Brookhaven Car
Accident Lawyer

While you recover from your injuries, let us help with handling your case as well as communicating with your insurer. At this difficult time, when you are dealing with the repercussions of the accident, we can help evaluate your individual situation and determine the best way to handle your case. We have over 73 years of experience practicing in courts all over the state of Mississippi to represent the best interests of clients. We use our previous experience representing a large Mississippi insurance company to benefit our clients.

Contact us to request a consultation to discuss the facts of your case and determine the best way to proceed. Call us today at (601) 845-5050.

Mississippi laws regarding car accidents are complicated, and there are time limits and procedures for filing a lawsuit. Making mistakes can be costly, and having a Brookhaven car accident lawyer on your side can help make sure that everything is done correctly and in a timely manner.
Mississippi follows a traditional fault-based system for vehicle insurance, so that the person who is responsible for the crash is responsible for the losses sustained in the accident. If you have suffered property damage or personal injuries caused by another driver’s negligence, you have the following options:

• Filing a claim with the other driver’s insurance company
• Filing a claim with your insurance company, if the at-fault driver has no insurance
• Filing a lawsuit against the driver who caused the accident

The more extensive your injuries and property damage, the longer it may take to settle your case, but the more your case is worth and the more insurance companies, who are out for profit, will try to fight it. According to Mississippi Code § 11-7-15, there is a comparative negligence rule that reduces an award according to the share of negligence. As a result, the insurance companies and lawyers of the at-fault driver will try to prove that you did something to contribute to the accident or that you were the one responsible. In addition, they will typically make smaller settlement offers to people trying to negotiate on their own, so it pays to have an attorney fighting for the compensation you deserve. Our team is ready to fight for you, so give us a call to learn your legal options.

We Handle the Insurance Company for You

Our Brookhaven car accident lawyers can communicate with insurers on your behalf. Among the steps we take to protect your interests and to get you the full compensation you deserve are the following. We will . . .

• Evaluate the circumstances of your case to determine whether you have a valid lawsuit and what a fair settlement amount should be
• Investigate your case and gather evidence, such as photos and videos from surveillance and traffic cameras
• Interview witnesses and first responders
• Examine police, ambulance and medical reports and documents
• Handle communications and negotiate with insurance companies and their attorneys to get you a fair settlement
• Build your case and take it to trial if necessary.

The sooner you call us after an accident, the sooner we can get started gathering evidence while it is still available and while witnesses can be found. In addition, be aware that Mississippi has a statute of limitations, a deadline for filing a lawsuit, that is generally three years from the date of the accident. You must file on time or the courts will refuse to hear your case.

We’re here to help you at every step in the process. Call Ringer Lingold & Spencer today at (601) 845-5050 to get started.

In a successful Mississippi car accident case, you may win compensatory damages that cover your costs, losses, and injuries from your car accident. These are classified as economic (or monetary) damages and non-economic damages (covering losses that do not have a specific dollar value).

Economic damages cover losses and expenses, including:

• Medical, hospital, and therapy bills
• Lost wages if you are unable to work, as well as lost future earning capacity
• Property damage such as vehicle replacement.

Non-economic damages are for negative effects from the accident that are difficult to quantify monetarily, including:

• Physical, emotional, and mental pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium and companionship
• Disability or disfigurement
• Wrongful death

Punitive damages. In some rare cases of extreme wrongdoing, punitive damages may also be awarded. This is a monetary award to punish the wrongdoer and to deter such behavior in the future.

Mississippi does not cap the amount of economic damages that can be awarded, but it does limit non-economic and punitive damages.

It’s natural to wonder how much you may receive as compensation for your losses. There is a wide range of damage awards, which can vary from thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the individual circumstances. While it is impossible to pinpoint just what a jury may award, our Brookhaven car accident attorneys can give you an estimate after evaluating the facts of your case. Some factors that affect award amounts are:

• The severity of your injuries and whether you will you be left with a permanent disability and require continuing care in the long term
• Whether you will be able to return to work and be able to earn what you did before the accident
• The value of the property destroyed in the accident
• Your age, earning potential, and family responsibilities
• Whether a death is involved
• The availability of insurance and assets of the defendants
• How the accident happened and whether you contributed to it
• The inclination of the individual judge and jury to make generous awards
• The facts involved and strength of your case and your attorney’s ability to present it.

Proving negligence is an essential part of winning a settlement in Mississippi. Our Brookhaven car accident attorneys must show that the party you are suing was negligent and at fault for causing the accident that injured you and that you suffered damages as a result. Damages can be economic and cover expenses like medical bills, lost wages or repairs to a vehicle. They can also be non-economic and provide compensation for other issues, like pain and suffering.

Proof of negligence means showing the following elements exist:

1. Duty. You are owed a “duty of care” for the other party to act responsibly and not cause you harm. For example, drivers must take care to follow the rules of the road and act in a manner a reasonable person would to prevent injuries. Speeding through a stop sign or texting while driving violates a “duty of care.”
2. Breach. Actions that cause harm or do not prevent harm violate that duty of care. For example, a person who was driving drunk and went through a red light.
3. Cause. The next step is to prove that the breach caused the accident that injured you. In the above example, the drunk driver ran the red light and crashed into your car, injuring you and totaling your vehicle.
4. Damages. Your injuries resulted in actual damages, such as medical bills and lost wages, as well as your totaled car.

Can More Than One Party Be At Fault?

Yes. There may be multiple parties responsible for the accident that should be named in a lawsuit since they may all have insurance and assets. These may include:

• The driver who ran a red light and hit you
• The manufacturer of a vehicle or part, such as defective brakes that failed
• A municipality or road repair company responsible for repairing a road or putting up warning signs that failed to do so properly.

Steps Taken by Our Team to Prove Negligence

To prove negligence, our Brookhaven car accident lawyers will investigate your case, interview witnesses, and gather and preserve all evidence. We work with experts to examine the accident scene, reconstruct what happened, and testify as to the negligence of the at-fault parties. In addition, we may work with engineers to testify to road problems and with medical experts to testify on the extent of your physical and mental damages and how they will affect the rest of your life.

While our attorneys are trying to prove other parties were negligent and at fault for causing the accident, their attorneys will try to show that you were negligent as well. In some situations, both drivers involved in an accident share some of the fault. In Mississippi, even if you did something that contributed to the car accident, our attorneys may still be able to get you some compensation. Your settlement will be reduced by the proportion of fault the courts decide is yours. You can still collect the proportion that the other parties are found to be at fault. Our team of Brookhaven car accident lawyers will aggressively fight to ensure that you get every bit of compensation you deserve for the injuries you suffered in the accident.

When you’re involved in a car accident, let the Brookhaven, MS, car accident attorneys at Ringer Lingold & Spencer take the burden off you. We’ll handle all legal matters, paperwork, insurance matters and negotiations, and court appearances, so you can concentrate on your recovery. We are available to answer your questions and concerns and will be there to walk you through all steps involved with your case.

Call us today at (601) 845-5050 so we can start fighting for justice and the compensation you deserve.