What Is the Worth of My Personal Injury Case?
You probably wonder how much compensation can you get from your injury case in California.
That’s hard to answer because many factors can affect the settlement. And only a reliable personal injury attorney in Glendale can estimate the compensation you deserve.
However, it’s great to know the factors that can affect the settlement you will get and talk about these with your lawyer.
Understanding Economic and Non-Economic Damages
Injury compensation primarily falls on either economic or non-economic damages.
Economic damages are upfront values that your lawyer and the jury can easily calculate. That includes injury-related medical expenses and lost wages.
On the other hand, non-economic damages revolve around giving a dollar value to non-tangible factors like pain and suffering. It is harder to calculate because it has no direct value. That’s why you need an experienced attorney to provide a reasonable estimation for the non-economic damages in your case.
Vital Points that Affect Your Compensation Amount
Here are the primary factors that affect the compensation you deserve in a personal injury case:
1. Accident Fault
Who is at fault is a significant factor for personal injury lawsuits in California because of the state’s Comparative Negligence law. The law states that the court will distribute the faults in an accident among all involved parties.
For instance, you may be 20% at fault in a car accident while the other is 80%. In this case, you will receive $8,000 from a total compensation of $10,000.
So, your personal injury attorney in Glendale will want to minimize your fault so that you receive your maximum deserved compensation.
2. Medical Expenses
The compensation will cover your injury-related medical expenses, like:
- Regular medical appointment
- Medications, surgeries, and treatment
- Medical laboratory tests
- Psychological check-up
- Reimbursement for transportation costs during medical appointments
However, you must seek immediate medical attention within 48 hours after the accident. That’s to avoid suspicions that you were alright after the accident and that there may be other causes for your injuries. The other party’s insurance adjuster may use that suspicions against you.
3. Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering are non-economic factors in a compensation claim. As mentioned above, non-economic damages seek to put a dollar value on non-tangible factors that result from your injuries.
You and your attorney need to present valid pieces of evidence to support the pain and suffering you experience, like:
- Intensive medical reports that explain your non-physical suffering
- Expert witness testimonies of your physician or psychiatrist
- Photos of your daily life proving pain and suffering, like pictures showing your movement difficulties
- Witness testimonies of your loved ones, friends, or coworkers about the suffering they have observed
4. Lost Wages and Income Opportunities
This factor refers to the income you lost because of your injury.
For example, you may need to take a few days off from work to rest. You may have also sustained a temporary or permanent disability that affects your capacity to work.
The compensation will cover all the wages you cannot earn during the period. Moreover, you will receive value for the opportunities you may have missed because of your injuries, like a job promotion.
5. Punitive Damages
The four earlier factors are compensatory damages you may receive from your claim.
However, you may also receive punitive damages if your injuries resulted from an intentionally negligent act of the defendant. An example is when you sustain injuries because the defendant had purposely pushed you down the stairs.
Consult a Glendale Personal Injury Lawyer to Estimate Your Case Worth
Calculating the value of a personal injury case requires enough expertise and experience. There are a lot of crucial factors to consider, and missing any of these can lead to you to receiving a lower settlement.
Hiring a personal injury attorney in Glendale helps accurately calculate the compensation you deserve and defend the case on your behalf.