your life, and the next, through no fault of your own, you are facing months, years, perhaps a lifetime of dealing with your injuries. You should not have to handle this on your own. Attorney Dianne Sawaya is ready to assist you in getting a fair settlement to help put your life back together.

How Castle Rock Car Accident Attorney Dianne Sawaya Can Help

The Castle Rock car accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya can help you following your car accident. We understand the physical and emotional trauma you have experienced and are here to help you get the financial settlement you need to get your life back on track. With more than 200 positive Google Reviews, you can see that we have helped many Colorado residents just like you over the past two decades. Our attorneys:

• Are smart, aggressive, and compassionate
• Will maximize the settlement you need and deserve
• Offer 100% free consultations—always
• Charge you no fee unless we secure a recovery for damages on your behalf
• Will help you get the medical treatments you need in order to heal

Attorney Dianne Sawaya is different from other car accident attorneys. She understands your feelings of frustration, anxiety, and stress following your car accident. Dianne also knows that working with a knowledgeable Castle Rock car accident attorney will help you get your life back to the way it was before the negligence of another driver changed everything. If you are eligible for compensation, we will work hard to secure those benefits, including pain and suffering, lost wages, medical expenses, and more. We are ready to discuss the facts of your car accident and assist you in getting an equitable settlement.

Car Accidents in Castle Rock, Colorado

Castle Rock, nestled south of Denver, is a thriving world-class community, with more than 80,000 residents. Castle Rock is projected to grow to 150,000 residents within the next two decades. Castle Rock is the County seat of Douglas County and is the headquarters for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Douglas County School District, and Douglas County.

Car accidents occur in every city and town across the United States. When you are involved in a car accident caused by the negligence of another, you may be severely injured, perhaps even unable to work and make a living. You need the assistance of a strong Castle Rock car accident attorney from the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya, LLC.

How Can Distracted Driving Result in a Car Accident?

Distracted driving has been quickly moving up the list of factors that contribute to car accidents. As a nation, we are multi-taskers who often carry those behaviors into our driving. Driving is one time when you don’t want to multi-task, rather you must have your full attention on the road and the drivers around you. Yet many drivers—despite knowing how dangerous distracted driving is—routinely talk or text on their phones, eat entire meals, turn around to see what the children are doing in the back seat, talk to passengers, or simply daydream when they should be paying attention.

Visual distractions are those that take your eyes away from the road. Manual distractions are those that take your hands off the wheel, and cognitive distractions take your mind away from driving. Texting on a cell phone involves all three types of distractions which makes it a particularly dangerous distraction. According to the End Distracted Driving website, at least 7 percent of all fatal crashes in 2019 were related to distracted driving behaviors.

Distracted driving crashes are significantly under-reported because drivers involved in an accident due to a distraction do not want to admit they were distracted. So, while it is estimated that cell phone use is responsible for more than 27 percent of all car collisions, this number is likely higher. Among teenagers, distracted driving accidents are even more common, with about 58 percent of teen car accidents related to cell phone use and other distractions.

What Types of Damages Will My Car Accident Settlement Cover?

The damages you are entitled to receive will depend on the facts and circumstances surrounding your car accident. That said, most people are entitled to receive “special” damages, which are also known as economic damages. Special damages are those that can be easily quantified—i.e., they have a specific dollar amount attached to them. Special damages include medical expenses, both current and future, and lost wages, both current and future. Special damages also include the damages to your vehicle.

General damages, also known as non-economic damages, are those that are much more difficult to quantify. General damages include pain and suffering-both actual physical pain and emotional pain and trauma. General damages cover the many ways your injuries have adversely changed your life, leaving you unable to do many of the things you once enjoyed. General damages can also cover such things as loss of consortium, which is your spouse’s loss of the benefit of affection and sexual relations due to your injuries.

Do I Have to Accept an Insurance Settlement Offer?

Insurance companies often submit a quick settlement offer to those who are legally unrepresented. Unfortunately, many individuals are not fully knowledgeable regarding the extent of their injuries and other damages, so they accept this low offer. Later, they find that the settlement amount is woefully insufficient, but at this point, it is too late to re-negotiate. If you are legally represented, your Castle Rock car accident attorney will have a thorough understanding of what your claim is actually worth.

Your attorney will negotiate with the insurance company for a fair settlement. If the insurance company simply will not agree to a fair settlement, then your attorney will file a lawsuit on your behalf. A judge or jury will then determine what your claim is worth. At any point during the process, you may be offered a settlement. You are free to decline the offer, however, it’s wise to discuss this with your attorney to determine whether a better offer is possible.

How Long Will It Take to Get a Settlement from a Car Accident?

The statute of limitations for auto accidents in Colorado is 3 years, of course, many cases will settle before this deadline. If your injuries are severe, it may not be clear just how long you will require medical treatment. It may take several months to fully know how long your medical treatments will last and you don’t want to accept a settlement offer only to find it is not sufficient to pay for all your necessary treatments. Once you have reached maximum medical improvement (the highest level of improvement you are expected to reach) and your attorney has had time to collect the evidence necessary to support your damages, a demand letter can be submitted to the insurance company.

When the demand letter is submitted to the insurance company, you can typically expect an initial response within 4-6 weeks. If settlement negotiations do not result in an agreement, your attorney may initiate a lawsuit on your behalf. The pace at which your lawsuit will move will depend on your jurisdiction, the number of Defendants involved, and the complexity of the legal issues. Discovery will ensue, with both parties exchanging information, assessing the damages, and establishing defenses. Once initiated, a car accident lawsuit can take from six months to more than a year.

How an Experienced Castle Rock Car Accident Attorney from the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya Can Help

Being involved in a car accident is tough. Not only must you deal with the physical injuries you sustained during the accident, but those physical injuries can lead to mental and emotional trauma. When you are in a position like this, you may not know where to turn or who to talk to. Perhaps you are unable to work and make a living, so you cannot pay your normal monthly expenses. Whatever your situation, a knowledgeable Castle Rock car accident attorney from the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya, LLC can help you through these challenging times in the best way possible. Don’t wait—contact attorney Dianne Sawaya today for the experienced legal representation you need.