Evaluating the Costs of a Lawsuit Settlement
When you want to get a settlement for a personal injury case, there are two things that will help you maximize on the value of your settlement. These are your personal situation and how the attorney approaches your case.
How much is my lawsuit worth? The most important factor to consider is your personal situation. Suffering an injury at work or in an accident can completely alter your life and ability to live normally. For example, you can suffer severe injuries that can leave you with broken bones, unable to work, a damaged spine, brain injury and so on. If these injuries occurred as a result of the negligence of another party, you should seek compensation.
The amount of compensation you will be awarded will depend on different factors. For instance, if you had a partial role to play in the events that led to the injury, you may not be compensated as much as you would if the accident was entirely as a result of the actions or inactions of a concerned party. Other factors that can affect the amount you will be given as settlement include the amount of income you may lose as a result of being injured, medical bills paid for treatment, cost of long-term care, your profession, how old you are, among others.
Working with a Personal Injury Attorney
You can follow up on a claim on your own or get an attorney to help you. A good attorney should be able to convey this information property to the party involved or their insurance company. Before contacting the other party, the attorney will advise you on the possible outcomes of the case and how much he/she will be asking for.
The amount of settlement the attorney will be demanding will depend on the economic and non-economic losses you suffered. Economic losses refer to the losses that can be ascertained in a dollar value. Examples of such losses include the cost of repairing your vehicle, cost of medical bills, lost income and so on. On the other hand, non-economic losses refer to those whose value cannot be ascertained in monetary terms. Examples of such losses include mental anguish suffered as a result of the accident, pain and suffering, loss of companionship among others.
You can use an online auto accident settlement calculator to find out how much your claim is worth. An experienced personal injury attorney can also help you calculate a just amount for your injuries.
