What Is Your Personal Injury Case Worth?
Posted on: 31 January 2023
After a car accident, many victims are laser-focused on recovering from their injuries. At some point, however, financial issues can arise. Case value should concern every car accident victim. Most victims are eager to be paid for all the ways the accident has affected them. Read on for a primer on how to figure out how your case measures up.
Why Is Case Value Important?
Permanent injuries are an important form of accident damage, and it also figures into the value of your case. Thus, the value of your case determines how much you are paid for your permanent injuries. Commonly, the below factors figure heavily in the value of your personal injury case.
Fault – This issue must be addressed first because it's so important to case value. Fault is often determined soon after the accident occurs. A combination of things goes into this evaluation, and it all begins at the accident scene. The officers on duty will interview bystanders and witnesses to help them form an opinion of the cause. Also, physical evidence like damage to vehicles and more can help point the way to the driver that caused the accident. The insurer may also conduct an investigation into the cause of the accident. However, most of the time, the drivers themselves know who caused the accident. The driver causing the accident is the one who must use their insurance to pay the other driver. Fault can also be divided between the drivers but not in all states.
Injury Severity – Make no mistake about it. Any type of injury makes things difficult for accident victims. Even minor injuries can be costly and lead to lost time at work, mood disorders, and more. The severity of injuries, when it comes to case value, is determined using medical costs. Though there are other ways to figure this out, victims with extremely high medical bills are owed more money. This is not about being paid for the cost of the medical treatments, although that is also a factor.
The medical cost issue affects what is known as pain and suffering. Pain and suffering covers things like:
- Victim discomfort
- The emotional fallout from the accident
- The misery of having an injury
- having to go through various medical procedures and diagnostic tests.
and more. Anyone who has been treated for a medical condition knows it's more than just a bit uncomfortable to be hurt badly and hospitalized.
To find out more about how to determine the value of your accident case, speak to an auto accident attorney for a professional case evaluation.
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