Putting a numerical value on a personal injury case is difficult to achieve without diving in deeper.
If you go into an attorney’s office and they attempt to tell you immediately how much your case is worth, you should consider seeing another attorney. There is no way to know exactly how much you could receive by having one brief conversation about the situation.
Lawyers need to understand the complete nature of a case and the extent of the harm done before legal losses can be determined. A careful analysis of the medical documentation, research regarding where the accident took place, and the value of similar types of cases are things to consider. Additionally, medical experts are often consulted, whether they be neurologists, orthopedists, or other doctors. These medical professionals can detail the full extent of the injuries sustained and how they may affect your life in the future.
Additionally, lawyers often review jury verdicts and settlement data, to allow them to understand the approximate value of your case.
What factors affect how much I could receive?
There are a number of factors that affect the settlement you may receive. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
The location where the injury occurred – There is sometimes a higher monetary value associated with your injuries occurring in a metropolitan area rather than a rural setting. This is often attributed to the biased thinking of insurance companies.
Types of injury and modes of treatment – What kind of injury was it? Was it a catastrophic brain injury, or was it a broken bone scenario? What treatments were involved in the healing process?
Gaps in treatment – This is taken into account to see if your injuries were life threatening, or if they became more pressing as time went on? Did you wait to go to the emergency room or the doctor’s office?
The insurance market – Although this is out of your control, the insurance market is a factor in how much you may receive for your personal injury claim. Insurance companies are looking to save money, and they may devalue claims in doing so.
Your attorney will need to know more about you to understand how your injuries will affect your lifestyle. Will your injuries prohibit you from performing your current job? Will you have significant difficulty remaining in your current field because of your injuries? Will you still be able to live an active lifestyle?