When it comes to car accidents, the value of a case can vary quite a bit. One of the main determiners of case value is your injuries and the cost of medical treatment. Since even minor injuries can cost thousands of dollars to treat, many accident victims have valuable cases. The value of your case matters quite a bit so read on to find out why.
What Is Compensation?
A car accident can create havoc in a victim's life in several ways, and all of those issues can be converted into dollars and cents. Compensation is based on some common losses encountered by accident victims like:
- Medical treatment expenses
- Lost wages from a job
- Lost or damaged personal property
- Pain and suffering — The negative effect the accident and resulting injuries have had on the victim. That might mean emotional problems like irritation and anger or more serious issues like depression and anxiety.
Compensation is available in two ways. Victims may be able to settle their case with the at-fault driver's insurance agency or they may have to take their case to court.
How to Determine Case Value
Being paid compensation means that fault is certain. If you had any fault in the accident, you may be paid very little or nothing. If the fault is disputed, that often means your compensation will be delayed or that you might have to take your case to court. The next factor in case value is your medical expenses, which may be used to determine how much pain and suffering you get. In some cases, pain and suffering are more than all other forms of damage put together. For example, pain and suffering might be 1.5 to 5 times your medical expenses. The remainder of the case value is made up of things like evidence, your age, your job, and local settlements.
Why Case Value Is Important
Obviously, the more your case is worth the higher your compensation but there is another reason why case value is important. To ensure you get every penny you deserve, you must allow a personal injury lawyer to help you. They can evaluate your case and negotiate with the insurer for a generous settlement. If the lawyer determines that your case is valuable, they may agree to represent you using a contingency fee arrangement. That means you don't have to pay any money upfront to get your case started.
As soon after the accident that you can, speak to a personal injury lawyer and find out more.
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