Milwaukee Car Accident Attorney | Auto Accident

Do You Need an Attorney for a Milwaukee Car Accident?

If you’ve been injured in a car accident call Milwaukee car accident lawyer Karl Gebhard today.

When you’ve been hurt in an accident, you need a Milwaukee car accident lawyer with experience—someone who’s been helping and fighting for Milwaukee auto accident victims for more than 25 years.

Personal injury lawyer Karl Gebhard understands what you’re going through. You have questions about the worth of your insurance claim and how long it will take to get a fair settlement.

Milwaukee car accident lawyer Karl Gebhard will give you straight, simple answers about out-of-pocket expenses, medical payments coverage, property damage, and lost wages, as well as assist you in completing necessary paperwork. Whether it’s getting money for medical bills and car repairs or stepping in to deal with the insurance company, we’re here to help get you back on your feet!

The Milwaukee Car accident lawyers at Gebhard Law Office will fight to get you everything you deserve, choose Gebhard Law Office and setup a free consulation today. Karl Gebhard is an auto accident lawyer who has extensive experience helping his clients receive fair financial compensation when they are the victims of automobile accidents. Karl Gebhard specializes in pursuing fair compensation for those involved in car crashes, so when you choose Gebhard Law Office, you can count on getting personalized attention from an experienced auto accident attorney who will fight to get you the monies you deserve to cover costs associated with medical bills, lost wages, and even pain and suffering.

For additional Milwaukee car accident information and frequently asked questions please visit: Car Accident FAQ’s

Car Accident Legal Help: What To Do After an Accident?

Did you know that there are roughly 40,000 car accidents in Wisconsin every year, and over 500 people die in those car crashes annually? Since the vast majority of these car crashes are caused by driver negligence or (less often) automobile parts defects, victims of these car accidents need a skilled Mlwaukee car accident lawyer to help protect their rights and assets. If you are in an auto accident, there are a number of things that you should do immediately. Taking the right steps after a car accident can help build your case if you have been unfairly injured. After a car crash:

Immediately contact a Milwaukee car accident lawyer. A qualified Milwaukee car accident lawyer can help you build a personal injury case so that you if you’re injured, the liable party will be responsible for compensating you for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
Immediately get medical attention for anyone who is injured in the accident. It is not uncommon for someone to feel fine at the scene of an accident and then realize the next day that they are actually injured. Even if injuries and soreness do not appear immediately after the accident, be sure to see a doctor without delay.In order to win a car accident lawsuit, it is vital that their be documentation proving that 1) you were actually injured, and 2) that you sought medical attention to care for those injuries. This is why it is so important to see a doctor or medical facility if there is any sign of injury following an accident. If you do not and later find out that it was the accident that caused your injuries, there will be no proof of injury or way to tie it to the car crash.
Contact the police and file a car accident report. Filing an auto accident report with the police documents the accident happened and helps determine who was at fault for the crash.
Gather accident information at the scene. If you can, take photos of vehicles, damage, the street, and anything else that will “set the scene” of the accident. And, if there are witnesses available, be sure to get their names and telephone numbers. Finally, as required by law, exchange contact and insurance information with anyone involved in the crash.

Car Accident Legal Help: What Not To Do After an Accident? What shouldn’t you do after a car accident? Never admit fault for the accident (because you may not have all the facts) or give statements to insurance company representatives about the crash. This is why you hire a lawyer after a car accident:

A Milwaukee car accident lawyer will protect you from the insurance companies, acting as your spokesperson and legal representative. That way you’re less likely to say anything that could hurt your case. Car Accident Lawsuits 101: Fault for Auto Accidents Typically, Milwaukee car accidents are caused by negligent behavior. Negligent driving is any driving behavior that fails to exercise “reasonable care,” so it includes just about any driving behavior that endangers others. This includes speeding, excessive lane changing, tailgating, driving while distracted (such as while eating, texting, or talking on the phone), driving drunk, and much more.

In a car accident lawsuit, the burden of proving negligence falls on the injured party. This can be much more difficult than it seems, and is why it’s smart to hire a skilled Milwaukee car accident lawyer. A good lawyer can help accident victims navigate the court system, and avoid making little mistakes that could cost them their cases. Car Accident Lawsuits 101: Proving Liability For car accident lawyers, proving liability is incredibly important to winning a case. That’s why a good car and truck accident lawyer will pursue any shred of evidence that can help build your lawsuit. Here are just a few types of evidence that an auto collision lawyer may use in court:

Testimony from rescue and medical personnel
Written police reports
Towing company reports
Accident footage from red light cameras and monitored intersections
Accident injury paramedic reports
Accident injury ambulance reports
Accident injury hospital intake forms

For more information about car accident lawsuits and auto accidents in general, see the following:

Auto Accident Lawsuits 101: Using Expert Witnesses Auto accident cases are unique, so what types of expert witnesses are needed to try a case depends on the facts and circumstances of the case in question. A skilled car accident lawyer may use any one (or all) of these expert witnesses to build a case:

Accident reconstruction expert. This accident expert gathers and analyzes data about various conditions that factor into the accident. These conditions could include road conditions, weather, lighting, vehicle conditions, human actions, and much more.
Engineering expert. This accident expert understands engineering and design, and can offer expert opinion on vehicle and/or road design factors that could have caused an accident.
Human factors expert. In many cases, car accident victims have difficulty remembering exactly what happened. This type of accident expert can help jurors understand how a driver may have perceived or remembered something during or after an accident.
Life care planning expert. In cases where accident victims have suffered life-long injuries for which there will be real, long-term consequences, life care planning experts can help jurors understand the personal and financial costs that someone will suffer due to a car accident.

Regardless of the types of expert witnesses that your car accident attorney chooses to build your case, it is important that you work with them and your lawyer to understand all of the facts.

Car Accident Lawsuits 101: Sources of Compensation for Car Accident Injuries A good Milwaukee car accident lawyer will pursue any and all sources of compensation for the auto accident victims they are working with. Because car accident law is complex and can involve insurance companies, parts manufacturers, governmental bodies and more, it is vital that car accident victims are served by personal injury lawyers who will aggressively pursue all avenues of recovery. These sources of compensation for car accident injuries could include:

Any vehicle owners
Employers (in cases of workplace accidents)
Government bodies, units and agencies (in cases of poor road maintenance and/or roadway defects cases)
Auto manufacturers (in cases negligent car design or defective car parts lawsuits)
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage

For more information about car accident compensation for injuries, see the following:

Car Insurance 101: Coverage for Car Accidents

Car accident losses are often mitigated due to drivers having insurance coverage for car accidents. Depending on the insurance policy purchased, auto insurance can provide coverage for:

Property loss (if you car is stolen or damaged)
Liability (if you are liable for property damage or accident injury to someone else)
Medical (if you need to pay for medical treatment for car accident injuries or rehabilitation)
Uninsured motorist insurance (if you are injured by a driver who doesn’t have insurance)
Underinsured motorist insurance (if you are injured by a driver who doesn’t have enough insurance to cover the amount of damage caused by an accident)

Other factors that can affect coverage for a car accident include:

Stacking insurance coverage. Some states allow car accident injury victims to “stack” policies so that they can recover money from multiple insurers. Laws for stacking insurance policies vary from state to state.
Subrogation. Subrogation is a common term in car insurance policies that means that a car accident victim’s insurer can take the victim’s place in suing the at-fault party of an accident. (Essentially, this protects at-fault parties so that they cannot be sued twice by the same parties for the same accident.)

Auto Accident Lawsuits 101: Filing an Insurance Claim

Whether or not you Milwaukee car accident lawyer, knowing how to correctly file a car accident insurance claim is vital to getting full and fair compensation for car accident injuries and losses. To properly file a car accident injury claim:Call your insurance agent.

Find out what documentation and forms your insurer needs. (This could include original medical bills, repair estimates, car rental bills, the car accident police report, and more.)
Keep careful and accurate car accident injury records. (These should even include notes about conversation dates and times.)
Know key deadlines (including those for submitting the car accident injury proof claim and supporting documentation).
Explore any additional insurance you may have available (such as that through another auto policy, a homeowner’s or renter’s policy, or an umbrella policy).
Learn state insurance laws (because insurance laws vary from state to state).

Filing a car accident injury claim is not easy, and it’s in your best interests to consult and/or hire an attorney to handle any car accident injury claim. Hiring a car accident lawyer will help you understand the legal system and what you need to do to make your case successful.

What to Do After a Car Accident If you are in a car accident, there are a number of things that you should do immediately. These include:

Stay at the scene of the accident. If you leave an accident scene, you could be charged with hit and run (whether or not the auto accident was even your fault).
Seek medical treatment for any injuries you may have suffered in the accident. Use a cell phone or passerby to call 911 so that you do not have to leave the scene of the accident to get medical help.
Seek medical treatment for others suffering from accident injuries. Although your duty to help other car accident injury victims varies by state, if someone needs immediate medical assistance (regardless of which state you are in), you should try and get help for them. Do not, however, try to move someone who is seriously injured because you could cause further damage.
Warn other drivers. Find a safe way to warn other drivers that there has been an accident (such as by placing flares on the road and/or turning on car hazard lights and lifting the hood of one or more cars).

If you are in an auto accident, there is information that you should collect as soon as possible. The information that you can collect after an accident will be useful for your lawyer should you choose to launch a car accident lawsuit. Helpful information includes:

Vehicle information (such as vehicle registration or identification number, make, model, year, license plate number and expiration date).
Driver information (such as name, address, birthdate, phone number, license number, license expiration date, and insurance company).
Passenger information (such as names, addresses, birthdates, license numbers and phone numbers).
Witness information (such as names, addresses and phone numbers). Also, ask witnesses to speak to police. If witnesses cannot wait to speak to the police, ask them what they saw and write it down.
Information about police on the scene (such as badge numbers). Also be sure to ask how you can get a copy of the car accident report.
Accident details (such as drawings, photographs, diagrams and more that can show or describe how the accident happened and what road conditions were like at the time of the accident).

Auto Accident Lawsuits 101: Liability for Damages and Defective Motor Vehicles

By law, drivers are required to exercise reasonable care while driving. This means that if another driver’s negligence causes an accident (for instance, because they are speeding, texting or eating while driving, or in another distracted state that causes a crash), they may be responsible to pay compensation for anyone who suffers injuries in that accident. In the legal system, it is the person who is seeking compensation that bears the “burden of proof.” This means that they must prove to the court that the (negligent) driver was at fault for the accident and that it was their negligent driving that caused it. When it comes to car accidents, it’s not always drivers who are at fault. Sometimes accidents are caused by defective motor vehicles, defective car parts, and the like. If a defective part causes an accident, the accident injury victim(s) can hold the manufacturers of the defective parts liable for compensation. In these cases of strict liability (where the manufacturer is liable even if they exercised reasonable and all possible care during production), it does not matter whether the car crash victim owns the car or just used it during the accident.

For more information about liability for auto accidents, see Determining Liability in Car Accident Cases.

What Kinds of Damages Can You Recover in an Accident?

A major benefit of hiring a car accident attorney to handle a personal injury claim is that experienced attorneys are intimately aware of what types of damages injury victims can recover given the unique circumstances of a case. Some types of damages for injuries and losses that car accident lawyers will pursue include:

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Medical expenses (including current and future expenses related to car accident injuries)
Property losses and repairs
Lost wages and lost future earnings
Disability and/or disfigurement
Wrongful death
Loss of consortium and/or companionship
Punitive damages (although these are rare and rarely awarded in auto accident cases)

These are just some of the types of damages that an experienced car accident lawyer can recover for accident victims through personal injury lawsuits. The types of damages and amounts of awards vary based on the facts of each individual case. For more information on the types of damages car accident injury victims can recover, see the Wisconsin Car Accidents Information Center. Car Accidents Caused by Drunk Driving.

Unfortunately, car accidents caused by drunk driving are fairly common in Wisconsin. In fact, Wisconsin has the highest rate of drunken driving in the country, with nearly half of all fatal traffic crashes in Wisconsin being attributable to alcohol-related negligence every year. Typically, after an auto accident, police will conduct an investigation and file a car accident report. It is during the investigation phase that an office may administer tests to the driver(s) involved in an accident to assess their sobriety. Tests may check blood alcohol content (BAC) to see if a driver’s BAC exceeds the legal limit of 0.08%. After the officer finishes their investigation, all details are included in a car accident report that is filed with the police department and then sent to the prosecuting attorney (who then decides whether or not to pursue criminal action against the driver). Car accident injury victims should be sure to contact the investigating office to obtain a copy of the car accident investigation report. This way, if there are any errors or inaccuracies in the report, the victim can say so to set the record straight. It is important to understand that even though a drunken driver may face a criminal lawsuit by the state for their crime, anyone hit by a drunk driver still has the option of pursuing a separate personal injury lawsuit to help them recover damages for losses and injuries due to the crash.

Drunk Driving Accident Victim Assistance Programs

Some law enforcement agencies have victim assistance programs designed to help victims of drunk driving crimes. These programs help victims of drunk driving car accidents get counseling and legal help for their cases. If you or someone you know has been hit by a drunk driver, be sure to ask the investigating officer if their agency offers such a program.

Victim Impact Reports in Drunk Driving Accident Cases

Typically in drunk driving criminal cases, the defendant (the drunk driver) will avoid going to trial by agreeing to plead guilty to the charges. If, however, they choose to plead not guilty, the case will go to trial and they may or may not be convicted of drunk driving. If convicted, before they are sentenced, the car accident injury victim(s) can provide the court with a document called a “car accident injury victim impact statement” to show how damaging the defendant’s negligent behavior was. This is a written statement that describes how the car accident injury has affected the victim’s life.

Protect Your Friends from Drinking and Driving

The best way to stop drunk driving accidents is to keep people from driving drunk in the first place. Not only should you not drive if you have been drinking alcohol or taking drugs, you can stop those around you from doing so as well. Although it can be hard, stopping someone from driving when they are drunk can save their life, as well as who knows how many people on the road. Here are a few tips to help stop someone from drinking and driving:

Never get in a car with a drunk driver.
If you can, hide the car keys from a drunk driver so that they cannot start or drive their vehicle.
Avoid confrontation over the situation. Instead, distract the person from wanting to drive by changing the topic or suggesting an alternative.
If the person is a stranger, try and find their friends to help you.
Pull the person to the side and privately suggest that they may have had too much to drink and should get a ride home instead.

Free Legal Consultations with Milwaukee Car Accident Lawyer

If you were involved in a car accident that was not your fault, you may be entitled to compensation for losses due to lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering and more. For a free legal consultation to understand your car accident case, call Milwaukee personal injury lawyer Karl Gebhard. He will act swiftly to help you protect your rights and build your case. All services are offered on a contingency basis.

For your free car accident injury consultation, call today at 414-873-6550. Many Types of Car Accidents Can Result in Financial Compensation

As any qualified Milwaukee car accident lawyer can tell you, vehicle accidents don’t just involve cars —just about any type of pedestrian or motor vehicle crash can end up in court. This includes:

Milwaukee Car Accident Attorney Common Questions

Regardless of where in Milwaukee a car accident has happened, Gebhard Law Office can help those who’ve suffered unfairly from a car crash receive just financial compensation. This includes motor vehicle accidents that may occur on city streets or any of Milwaukee’s freeways and highways, including I-94, I-894, I-43, US45 the Zoo Interchange and more.

Dealing with Insurance Issues

The last thing most people want to deal with following a serious car accident are the insurance issues and headaches that come with uncooperative insurance companies. With Gebhard Law Office, you don’t need to worry about that fight. Karl Gebhard is an experienced Milwaukee car accident lawyer who knows how to deal with insurance companies when it comes to receiving compensation from insured, uninsured and underinsured drivers.

When Workers’ Compensation Applies for Auto Accidents

Typically, car accidents involve individuals in their personal vehicles, so any claims made are made against the negligent driver’s insurance company. In the case of auto accidents that involve workers who are driving a company vehicle or driving while on duty, however, a workers’ compensation claim may be filed. With Gebhard Law Office, you can count on us to pursue all avenues of compensation — including workers’ compensation — to get you the largest compensation we can.

Free Consultations from Milwaukee Car Accident Lawyers Available 24/7

We understand that auto accidents can happen any time day or night. That’s why we’re available around the clock too. And at Gebhard Law Office, all auto and car accident legal services are handled on a contingency basis. This means that unless we actually win compensation for you, you won’t be charged. Call Gebhard Law Office at 414-873-6550 for a free consultation or to schedule an appointment.

Milwaukee personal injury attorney Karl Gebhard is available throughout Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the surrounding areas, including Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, West Milwaukee, West Allis, Wauwatosa, St. Francis, South Milwaukee, River Hills, Oak Creek, Milwaukee, Hales Corners, Greenfield, Greendale, Glendale, Franklin, Fox Point, Cudahy, Brown Deer, Bayside, Green Bay, Madison, Racine, and Jefferson. All services handled on a “you only pay if we win,” contingency basis.

Milwaukee Location