In the United States, approximately 3 million people are injured or disabled in car accidents every year. Sometimes the injured or disabled parties are at no fault for these accidents. With the potentially high costs of medical care, this makes it important to know how much a car accident is worth.
Factors that determine car settlement worth
Every case happens differently. Some car accident lawsuits may gain more money than others. It all depends on a few different factors. One of the biggest factors in a settlement is injury. Law firms will tell you the more serious the injury appears, the higher your settlement could potentially be. This is because juries are usually more sympathetic when they see significant harm has been done. Additionally, if the procedures required are complicated, the initial treatment hasn’t worked, and there’s permanent disability, juries will have more sympathy for that too. In these instances, the defense will sometimes try to negotiate a settlement before a case goes to trial.
Your salary can also play a role too. The more you make, the higher your settlement will likely be. You should be aware your claim can be negatively affected in different ways too. If you’re at-fault in some way for the accident, that can reduce the amount of compensation you can get. What you say after the accident can also be problematic. If you apologize to the other person, insurance adjusters can argue that’s admission of fault. If you say that you’re okay after an accident, that can be used to argue that you didn’t suffer an injury in the accident.
Cost of injury differences
Law firms will usually calculate the cost of your injuries much differently than your insurance company. Your lawyer looks at how your injury affects your life. They will factor any changes to day-to-day living, your ability to work, future pain you have, and any emotional difficulties. Insurance companies calculate the value of your injuries based on their own systems, which is usually lower than the cost a lawyer calculates. An experienced car accident attorney will be helpful in negotiating a car accident claim to get the compensation you need.
Determining how much your claim is worth
In order to determine the worth of your claim, you should contact a car crash lawyer. Law firms that specialize in car accidents will be helpful in reviewing your specific situation. They’ll offer you an idea of how much they can negotiate for your claim.
Getting the full amount of your claim
A few tips will help you be more likely to get the full amount of your claim. First, you should see a doctor for your injuries as soon as possible. Know what your injuries are, and the time and cost it may take to heal them. Be careful in all of your communications with your insurance company, and don’t sign anything until you’ve communicated to your lawyer. Your lawyer should be the one that represents you to the insurance company.
Knowing this information is very important if you’re ever an accident. If you’ve been in one recently, see a doctor as soon as possible if you haven’t. Be sure to contact an injury attorney to be informed how much your car accident could be worth.