Though it’s a tough question to answer, most clients and prospective clients ask it. Factors that impact case worth greatly are the extent of the injuries, how they affect the injured person’s life, and whether those injuries are permanent or not. For someone who is still undergoing treatment for the injuries, it’s too soon to assign value (though many insurance companies will try to settle anyway.)
Though some of the costs and impacts of a personal injury are clear from the beginning, that’s not always then the best time to assess total worth of a claim. Because we’re an experienced personal injury law firm here in Bellingham, we know how to evaluate claims and when it’s appropriate to do so. This is based on experience in trying cases in front of a jury. While going to trial is a rare occurrence in personal injury cases, to be able to take a lawsuit all the way to a win ensures our clients that they’re getting the best available representation. Click here for more information on how to choose the best lawyer.
If you’ve been the victim of an accident, this list of ways it can impact your life won’t surprise you. You may have experienced expensive medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering. Things like pain and suffering are hardest to estimate, because they don’t come with an itemized invoice. This is where assessing the risk that comes with a jury figuring out a dollar amount for these things takes some finesse and experience to get right. A jury’s probable decision is a powerful leveraging tool in negotiations to find a fair settlement before progressing to a trial. Of course, if it’s truly murky whether or not the lawsuit would result in a win, this has to be factored in to deciding whether or not to accept a settlement before pressing onwards to a lawsuit.
Here’s a great example of a case that at first was evaluated by a lawyer for a value, but when our clients came to us for a second opinion, we figured out it was worth much more. Though no two cases are the same, this illustrates the point that case values can change depending on the skill and experience of the lawyer looking into them.
Hiring a lawyer for a personal injury claim is a big decision. I want all my clients to have as much information about how to make the right choice as possible. For more resources, please check out the video links below, and contact me for a free consultation if you have questions about your own claim. Our downtown Bellingham office can be reached at 360-303-0601.
For additional information, check out these links:
The benefits of hiring a lawyer for your case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvewP8SOHUk
What to look for when hiring a car accident or personal injury attorney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh8ymwOYQRE