When you suffer serious injuries due to someone else’s negligence, you may find yourself struggling with a number of financial issues. Not only do you have serious medical bills to pay, you may also face the need to modify your home to account for your injuries–not to mention the fact that, depending on the type of injury you faced and its severity, you may not be able to return to work. You need significant compensation for significant injuries. One of the first questions many clients ask is, “How much is my personal injury case worth?”
The answer, unfortunately, is, “It varies.” There are many factors that can contribute to the compensation you receive after a significant personal injury.
HOW SEVERE ARE YOUR INJURIES?
The severity of your injuries has a huge impact on the funds you can receive following an accident. A broken leg simply isn’t worth as much as a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord damage. If your injuries have lifelong implications or will cause lasting disability, you will typically receive more compensation than if you are able to return to work within a few weeks of your injury.
WHO CAUSED YOUR INJURIES?
The next factor that helps determine the compensation you receive is who caused your injuries. This can impact your claim in several different ways:
If more than one party caused your injuries, they may share liability. In some cases, this can increase the compensation you receive. For example, in an auto accident, the driver that caused the accident may bear primary liability for your accident. If that driver was drinking at a local bar, on the other hand, and the bar over-served him knowing that he was driving, the bar may share liability for your injuries. Often, working with a lawyer can help you more effectively determine everyone involved in your accident and, therefore, more clearly identify who shares liability for your injuries.
If you contributed to your injuries, it can reduce the compensation you receive. In many cases, shared liability will cause you to lose out on a percentage of your compensation that matches the percentage of the fault you bear. For example, if you contributed 20% to the accident, you may lose 20% of the damages you would otherwise receive. If you caused 50% or more of the accident, you may not receive compensation at all.
WHAT DOES THE INSURANCE POLICY COVER, AND WHAT ARE THE POLICY MAXIMUMS?
Most insurance policies have a maximum amount that they will pay out. Auto insurance policies, for example, may have a maximum payout of $100,000, $300,000, or more, depending on how much coverage the individual selected when they chose their policy. If a business bears liability for your injuries, it may have higher insurance coverage than if an individual caused the accident. Inadequate insurance, on the other hand, may mean that you get a much smaller payout. In some cases, the individual who caused your accident may not carry insurance at all. In the case of an auto accident, you would then turn to your uninsured motorist coverage to get compensation for your injuries.
Each personal injury claim varies significantly, and the compensation one person receives cannot guarantee the compensation that another person will receive, even in a similar accident scenario or with similar injuries. Working with a lawyer is the most effective way to maximize the compensation you receive for your injuries. If you suffered serious injuries in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, contact us today to schedule your free consultation or to learn more about the services we offer.