Speak With a Personal Injury Attorney About Your Case and What It Could Be Worth
Jan. 26, 2016
After being in a motor vehicle collision or car accident, you should speak with a personal injury attorney to determine if you have a case or right to collect monetary compensation or damages and what that case may be worth. It is easy to assume that the insurance company is on your side and that it will give you a fair settlement offer. Sometimes that happens, but very often, it does not. Quite simply, this is because the insurance company is in business to make money. If they can keep payouts to a minimum, their profits will rise. If you will accept a low offer, that is all that you will get. The challenge is that with no experience, how will you know what the value of your case is or the worth in comparison to other’s similarly injured? This is something an attorney can help you with.
A Personal Injury Attorney Will Evaluate Several Factors When Calculating the Value of Your Case
The bulk of your case's value will come from any injuries you have sustained, what it has cost to treat them thus far, what treatments you will need in the future, and how your life has and will be impacted. The only way to truly get this information is to be under the care of an experienced doctor. I often recommend visiting an physician, doctor or medical provider who understands how to make projections and is comfortable testifying if necessary about the relatedness of the injuries to the accident or motor vehicle collision. As an expert witness, your doctor's testimony can be incredibly effective during your trial (if it gets to that point). Your doctor will need to explain the extent of your injuries and what your treatment plan has looked like so far. They will also need to disclose any further treatments they think you should have and if they think you will need to remain in the care of a doctor for years to come or potentially for the rest of your life. Since each doctor visit and every procedure has a cost, forward-looking projections will need to be made regarding how much you may need to pay for them. This is the only way to prevent you from getting a lump sum now that will be nowhere near enough to pay for your future medical care.
If you have missed work to go to doctors' appointments or if you are no longer able to perform your same job duties, let me know. By looking at your hourly or annual salary, I can determine how much money you have lost and how much you will continue to lose if things go along the same pattern.
Another factor, usually done initially, is to calculate what the value of any vehicle property damage has been. This is typically done by receiving a quote from an auto body shop. You may also have other property damage to clothing, eyeglasses or dentures. It is helpful if you have original purchase receipts or replacement receipts.
Proving Negligence Is the Role of a Personal Injury Attorney
Determining fault is part of any personal injury case. The amount of fault (negligence) that each driver has can influence what, if anything, each driver will get. You do not need to be found entirely free of fault, but the other driver needs to be proven to be more liable than you were. Often, my skills at representation result in a fair settlement without a trial as I present your position to the adjuster or opposing counsel and clearly show you are the least culpable party.
To discuss your case further, call my office to speak with me – an experienced personal injury attorney.