Starkville, MS Car Wreck Lawyers
A car wreck can turn an ordinary day in Starkville into a stressful situation involving medical treatment, vehicle damage, missed work, insurance companies, and uncertainty about what to do next. Even a crash that initially appears minor can result in injuries that become more serious over the following days or weeks.
At The Stubbs Law Firm, we represent people who have been injured in car wrecks throughout Mississippi. If another driver's negligence caused your injuries, our Starkville, MS car wreck lawyers can help you understand your legal options and pursue compensation for the losses you have suffered.
We know that dealing with an insurance company while recovering from an injury can be overwhelming. Our job is to handle the legal side of your claim while you focus on getting better.
Car Accidents Can Cause More Than Vehicle Damage
After a collision, it is natural to focus first on the damage to your vehicle. However, the most important consequences of a wreck may not be visible.
Some injuries are obvious immediately, while others develop symptoms later. Whiplash, soft-tissue injuries, back injuries, concussions, nerve damage, and other conditions may become more noticeable after the initial shock of a crash wears off.
A serious Starkville car accident can also affect your life outside the doctor's office. You may have difficulty working, caring for your family, driving, sleeping, exercising, or performing everyday activities.
Depending on the circumstances, compensation in a Mississippi car accident claim may include losses such as:
Reasonable and necessary medical expenses
Future medical treatment related to the accident
Lost wages from time away from work
Reduced earning capacity
Property damage
Physical pain and suffering
Emotional distress and other legally recoverable damages
The value of an injury claim depends on the individual circumstances. There is no universal dollar amount that applies to every car wreck.
What Should You Do After a Car Wreck in Starkville?
The decisions you make immediately after a crash can affect your health and your potential injury claim.
If you are physically able to do so, take reasonable steps to protect yourself and document what happened.
Call law enforcement and make sure the accident is properly reported. If emergency medical personnel recommend treatment, take that recommendation seriously. You should also obtain medical attention if you are experiencing pain, dizziness, headaches, confusion, numbness, or other symptoms.
If it is safe, photographs and video can be extremely useful. Consider documenting:
Damage to all vehicles involved
The roadway and surrounding area
Traffic signals and signs
Skid marks or debris
Visible injuries
Weather or road conditions
The position of the vehicles after the collision
Get the other driver's insurance and contact information if possible. Names and contact information for witnesses may also become important later.
You should also keep records related to your treatment and expenses. Medical bills, prescription costs, mileage for medical appointments, pay stubs, and other documentation may help establish how the accident affected you.
Do Not Assume the Insurance Company's Offer Is Fair
After a Starkville car accident, you may receive a call from an insurance adjuster asking what happened. The adjuster may seem helpful, but remember that the insurance company is evaluating the claim from its own financial perspective.
An early settlement offer may not account for the full extent of your injuries or the possibility that you will need additional treatment.
For example, you might still be undergoing diagnostic testing when an insurance company offers to settle your claim. Accepting a settlement generally means giving up the ability to pursue additional compensation for the same injuries.
Before accepting an insurance settlement, it is important to understand what you are actually being asked to give up.
Our car accident attorneys in Starkville can review the circumstances of your wreck, the available insurance coverage, your medical treatment, and the damages you have suffered.
Mississippi Uses a Comparative Negligence System
Mississippi law addresses situations where more than one person may have contributed to an accident.
Under Mississippi Code Section 11-7-15, a person's own negligence does not automatically prevent recovery. Instead, damages can be reduced according to the percentage of negligence attributed to that person.
Mississippi law also addresses allocation of fault among multiple parties. Under Section 85-5-7, liability generally can be allocated according to each party's percentage of fault.
This makes the facts surrounding a Starkville car wreck especially important.
An insurance company may attempt to argue that you were partially responsible for the collision. That does not necessarily mean you have no claim. It means the question of fault needs to be carefully examined.
Evidence such as photographs, witness statements, police reports, vehicle damage, medical records, traffic-camera footage, and other available information may help establish what happened.
What If the Other Driver Was Speeding, Distracted, or Driving Drunk?
Car wrecks happen for many reasons. Some of the most common include distracted driving, speeding, following too closely, unsafe lane changes, failure to yield, and impaired driving.
Mississippi law prohibits operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or certain other substances. For drivers of legal drinking age, Mississippi's statute identifies a blood or breath alcohol concentration of .08% or more as one basis for DUI.
If you were injured by a driver who was allegedly impaired, that fact can become an important part of the investigation into the crash.
However, an injury claim does not depend exclusively on whether the other driver was arrested or convicted. The civil claim and criminal case are separate matters, and determining liability requires examining the evidence surrounding the collision.
What If the Driver Who Hit You Has No Insurance?
A serious problem after a car wreck occurs when the at-fault driver does not have enough insurance—or does not have applicable insurance—to cover the damages.
Mississippi law provides for uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage in automobile liability policies, subject to statutory requirements and circumstances such as a written rejection of coverage.
That means your own insurance policy may become important after a wreck involving an uninsured or underinsured driver.
You should not assume that your own insurance company automatically represents your interests in the same way an attorney does. Coverage questions can become complicated, particularly when multiple insurance policies may apply.
Our Starkville car wreck lawyers can help investigate the available coverage and determine what options may be available based on the circumstances of your accident.
How We Investigate a Starkville Car Accident
A strong car accident claim requires more than simply telling an insurance company that another driver caused the wreck.
We look at the evidence surrounding the collision and how the accident affected our client.
Depending on the circumstances, an investigation may involve:
Reviewing the accident report
Examining photographs and vehicle damage
Identifying and speaking with witnesses
Reviewing available video evidence
Examining roadway conditions
Evaluating medical records and treatment
Documenting lost income
Investigating available insurance coverage
Determining how the collision occurred
Evaluating arguments concerning comparative fault
Every wreck is different. A rear-end collision may require a different investigation than a distracted-driving crash, intersection collision, or wreck involving a commercial vehicle.
Our goal is to develop a clear picture of what happened and how the accident changed your life.
How Long Do You Have to File a Mississippi Car Accident Lawsuit?
Mississippi's general statute of limitations provides a three-year period for actions for which another specific limitations period does not apply. Mississippi Code Section 15-1-49 states that these actions generally must be commenced within three years after the cause of action accrues.
That does not mean you should wait three years before talking with an attorney.
Evidence can become harder to obtain as time passes. Witnesses may become difficult to locate, memories can fade, records may require additional effort to obtain, and important evidence may no longer be available.
There can also be different deadlines or legal requirements depending on who was involved and the specific circumstances of the accident.
If you were injured in a Starkville car wreck, contacting an attorney sooner rather than later can help protect your ability to investigate the claim.
Common Mistakes After a Starkville Car Accident
People who have never dealt with an injury claim may not realize how easily a seemingly small decision can create complications later.
Some mistakes we encourage accident victims to avoid include:
Waiting too long to seek medical care
Ignoring symptoms because they initially seem minor
Giving a recorded statement without understanding the potential consequences
Posting details about the accident or injuries on social media
Accepting a settlement before understanding the full extent of the injuries
Assuming the police report automatically determines civil liability
Failing to keep records of medical treatment and expenses
Assuming you cannot recover because you may have some responsibility for the accident
You do not need to navigate these issues alone.
Why Choose The Stubbs Law Firm After a Starkville Car Wreck?
At The Stubbs Law Firm, we understand that an injury claim is about more than paperwork.
You may be trying to recover physically while worrying about medical bills, your job, your family, your vehicle, and what happens next. We take the legal process seriously because we understand what can be at stake.
Our approach is centered on understanding your specific circumstances, investigating the accident, communicating with insurance companies, and pursuing the compensation available under Mississippi law.
We do not believe every car accident should be treated as a cookie-cutter claim. The circumstances of your collision, the injuries you suffered, the evidence available, and the effect on your life all matter.
Talk to Starkville, MS Car Wreck Lawyers About Your Case
If you were injured in a car accident in Starkville, you may have questions about who is responsible, what your claim may be worth, whether insurance will cover your losses, and what you should do next.
You do not have to figure everything out on your own.
Our Starkville, MS car wreck lawyers can review the circumstances of your accident and explain your legal options. We represent people injured in collisions throughout Mississippi and work to protect their interests throughout the claims process.
If another driver's negligence caused your injuries, contact The Stubbs Law Firm to discuss your situation with our team.
We Are Your Legal Solutions Team.
To get a better idea of how much your car wreck claim may be worth, it's essential to consult with an experienced car wreck lawyer who can evaluate the specifics of your case. They can assess the extent of your damages, gather evidence to support your claim, and negotiate with insurance companies or pursue litigation on your behalf to seek maximum compensation. Keep in mind that statutes of limitations apply to personal injury claims, so it's crucial to seek legal advice as soon as possible after the wreck to protect your rights.
