Q: How much is my case worth?

A: The value of a personal injury claim is determined by a variety of factors. Most important is the nature and extent of the injury. The more serious the injury the more the case is worth. Questions about the injury that effect value include: Has the injury caused disability? Has the injury caused disfigurement? Was the victim hospitalized and for how long? What medical treatment was necessary? What are the medical bills? Did the victim lose time from work? If so, how much time? How long will the disability last? These are some, but not all the factors that are considered when evaluating the injury aspect of a personal injury claim.

Value is also impacted by liability. How obvious is it that the other party negligently caused the injury? If the liability (negligence) of the other party may be difficult to prove the settlement value of the personal injury claim may have to be discounted to account for the potential difficulty in proving the case.

Most cases must wait until the claimant reaches a medical endpoint before they can be evaluated for settlement. This means when the patient is released from treatment and the medical providers are able to predict a future course for the victim.  The longer the consequences of the injury persist, the more value the case has.

Evaluating a personal injury case for settlement is as much art as science. Only experienced personal injury attorneys have the experience and skill set necessary to properly evaluate a  personal injury claim. In addition to the above there are many other factors that go into the evaluation of a claim. To learn more see the Personal Injury Handbook available in our Library.