The other driver had even admitted fault

My wife was involved in a car-totalling wreck caused by an underage drunk driver. This occured over a year and a half ago, and in our haste, we lawyered up, for better or for worse. We decided on going with a lawyer because it was our first time dealing with anything like this, and during that time of overwhelming stress and panic and every other emotions that came along with it, we needed someone with experience to guide us through it all.

Among various soft body damages, bruises that were still very visible almost a year later, she is left with what she was told by her chiropractor a lower back pain that will stay with her the rest of her life (she is in her mid-20s) coupled with the recurring pain in her neck. She sees the chiro about once every week or two, although she'd visit more often if it wasn't so inconvenient trying to get to his office before closing driving through downtown rush-hour traffic.

Also, the accident happened right after she left a really decent paying job to take a chance with another company as an assistant manager with a slight paycut, but it came with a high probability for upward mobility. After the accident, her doctor recommended she took a week off to recover, and that when she returned, it would be to some restrictions, which included, among other things, no heavy lifting, and no stair climbing. It was during this week of recovery that the company decided to let her go since they couldn't afford to lose her for the week, and then on top of that deal with her limitations upon her return.

Two weeks ago we finally heard from the offending party, and the settlement they offered were too low for what she's going to have to deal with for the rest of her life, or rather our lives, as a back and neck injury have impacts that extend to many facets of our relationship, not to mention the immediate consequences it had on us financially, and what could've become from her newfound job in the future. As it is now, this case will most likely be settled in a courtroom.

Sorry, I know this is long, and I don't know where I'm going with this. Maybe I just needed to talk. Maybe I just want assurance, after reading your comment, that we did the right thing in our particular case, by going with a lawyer. Or maybe I just want to know, from someone who is on the other side of the industry, what I can expect from this going forward. What advice, if you can spare some time, can you give us that isn't already too late to take heed of?

If you read this, thank you for taking the time. And if you do have any advice, I'd be so grateful!

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