What Is My Personal Injury Claim Worth?
Discovering the Worth of Your Claim
Determining what your personal injury claim may be worth is important. It can give you the opportunity to recover the amount of financial compensation that can help you rebuild and move on with your life.
At a time when it may seem that you are facing a bleak future due to overwhelming medical bills, ongoing medical care, lost earnings from missed work, and physical pain, you can seek to hold the individual or entity responsible for your injuries accountable for their conduct This is best accomplished with the guidance of a qualified lawyer.
Law Office of J.D. Smith, PLLC knows exactly how to assist you with your personal injury claim. Contact our firm now at (206) 537-0106.
The value of any personal injury case will vary depending on the specific incident. The severity of the injury that the victim has sustained and the level of impact this has had on the victim from financial, emotional and physical standpoints could all impact the ultimate worth of the claim.
What Will the Insurance Company Compensate?
Insurance claims are processed and calculated differently on a case by case basis. Therefore, it is essential that injury victims who are looking to file a claim do so only after fully recognizing the limits of the law.
There are certain types of damages that qualify an injury victim for compensation through an insurance claim, and others that are not recognized. Involving a personal injury attorney is the surest way to ensure that you fully understand whether or not your claim stands a chance of being compensated.
Damages that are recognized and paid for by insurance companies are:
- Medical bills and care
- Loss of social life
- Permanent disability
- Permanent disfigurement
- Loss of income
- Emotional trauma / stress / depression
- Property damage
When determining the worth of a personal injury claim, the insurance company will also pay close attention to the percentage of fault. This term is used to identify what has arguably come to be recognized as the most important factor in determining the value of a claim.
Based on the percentage of fault, the amount of your claim could be susceptible to increases or decreases. For example, if your fault is very minor, the claim's worth will be more, whereas, if you are found to be primarily at fault, the worth of your claim could be significantly lower.
How Will My Insurance Company Determine Damages?
Determining the amount that your accident and subsequent injuries are worth is arguably the most difficult component of any personal injury claim that is filed in the state of Washington.
The amount that will ultimately be given to the victim of any type of injury accident will be based on the personal circumstances of their individual case, which means there is no definitive way to know exactly how much your claim will be worth prior to involving an insurance company. There are, however, aspects of the accident that can be evaluated in order to determine what a rough estimate of the claim will look like.
The "formula" used by insurance companies that are trying to calculate the compensation that must be paid to an insured individual takes into account more than just the total medical expenses of the accident.
In addition, factors related to:
- Pain
- Suffering
- Lost opportunities
- And missed experiences will also be considered
The base figure of a claim amount is based on the general damages, and the "medical specials damages," are then multiplied by a number ranging from 1 to 10 depending on the severity and pain of the injuries that are suffered. Any income that would be lost from time off work will also be added to the value of a claim. From this formula, a value for your claim is determined.
Recovering Compensation for a Personal Injury Claim in Seattle, WA
One of the most important parts of the legal representation that a confident and experienced attorney provides for your claim will be the accurate determination of what your case is worth. It is not enough to simply say that another person caused you injury or caused the accident in which you were involved.
You must show the actual damages that the person or entity caused you to experience. It must also be proven that the other party acted negligently or recklessly.
Your attorney may prove this by working with expert witnesses in:
- Medicine
- Economics
- Physical therapy
- And psychology to detail the impact that the injuries have had and will have on your life
Make sure you have a skilled legal professional with the resources and experience needed to prove the full value of your claim and get you favorable results.
Contact our team at the Law Office of J.D. Smith, PLLC for a free and confidential review of your case.
