Damages: How Much Is a Personal Injury Case Worth?

When you find yourself in an accident where you sustain injuries or emotional harm and have to deal with the subsequent damages, you may find that you can be compensated for these expenses. However, the amount you may be entitled to will vary depending upon the severity of the accident and the resulting consequences of your injuries. For example, someone who may have missed a week of work will not be looking at the same payout as someone who has been permanently disabled during an accident. This brings many to the same question: how much is a personal injury case worth? If you are a victim of an accident, continue reading to learn more about what factors of your case will determine your overall settlement. 

The Mechanics Behind Settlements and Personal Injury Law

The good news about a personal injury claim is that you are rarely going to have to take your case to court. Most cases are settled out of court and many are paid the amount needed to handle all of their expenses, if not more. That said, there are some cases that do reach trial. If you have a complex case or one in which the other side believes that they should not be held liable for your injury, it is important that you brush up on the law in your state to understand what your rights are in regard to seeking compensation. To give you an idea of what kind of settlement you can expect to receive, let’s look at what goes into an overall personal injury settlement. 

How Is My Claim Determined?

Determining how much you should ask for begins with figuring out how much you have lost (monetarily) as a result of the accident. For example, if you are hurt in a car accident, you will need to calculate the costs of your medical stay and treatment, the amount of money that you lost from missing work while you were recovering, and the costs of repairing the damage to your car and any other items that may have been destroyed during the collision. Beyond this, there may be additional compensation for any continual mental or physical harm that has occurred. 

Let’s imagine that the car accident left you in severe pain and caused serious mental trauma that triggered anxiety or PTSD. These issues can increase the total settlement as you dealt with pain and suffering after your accident. If you are at all injured in any way that prevents you from functioning normally or working, these long-term consequences may also boost your settlement value. Finally, someone who has clearly acted against you in a malicious or criminal way may entitle you to punitive damages. No matter what type of situation you have found yourself in, make sure to take each of these points into consideration when you are deciding what you should be asking for to help you deal with the consequences of a personal injury. 

What Do I Do If I Have a Personal Injury Case?

Building a case and ensuring that a settlement is made begins with hiring a high-quality law firm to help you handle your claims. Although there are some cases in which liability is obvious and you will be fairly compensated, more complex cases may be too much for you to take on alone. If you are the victim of an accident and believe you are entitled to compensation, make sure to reach out to a personal injury lawyer such as Ben Davis or Zackeree Kelin to help you get started today!