What is my personal injury case worth?

The value of a personal injury case depends on a variety of things. There are many factors that will affect the compensation that may be received in a personal injury settlement, ranging from the cause of the personal injury (i.e. car accident), to the severity of the injuries sustained.

Factors Affecting a Personal Injury Settlement

Below Attorney Contrada has listed the common factors that go into determining how much a personal injury case is worth.

• The incident – The incident that caused the personal injury affects the worth of the case. For example, if a car accident caused your personal injuries, there will be several things considered, such as the seriousness of the accident, the impact of the collision, liability (who is at fault) and property damage that resulted. A car accident attorney can help you to gain a better understanding of how the car accident you were involved in will affect the worth of your personal case.
• Injuries – The injuries that may result from an accident vary. An individual in a vehicle may suffer severe injuries after a collision, while another passenger in that same vehicle could only suffer from minor injuries. For example, a past case that attorney Charlie Contrada handled involved a car accident with four boys in on of the vehicles – two of the boys suffered no injury, one suffered whiplash, and the fourth died in the accident. The injuries that are sustained are specific to each individual and play a major role in the worth of the personal injury case.
• Medical Expenses – Just as the severity of the injuries affect the worth of a case, so do the medical expenses. If multiple surgeries are required and the individual must undergo months of physical therapy, their personal injury case may be worth more in order to cover those expenses. Pre-existing conditions can also play a role in the value of the case. For example, someone who has a bad back prior to a car accident then aggravates the pre-existing condition in the accident. While their symptoms worsen as a result, the value of the case lessens because it is a pre-existing condition. To ensure that the proper compensation is received to cover all the medical expenses from an injury, it is imperative to hire an experienced attorney to guide you through the process.
• Lost Wages/Time off Work – When an injury causes an individual to take time off of work, resulting in lost wages, the value of their personal injury case increases. Oftentimes individuals must take time to recover after injuries, resulting in either lost or reduced pay. There are also instances in which an individual can no longer return to their job at all. This lost earning potential plays a major role in the value of a personal injury case, however it does depend on the career of the individual.
• Pain & Suffering – Injuries sustained in a car accident can cause significant pain and suffering for an individual. This includes many things, such as the inability for a parent to attend their child’s sporting events due to their condition, or no longer being able to travel long distances to see family members due to pain experienced from the injury. A car accident attorney can help to document the effects of your accident, which then affect the value of your personal injury case.
• Emotional Distress – The emotional effects of a personal injury can cause a significant impact on an individual’s life. This is also considered to be a factor when determining the value of a personal injury case.

Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

It is very important to your personal injury case that you have an attorney representing you. With so many factors affecting the value of a case, having a professional working on your behalf increases the chances that you will receive a favorable settlement.

The personal injury attorneys at Contrada & Associates have helped countless personal injury victims to receive the compensation that they deserve. Attorney Charlie Contrada has over 30 years of personal injury experience, helping clients throughout Northwest Ohio. If you would like to speak to attorney Contrada about the incident that caused your personal injury, call 419.841.4400. You will be able to speak directly with Charlie, explain the accident that occurred, and receive guidance on the steps that you should take regarding your personal injury claim.