“How much can I recover?” This is usually one of the first questions a person will ask our firm after he or she was involved in a car accident. While this is certainly a valid question to ask your lawyer, we want to talk about the determinants that need to be evaluated before that question can be answered properly.
If a lawyer provides you with the value of your case immediately after the accident takes place, he or she is providing you with false information. There is a thorough investigation that needs to take place before an estimated value can be discussed in regards to your recovery total. This is why an experienced personal injury lawyer is needed to determine the value of the case.
In order to get the full value of a case, there are a several determinants that need to be established:
- The types of injures that are sustained. The severity of these injuries will greatly impact the type of compensation that a person receives. Life-altering injuries that have long-term impacts on a person’s life will have larger compensations.
- The amount of medical bills that a person receives. This ties back into the injuries that we mentioned above. It’s also important to look ahead at the type of medical bills that a person will receive in the future due to ongoing medical treatment that may be needed.
- A person’s employment status. Lost wages due to missed time at work is a major factor when evaluating a car accident case.
- The status of future employment abilities. This component will also weigh heavily on the type of compensation that a person receives. If a person is unable to work again, or if he or she can only work in a limited capacity, the settlement will be adjusted according to the relevant facts.
A rule of thumb: The more serious your injury is, the more your case is worth. Most cases end up being minor accident cases with the value ranging between 5 and 15 thousand dollars. If medical treatment is limited and there is no long term treatment plan with a doctor, then the recovery amount will be fairly small.
Again, it requires a thorough evaluation of these facts to come up with an estimated recovery number. Nobody will truly be able to estimate the settlement number until you are released from the doctor and all of the above factors have been properly valued.
If you or anyone you know was involved in a car accident case here in the state of Oregon, contact us today at Dwyer Williams Cherkoss Accident Injury Attorneys for a free case evaluation. You can also reach us directly at: 1-800-285-8678. Our team of experienced personal injury attorneys will work hard to ensure that you receive the compensation that you deserve!