Personal Injury Lawyer
When you sit down with an attorney after being injured in some type of incident, one of your first questions might be, “How much is my case worth?” Unfortunately, it’s impossible to determine an exact amount right off the bat, as there are many factors at play. The following are some things that affect the worth of a personal injury case.
Increasing the Worth
There are going to be factors that will decrease the worth of your case, and other factors that will increase the worth. The following are some things that could make your settlement amount higher.
- Hard Injuries – These would include bone, joint, nerve, vertebrae and head injuries.
- Medical Treatment – This would include treatment by actual medical professionals such as physicians and other doctors at hospitals and clinics.
- Prescribed Medication – Whether long-term or short-term, prescribed medication will be an added expense.
- Long Expected Recovery – The longer your recovery time, the higher your case worth will go.
- Pain and Suffering – This includes any type of emotional or physical pain and suffering resulting from your accident.
- Permanent Injuries – Any time an injury is permanent or life-long, the worth of a case will increase.
It could also increase the worth of your personal injury case if the court finds absolutely no fault of your own in the incident. If you are organized, professional, respectful and otherwise pleasant during the settlement process, it could have a positive impact as well. If you have witnesses who are willing to attest to your story, that could also help.
Decreasing the Worth
If you’re hoping for a real high settlement amount, watch out for some of the following factors that could decrease the worth of your case.
- Soft Injuries – These include strains, bruises and sprains.
- Non-Medical Treatment – This includes treatment by non-medical professionals such as chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists or health coaches.
- No Follow Up Care – Injuries that do not require follow up care will not yield as high of a settlement amount.
- Short Expected Recovery – If you’ll be recovered after just a few days or weeks, it could decrease the worth of your case.
- Temporary Injuries – A temporary injury won’t require the amount of care as a permanent injury, making the worth lower.
If you were found to be partially at fault for your injury, that could also decrease the worth of your case. Being disorganized, unsympathetic or impatient could also be a negative factor in your case. If you have no witnesses to bolster your side, it could decrease the value.
Learning More
Your personal injury lawyer is only a phone call away. To learn more about what you might be able to expect as the result of your personal injury case, contact a lawyer, today.
