Provo Personal Injury Lawyer
While Provo may be a city that is known for Brigham Young University, scenic views, and peace and quiet, accidents and injuries are as possible in Provo as they are anywhere else in the state of Utah. To be sure, our Provo personal injury lawyers at the law offices of Christensen & Hymas have handled countless injury cases over the years, assisting accident victims in recovering the compensation that they deserve after being harmed by another’s negligent or careless actions. If you have been injured and need an advocate on your side to guide you through the claims process, call our legal team today for a free consultation and legal advice you can depend on.
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Our Provo Personal Injury LAwyer’s Practice Areas
Our legal team has experience representing claimants that have been harmed in a wide range of accident types. No matter the type of injury you have incurred, or the manner in which you’ve incurred it, we want to meet with you. Our Provo injury attorneys focus on motor vehicle accidents, and have pursued damages for clients harmed in rear-end accidents, head-on collisions, distracted driving accidents, side impact crashes, motorcycle accidents, crosswalk and pedestrian crashes, interstate accidents, and drunk driving crashes. Further, we have helped those suffering from the following injury types recover the compensation to which they are entitled:
- Whiplash injuries;
- Traumatic brain injuries;
- Laceration injuries;
- Spinal cord injuries;
- Nerve damage;
- Broken bones;
- Collapsed lungs; and
- More.
Serious Injuries Can Change Your Life
Being involved in a serious accident where you suffer any of the injury types listed above can change your life. Indeed, not only may you be faced with the consequences of the injuries themselves–such as pain, suffering, immobility, and perhaps permanent disability and disfigurement–but also the myriad of complications that often accompany severe injuries. For example, your injury may result in hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of medical expenses, which can be difficult to pay (particularly if you do not have health insurance). Serious injuries may also affect your emotional wellbeing and mental health, resulting in depression and anxiety. This can take a toll on one’s own psyche, as well as one’s relationships.
Of course, serious injuries also necessitate rest and recovery, which means that at least temporarily–and perhaps long-term–a person will be unable to work and earn an income. This large financial hit that an individual or a family may suffer as a result of a serious injury can be catastrophic.
In some situations, a person’s injuries may also require long-term care, as well as adjustments to a home and living conditions. For example, a wheelchair ramp may need to be installed in a home, grab bars may be required in a home bathroom, and countertops may need to be lowered. All of these things can be very expensive.
Our Provo injury lawyers believe that those who are harmed due to another’s negligence deserve to receive 100 percent of the compensation to recover for their economic and noneconomic losses.
Recovering Compensation after a Serious Injury
When the actions of another person lead to injuries, the injury victim has the right to bring forth a personal injury suit against the at-fault party. In order to hold the at-fault party liable, the injured party must prove that:
- The defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care (which is almost always implied in motor vehicle accident cases);
- The defendant breached the duty of care to the plaintiff;
- The breach of the duty of care was the immediate cause of the plaintiff’s accident; and
- The plaintiff suffered actual damages as a result of the accident.
In motor vehicle accident cases, the duty of care is to operate a vehicle lawfully and in a manner that another, reasonable driver would consider safe and responsible. There are numerous acts that may be considered a breach of the duty of care, such as speeding, tailgating, running a red light, failing to yield, driving while intoxicated, and more.
Utah’s Modified Comparative Fault Law
If you are involved in a car accident, you will turn to your own insurance company first for damages. Indeed, the state requires that all drivers carry a minimum of $3,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage to pay for medical expenses after a crash. If your losses are severe, however, you will likely quickly exhaust this limit, and need to turn to the at-fault driver’s insurance in order to recover compensation for the remainder of your damages.
When you file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company, remember that Utah’s rule of modified comparative fault applies. This rule holds that you can only recover damages from another party so long as their degree of fault is greater than yours, and that your recoverable damages amount will be reduced in proportion to your degree of fault. For example, if you suffered $10,000 in damages and are found to be 10 percent at fault for the incident, then you will only be able to recover 90 percent of damages, or $9,000, from the other party.
Helping You to Recover Every Cent You Deserve
When you hire our law firm, we handle all elements of your case on your behalf. This includes an investigation into the cause of your accident and who was at fault, a valuation of your damages, and of course, all parts of the claims and legal process, including negotiations. If a settlement cannot be reached, we are also skilled litigators who will not hesitate to pursue a lawsuit on your behalf.
Contact Our Injury Lawyers in Provo Today
A consultation with our Provo personal injury lawyer is offered free of charge. During your initial case consultation, you can meet our lawyers and learn more about our legal process, and we can learn more about your case and provide you with our opinion regarding your best options. To schedule your case review today, please call us directly or send us a confidential message using our online form.