Mediapolis Car Accident Injury Attorneys

Lives can be instantly upended by accidents and injuries. During these difficult periods, car accident injury lawyers become vital allies. They advocate for those injured by others' negligence, ensuring fair compensation. This piece underscores the crucial role these lawyers play in assisting individuals with their claims and restoring normalcy.

Iowa Car Accident Attorney Talks Nerve Impingement Treatment Related to Accident

An Iowa car accident attorney can help sort the legal mess left by a careless driver who caused your crash. Seeking treatment from a doctor or chiropractor for pain is crucial. One injury that slows many accident victims is nerve damage. These injuries may lead to debilitating pain, preventing victims from participating in activities they enjoyed before the accident. Bills and damages associated with the injury may warrant filing a claim with an Iowa car accident attorney.

What is Nerve Impingement?

Nerve impingement, also known as a pinched nerve, develops when a nerve is damaged by being compressed by hard tissue such as bone or cartilage. Common compressors include a bulging disc, bone spur, or misaligned joint in the spine. Nerve impingement is not only painful at the site of the pinched nerve but can also hinder the function and mobility of adjoining muscles and joints. A pinched nerve can result in tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, and pain that may radiate to other parts of the body.

When Nerve Signals Get Cross-Wired

Although not one of the more apparent signs of trauma from a crash, nerve impingement may be debilitating because of the constant pain the victim experiences. Think of your nervous system as a superhighway comprised of many exit ramps that allow nerve signals to move freely to other parts of the body. If one of those exit ramps is affected by a pinched nerve, it may disrupt proper function and cause pain or numbness. If you are injured in a car accident, you should contact an Iowa car accident attorney for help filing a claim.

How Does the Outcome of a Driver’s DUI Criminal Case Affect My Car Accident Claim?

Iowa is an at-fault car insurance state, and drivers are required to carry proof of financial responsibility. When a driver causes an accident, they or their insurance company must pay for damages. When a driver is drunk at the time of the accident, intoxication often establishes negligence and fault. While criminal and civil law are separate, the outcome of the other driver’s DUI criminal case can affect your car accident claim and your ability to file a lawsuit against the drunk driver.

The Outcome May Help to Substantiate Fault

The outcome of the other driver’s DUI criminal case can help prove or disprove fault. A guilty verdict and sentence can be brought to the insurance company as an indication of the driver’s negligence. Conversely, a not guilty verdict can make it more difficult to prove that the driver was at fault due to intoxication. If a person is found not guilty, they may argue that their intoxication level was not significant enough to contribute to the accident and, therefore, they were not at fault.

When a Criminal Case Doesn’t Change Your Car Accident Claim

In some cases, even a guilty verdict in a DUI case may not change your car accident claim. If you contributed to the accident, you may be held responsible under Iowa’s comparative fault laws. According to Iowa Code 668.3, contributory fault does not bar recovery of damages but diminishes them in proportion to fault. Therefore, even if the drunk driver was 95 percent at fault, your damages amount may decrease by five percent.

Do I Need an Attorney After a Car Accident with a Drunk Driver?

You should always hire an attorney when filing a car accident claim for damages. Doing so can help you recover your full compensation amount. When a drunk driver is involved, an attorney can be even more valuable in establishing the driver’s fault and ensuring you get 100 percent of your benefit amount.

Social Media and Car Accident Claims

For those who are social media savvy, posting funny snaps, sharing events using Periscope, and tweeting is second nature. While posting to social media is a great way to keep in touch with friends and share information, after a car accident, posting to social media may harm your claim. Here’s what you should know about social media and car accident claims.

Refrain from Talking about Your Accident

After a car accident, you may be tempted to chat with a friend or post a status update about the crash. However, you should never use social media as a forum for talking about your accident. This is especially true if your social media account is public; an insurance adjuster may look at your account at some point. If you talk about your accident on social media, you may make an admission of fault, discuss a detail of the wreck that’s later used against you, etc. Because car insurance in Iowa is fault-based (i.e., the person, or car insurance of the individual who is at fault, handles paying for damages), admitting fault may severely impair your damages amount.

Avoid Posting Pictures and Videos

If you’re filing an injury claim after a car accident and want to recover damages for harm that you’ve suffered, avoid the urge to post pictures. An Instagram post of you doing a particular activity (walking, playing, traveling, etc.) may discredit your injury claim. For example, if you’ve claimed a broken leg injury, but there is a YouTube video of you hobbling across your bedroom to grab something without your crutches, the insurance adjuster may question the validity of your injury. Even if you are taking part in something like tbt (throwback Thursday) and the photo is from before the car crash, you may still see it brought up in court because you posted it post-crash.

Don’t Post Location Check-ins & Status Updates

Just as harmful as pictures, location check-ins, and status updates may be detrimental to your claim for the same reason. If you are claiming damages for an injury but ‘check in’ to a location on Foursquare or post a Facebook status update about having fun with friends, an insurance adjuster may question whether or not you are as hurt as you claim.

The Best Social Media Policy

The best policy for social media and car crash claims is to avoid it. In fact, you should even consider temporarily suspending your accounts. If you can’t resist, set your profile to private at the very least, and don’t ‘add’ any new people that you don’t personally know. Interact with it as a user rather than a producer.

Seeking Legal Assistance

Seeking legal counsel from experienced Iowa car accident attorneys such as those at Walker, Billingsley & Bair can provide invaluable support in filing insurance claims or pursuing personal injury lawsuits. With a comprehensive understanding of Iowa law, their team can help gather evidence, establish liability, and secure the compensation deserved by accident victims.

Suffering from the aftermath of a car accident shouldn't impede your pursuit of justice and fair compensation. The Iowa injury lawyers at Walker, Billingsley & Bair work hard to level the field between injured Iowans and insurance companies.

That's why we provide this FREE book; The Legal Insider's Guide to Iowa Car Accidents: 7 Secrets to Not Wreck Your Case. To learn more about what our legal team will do to help you protect your Iowa injury claim, contact Walker, Billingsley & Bair to schedule a no-cost consultation. Call 641-792-3595 to order your free accident book today.