Milwaukee Car Accidents

The aftermath of a Milwaukee auto accident raises many pressing questions. Can you afford to pay for your car repairs? What about your medical bills? If you can’t work, when can you go back to your job? Or will you need to find a new career altogether? The team at LawtonCates is standing by to give you the answers you need at no cost or obligation to you.

Our Milwaukee car accident attorneys have served South Central Wisconsin for nearly 60 years, helping ordinary people get the compensation they needed during a challenging time in their lives. Our exceptional results demonstrate our skill and commitment to our clients, and our contingency fee structure makes them available to you at no upfront cost or risk.

Call us today or complete our contact form for a free consultation with a Milwaukee car accident lawyer. Let us pursue the money you need to get your life back on track.

Benefits of Hiring a Milwaukee Attorney for Your Car Accident Claim

Hiring an attorney from LawtonCates for your Milwaukee car accident claim provides many crucial benefits. One of the most important is having someone with a deep understanding of Wisconsin’s legal system by your side. This knowledge is critical for navigating complex legal procedures and pursuing your claim as effectively and efficiently as possible. A LawtonCates attorney also has the advantage of knowing the Milwaukee courts and judges, which can be beneficial in planning the strategy and presentation of your case.

Another key benefit is the negotiation skills a seasoned personal injury attorney brings to the table. The insurance companies that pay out car accident claims often use tough bargaining tactics, and going up against them on your own can be daunting. Without a lawyer from LawtonCates, you might find yourself at a disadvantage and wind up settling your car accident case for less than you deserve. Alternatively, you could face delays in the resolution of your claim.

What To Do After a Car Accident

After leaving the accident scene to seek medical treatment, your next priority is to protect your legal rights in the coming weeks and months. First and foremost, keep all your medical appointments and follow your healthcare provider’s advice closely. Documenting your injuries and treatment is critical, as it establishes a clear link between the motor vehicle accident and your car accident injury.

If you haven’t done so already, notify your insurance company about the car crash. However, be cautious in your statements and stick to the facts without admitting fault. Never agree to a recorded statement without talking to a lawyer first. Remember, insurance companies can use your statements during these conversations against you in the claim process.

Next, gather and organize any evidence related to the vehicle accident. This includes medical records, receipts for any expenses incurred due to the car wreck (like medical bills and car repairs), and any correspondence with insurance companies. If anyone else witnessed the accident and you haven’t obtained their contact information, try to do so as quickly as possible.

As time passes, keep detailed notes about your recovery process, including pain levels, mobility issues, and how the injuries impact your daily life and work. This documentation can be vital in demonstrating the accident’s impact on your life. Finally, consult a car accident attorney in Milwaukee who can offer personalized advice based on your specific situation. Remember, time is a factor in legal claims, so it’s wise to seek professional advice from LawtonCates sooner rather than later.

How We Investigate Car Accident Cases

When the car accident law firm of LawtonCates takes on your case, our first step is to sit down with you and hear your story. We want to understand every detail of what happened from your perspective. We’d like to see any evidence you’ve gathered, but don’t worry — we are thoroughly prepared to obtain additional documentation ourselves. This initial conversation gives us the foundation we need to start our investigation.

Next, we will examine the evidence. We will look at the police crash report, which gives us an official account of the accident. We will also gather any photos or videos from the scene and any physical evidence and debris the crash generated. These visuals help us understand how the accident happened and who caused it.

We then reach out to any witnesses who saw the accident and whose statements can strengthen your case. We also work with experts, like accident reconstruction specialists, who can help us piece together the exact events leading up to the crash, and economists who can anticipate the future consequences of the accident on your life.

We aim to build a strong case by collecting all the facts and evidence possible, then assembling it into a compelling argument about who’s to blame and how much they’ve cost you. We’ll handle all this legwork so you can focus on getting better. With a solid case, we can stand up for your rights and work toward getting you the compensation you need to recover.

Compensation You Could Recover in a Car Accident Claim

Many factors will go into how much compensation you could recover, and we cannot give you a more specific answer without reviewing your case first. But a car accident claim allows you to seek compensation for many of the negative consequences you’ve experienced, including:

• Your lost wages or other income if you can’t work
• Your past and future medical bills
• Any change in your earning potential due to your injuries
• Your diminished quality of life due to your injuries
• Your pain and suffering
• Your emotional distress
• Vehicle repair/replacement costs and personal property damage

Parties Who Could Be Held Liable for a Car Wreck in Milwaukee

While the other driver is likely the person most directly to blame for the accident, other parties may bear responsibility for your injury. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, the potentially liable parties include:

• Other Drivers – Driver negligence is the single most common cause of motor vehicle accidents. Examples of negligent driving behavior include speeding, distracted driving, or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Employers – If a driver who caused the accident was working at the time, their employer might be liable. This is often the case in accidents involving commercial vehicles or drivers performing job-related duties.
• Vehicle Manufacturers – If a vehicle defect contributed to the accident, the manufacturer of the dangerous component might be responsible for your injuries. This includes issues with brakes, tires, airbags, or any other part that fails and leads to a crash.
• Government Entities – Sometimes, the design or condition of the road itself is a contributing factor in a collision. In these cases, the local government responsible for road maintenance and safety can be liable for accidents caused by potholes, poor signage, or inadequate road design.
• Property Owners – In some situations, private property owners might be liable if negligent actions on their part, such as obstructing the road or creating hazardous conditions, contributed to the accident.

Could You Recover Compensation if You’re Partly to Blame for a Car Accident?

In Wisconsin, being partly to blame for an accident does not necessarily prevent you from recovering car accident compensation. Your claim’s viability depends on the crash’s specifics and your degree of fault. State law holds that as long as your degree of negligence is less than 51 percent, you can recover compensation for your injuries.

However, your compensation would be reduced by your percentage of fault. If, for example, the court determines you are 20 percent at fault for an accident that yielded a $100,000 award, you would only be eligible to receive $80,000.

It’s vital to work with a Milwaukee car accident attorney who can fight back against attempts to shift the blame onto you and thereby maximize your compensation.

How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin’s statute of limitations on personal injury claims generally gives you three years from the date of an accident to file a car accident lawsuit. You should contact a lawyer at LawtonCates for the filing date specific to your case. If you file after your window for filing a lawsuit closes, you lose your right to seek compensation for your injuries. By reaching out to a LawtonCates attorney as soon as possible after a crash, you could avoid any issues meeting the deadlines in your situation.

Common Types and Causes of Car Accidents

LawtonCates is equipped to assist you with many types of auto wreck cases, each with its unique challenges and complexities:

Typical Injuries Resulting from an Auto Collision

The injuries from an auto collision in Milwaukee often have devastating consequences for drivers and passengers alike. Some common injuries in these cases include:

Contact a Milwaukee Car Accident Lawyer Today

Have you been injured in a car accident in Milwaukee? Was someone else to blame? If so, the team at LawtonCates is ready to hear your story and protect your rights to the full extent of the law. Contact us today to speak with a Milwaukee car accident lawyer and tell us your story during a free, no-obligation consultation.