What Could My Damages Be In A Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Q. What are damages?
A. Damages refers to the amount of money that an injured party receives as a result of their accident and subsequent personal injury lawsuit. Essentially, it’s the money that you receive in a settlement or that you’re awarded by a court after a personal injury trial.
Q. What should a fair amount of damages be?
A. Damages in a personal injury case are designed to return the injured person back to the financial state they would have been in had the accident never occurred. They aren’t a ‘get rich quick’ scheme, and are often the only way for those hurt to re-stabilize their lives after an accident. A fair amount of damages should provide you with the ability to return your life to normal in financial terms.
Q. What damages can I seek or receive in a personal injury lawsuit?
A. There are numerous damages that could be received in a personal injury lawsuit. The injuries you suffer can impact your financial stability in a surprising number of ways. Some of the factors that will need to be considered include:
- Lost wages due to missing work
- Future estimated potential lost wages
- Medical bills
- Future potential medical bills
- Medication costs and medical supply expenses
- Financial impact due to loss of ability to earn as you once did
- Financial impact on things like retirement funds and health insurance
It’s important to fully understand the total overall costs of your injuries – not just in the short term, but in the long term as well. This way, you are able to get the most form your case and not be left struggling financially at all.
Q. How do I really know what I should be getting in a lawsuit?
A. The factors above can be complex and confusing. Because of this, it’s hard for the average person to know just what kind of settlement offer is fair for them. Our lawyers work hand in hand with experts in the financial and medical fields to weigh each financial impact of your accident and come to a conclusion about what you are really owed. This way, you get the settlement you deserve.
Q. What about the settlement offers the insurance company is making?
A. It’s common for insurance companies to make a settlement offer to you, even very early on in the process after your accident. However, while it can be tempting to accept a settlement offer since it provides you with fast, easy money, the reality is that most of these offers are less than you really deserve. They make the offers in an attempt to avoid paying out what you’re really owed – once you accept that smaller offer, you can’t get additional money. As a result, it’s vital that you don’t blindly accept those settlement offers until your attorney reviews them.
Q. The insurance company says I’m not owed anything. Is that the end of my options?
A. Just like the lowball settlement offers, this is another tactic that is used to try to stall or get out of paying you what you really deserve. Insurance companies and their legal teams know that the recovery process can be difficult, and they’ll do all that they can to bully you around. Simply put, just because they’re telling you that you have no options doesn’t make it true.
Q. Is a lawyer really able to get me more money?
A. The simple answer is yes. It starts immediately when your attorney gets you the respect of the other side. When you have a lawyer on your side, you are able to show the other legal teams and insurance companies that you’re serious about your case and that you can’t be pushed around. Your lawyer will also be able to negotiate more money, prove that you’re owed what you’re fighting for, and more. And by doing so, they help you get the money you need so you can move on and recover from your injuries.
