One of the most common questions that personal Injury lawyers get asked is how much someone's car accident settlement is worth. This infographic breaks down the various factors involved In car accident injury case valuations.
EVERY CAR ACCIDENT CASE IS DIFFERENT
No two injuries are the same. Similarly, no two car accidents are the same. There are tiny variables and differences in how these events can affect one's life. All of these things factor into the value of your case. That is why both your lawyer and the insurance company will treat each case on its own.
HOW WOULD INJURY REACT TO YOUR INJURIES?
Generally, if you have injuries that seem serious, your case will be more valuable. That's because juries are affected by serious looking injuries. Both your car accident lawyer and the insurance company will be taking the potential jury reaction into account because they would actually determine the outcome of your case if negotiations break down.
HOW DOES AN INJURY LOOK MORE SERIOUS?
- Is the injury visible?
- Does it look serious?
- Did it require any invasive surgical procedures?
- Did you not respond well to initial treatment and did it take months or longer to improve?
- Were you left you with permanent pain, disability or limitation?
HOW DOES THE INJURY AFFECT YOUR LIFE?
Calculating the cost of an injury is based in part on how much your life was affected, including:
- Does the injury Interfere with your normal day to day life?
- Will you continue to have pain in the future?
- Is your ability to work affected?
- Do you have emotional anguish from your injury?
GET CHECKED OUT BY A DOCTOR ASAP!
Getting checked out by a medical professional serves more than one purpose.
- Get yourself on the road to better health. This is by far the most important thing after an
accident.
- Start building evidence for your case. This will help drive up the value of your claim and give the insurance companies a doctor's examination that they must at least recognize.
INSURANCE COMPANIES TEND TO UNDERVALUE CASES
Your car accident lawyer and the insurance company calculate the value of your case in differing ways. Insurance companies tend to arrive at a lower number than your lawyer. This is a key reason why having an experienced lawyer will aid your case.
HOW DO INSURANCE COMPANIES DETERMINE THE VALUE OF THE CASE?
In most cases, insurance companies use an algorithm to calculate the value of a car accident settlement. An insurance adjuster inputs the type of injury you have and some other factors and then a computer provides a settlement amount based on other similar cases.
SOME COMMON TYPES OF CAR ACCIDENT INJURY CASES
- Minor whiplash: Minor cost of medical bills & maybe $3,000 extra - Moderate whiplash: Minor cost of medical bills & maybe $4,000 - Serious whiplash: $10,000 in medical bills & $5,000-$10,000 extra, - Joint/tissue damage (easy treatment & physical therapy): Cost of medical bills & $10,000 extra - Joint/tissue damage (ongoing treatment): Probably at least $25,000 or more. - Injuries that require surgery: Potentially $50,000 or more - Severe/life-threatening Injuries: Easily more than $100,000
HOW MUCH DOES A CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER HELP?
The more serious your injury, the more beneficial having a lawyer can be. For minor injuries, a lawyer could make a difference of $3,000 to your case value. For serious injuries or a long term disability, hiring a lawyer could be worth tens of thousands more for your case.
GET THE MOST VALUE OUT OF YOUR CASE BY:
1. Seeing a doctor immediately.
2. Not signing anything or saying much to the insurance company without a lawyer.
3. Going to specialists who understand your specific type of injury.
4. Having a lawyer represent your case. Take care of those four things and your legal team will handle the rest!
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