This past Tuesday, Guerlain Chicherit attempted to break the world record for the longest car ramp jump — a world record that few are often willing to challenge. The 35 year old was successfully able to cover the 110 meter distance between the two ramps set up in Tignes, France — however, his car landed in a nosedive, then flew end over end until it finally came to a stop.
Luckily, and seemingly beyond belief, the daredevil escaped with only minor injuries, and is now tweeting to his fans from his hospital bed. “Success is not final, failure isn’t fatal,” he said, quoting Winston Churchill. Although car accidents are not always fatal, they are, unfortunately, quite likely to result in injuries, and even a fairly minor injury can easily rack up hundreds of dollars in medical fees, considering that the average emergency room visit costs over $2,000.
The Potential Impact of Delayed Insurance Payments for Injuries
It can be a devastating blow to personal finances when an insurance company — usually that of the other driver’s — refuses to pay the money you need to cover the bills associated with your injury. Medical bills and time spent off work can add up, and the impact can be profound — an estimated 62% of personal bankruptcies are the result of medical bills. Car accident injuries can often have a long-lasting impact on your life and welfare, especially if they result in pain that can only be managed, rather than cured, over time.
Should You Hire an Auto Injury Lawyer?
Figuring out whether your situation warrants hiring car accident attorneys will vary on a case by case basis. If your injury is minor and your potential awarded damages are similarly likely to be fairly small, it may not be worth pursuing in court, and you might have trouble finding auto accident attorneys to represent you. On the positive side, pursuing these cases does not usually cost the plaintiff anything. You will typically pay on what is known as a contingency fee basis. This means that your auto injury lawyer will take a percentage of the settlement you receive, if any. If you lose, you owe them nothing. If you win, you will owe somewhere from 25% to 40% of your award.
Do you think you will be contacting a personal injury lawyer? Let us know in the comments. Learn more about this topic here.
