Do Auto Accident Attorneys Help With Long-Term Disability Claims?

Auto accidents happen in an instant, yet they can change lives forever. In Wyoming, our wide-open roads see their share of collisions, and the injuries can range anywhere from minor cuts and bruises to severe trauma that lingers for years and completely upends lives. When that happens, long-term disability is often the result. Those with disabilities of this sort often cannot perform their jobs or handle routine tasks without ongoing help. The emotional toll adds up, too, and that makes it essential to have a Cody, Wyoming, auto accident attorney on your side to help you with claims and fight for your right to full compensation.

Auto accident attorneys exist specifically to help you with the maze that is your claim after a personal injury. We will start by evaluating your case with a free consultation, listening to your story, reviewing the evidence, and then putting it all together to build a strong foundation. The goal is to make sure you get full compensation for every loss you sustained as well as for your future losses because of a disability.

Along the way, we will gather witness statements and review them, talking to the witnesses personally to discover who is credible and can be of most help to you. We’ll look at doctor testimony and may bring in expert medical witnesses to bolster that testimony and explain to laypersons exactly what the extent of your disability is and what your long-term prognosis will be. We can bring in other experts as well, including life coaches and economists, who can help to explain what this disability is going to cost you in terms of financial loss from work you can no longer do or medical needs that have to be provided for, perhaps indefinitely.

We’ll put this evidence together to make a compelling story that shows exactly what you’ve lost and the connection between your condition and the accident that caused it. We’ll show who’s really at fault and to what degree, and then represent you at every stage. This means we go to bat for you in negotiations with the insurance company involved, and if they won’t come up with a fair number, then we can file a lawsuit and represent you in court. The goal in all of this is to make sure you get full compensation for all your losses and damages.

Long-term disability claims tie directly to your pursuit of damages from the at-fault driver’s insurance. Insurance companies pose one of the biggest hurdles in long-term disability claims, however, as they love to undervalue or outright deny claims that are tied to auto accidents. They may question the severity of your injuries or argue that pre-existing conditions caused your disability rather than the accident itself. Your attorney’s job is to challenge these tactics with hard evidence. We present detailed medical records, expert opinions, and sometimes even video evidence to show how the accident directly led to your long-term issues. 

Insurers also like to push for quick settlements where they offer sums that don’t account for the years of medical care you now require or lost income that you’re likely to be facing with a long-term disability. Accepting these settlements too early can leave you struggling later, so we look over every settlement offer to ensure it’s actually fair and then negotiate aggressively for a settlement that reflects the actual, full scope of your disability. If negotiations stall, we’ll get prepared for trial.

In Wyoming, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is four years from the date of the incident, which means you must file your lawsuit within that window or you risk losing your right to seek compensation. Delays can also affect your ability to document the progression of your disability. If you’re making regular doctor visits right after the accident, this creates a clear medical trail and shows how your injuries evolved into the long-term issues you’re facing. If you wait too long, insurers may argue your condition comes from something else. 

Waiting too long also allows memories to fade and evidence to degrade, making it that much harder to win your case. When you’re dealing with catastrophic injuries, legalities might be the furthest thing from your mind, but that’s what makes a lawyer so valuable. We can step in to take over all this so you can concentrate on healing, confident that your claim is moving forward.

When cases go to court, things have to be done precisely, following Wyoming laws and the court’s rules the whole way. You’ll need solid evidence linking the accident to your condition and showing that the accident was caused by someone else’s negligence. We start with medical documentation, like MRIs or surgeon reports, to establish the severity of your injury. We’ll bring in medical experts as needed and economists who can calculate your lost future earnings while factoring in things like inflation and job market trends specific to Wyoming.

Witnesses are important here, too, and we’ll need to make sure all witnesses are credible and prepared. Friends, family, or coworkers can all describe how your life has changed since the accident, and this can add a human element to the case and make it about more than just numbers. We’ll also go after whatever evidence the other side tries to bring, cross-examining their witnesses and showing why their evidence is less than compelling.

When we win a long-term disability claim, the payout often comes as a structured settlement. This means you receive regular payments over time rather than a lump sum. This approach is meant to ensure that you have steady income for ongoing care, but it has to be set up the right way. That’s why we’ll work with financial advisors and other experts to ensure that the structure of your settlement works for you and offers the tax benefits that you need.