It is difficult to know how much a personal injury claim is worth. Insurance companies and injury lawyers value claims daily, but most injury victims do not, and they are not familiar with the factors that make up the value of a personal injury claim. Insurance companies know this and they sometimes try to take advantage of injury victims who do not have an attorney for accident and injury representation. An insurance company claims adjuster may say that your claim isn’t worth much, that you have a weak case, or other times may even try to blame for your own injuries. Remember, the insurance companies’ job is to pay out as little as possible.
That is why it is important to hire an experienced Merrillville personal injury lawyer who has experience and knowledge handling personal injury cases and accident cases. Below are some of the things that factor into what an injury attorney would use to determine how much to ask for in a personal injury settlement.
Special Damages
Special damages are those financial losses that can be documented with an exact value amount. For example, your medical bills can be established with invoices from your medical providers. You can also submit receipts for prescriptions or any medical devices that you may need due to your injuries. Special damages also include lost wages. These are documented with a statement from your employer showing exactly how many hours of work you missed and what your hourly rate of pay is. Special damages are often times most people think of when they think about recovering from a personal injury claim.
General Damages
General damages compensate you for your pain and suffering. There are many intangible losses that you can suffer due to an accident – some can include loss of sleep, physical pain, and emotional suffering – these losses can be considered for compensation in a personal injury settlement.
Punitive Damages
In some cases, it is possible to get an award of punitive damges. These damages do not compensate you for your losses, but they punish a defendant for excessive dangerous conduct and act to discourage others from engaging in such behaviors.
Calculating Injury Damages
There is no doubt that calculating damages for an injury can be difficult and complex. Personal injury law firms often use the help of medical, economic, and vocational experts to ensure clients get the compensation deserved to cover all of their past and future losses.
Consult with a Merrville Personal Injury Lawyer For Help
The legal team of Moseley & Martinez, LLC handles the personal injury process for injured victims, including calculating appropiate damages to ask for in a settlement. Contact our firm for a free case evaluation today!