When an individual is injured as a result of the negligence of another party, they have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit. The goal of such lawsuits is often to recover compensatory damages for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering experienced as a result of their injuries. In many cases, these lawsuits can be settled outside of court through negotiation with the opposing party. However, it can be difficult for individuals who are not familiar with personal injury law to assess the true value of settlement offers they receive from opposing parties or insurance companies.
If you have suffered as a result of someone else’s negligence, you must consider consulting with reputable law firms like McCutcheon & Hamner Attorneys at Law. Experienced lawyers will know how to navigate the complexities of your case. Below are some crucial factors that should be considered when evaluating settlement offers.
Evaluating medical expenses and future medical costs
One important consideration when assessing a settlement offer is evaluating medical expenses already incurred by you. This includes all past medical bills related to treating the injuries as well as any ongoing rehabilitation or therapy costs. The future cost of medical expenses also needs to be calculated when assessing potential settlements.
An experienced personal injury attorney can help you understand how much ongoing care may cost and ensure that any proposed settlement covers those costs – both past and future – so that you do not end up with out-of-pocket expenses.
Lost wages
Another factor that must also be taken into account is lost wages suffered by you due to time off from work during the recovery period from an accident or injury. It’s essential to calculate all income lost during this period – both earnings missed at work as well as benefits like bonuses or commissions that would have been earned if work had continued uninterrupted. An attorney will also factor in promotions or raises, which may have been foregone due to your inability to continue working because you are not back from recuperation yet.
Pain and suffering compensation
Pain and suffering compensation refers to harm caused by loss other than physical damage. This could include emotional trauma experienced after an accident leading up to or after treatment. Noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering compensation, are often the most difficult to calculate when resolving a settlement; but this is where an experienced attorney can be of great help.
One method some attorneys use for calculating these noneconomic damages is on the basis of wages lost or medical bills. They may multiply those losses by a certain multiplier that reflects the severity of the injuries. More severe injuries generally correspond to higher multipliers which can result in larger payouts.
Negotiating with insurance companies
Insurance companies are well-known for their efforts to pay the victims amounts that are as low as possible. Before evaluating any settlement offer from an insurance company, it is imperative that all documents related to injuries and accidents should be presented. Properly presenting documentation can increase credibility while dealing with insurance companies, especially when it comes to numbers like lost wages or cost recovery.
Hiring a personal injury attorney
If you have been hurt due to another party’s negligence, you deserve compensation that fully accounts for your losses incurred by the accident or injury. It’s safer and more efficient that you hire a personal injury lawyer when making claims rather than proceeding without knowing what your minimum loss is worth. An attorney can provide rough estimates based on previous cases they have handled so you don’t underestimate the value of the claim being made.
A comprehensive evaluation by a personal injury lawyer will take into account factors like medical expenses, including future costs, lost wages, reduced income owing from promotions, and missed opportunities while recuperating, alongside noneconomic damages accrued, such as pain and suffering compensation. In addition, professional guidance is indispensable whenever negotiating with opposing parties, especially placing target values on arising issues since lawyers remain knowledgeable from experience gained over handling preceding cases.
Adam Mulligan, a psychology graduate from the University of Hertfordshire, has a keen interest in the fields of mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
