One common question that we’re asked by potential clients who have been injured in a Washington accident is: “How much is my case worth?” The truth is, injury cases are about people, and because all people are different, the value of every case is different—each case depends on its own unique facts and circumstances. There are so many factors that must be considered. Below are a few of the many factors we examine:
1. Available Insurance – The value of an accident claim depends on what type of insurance policy is available, as well as the maximum limits of each policy.
2. Severity of Injuries – Naturally, accidents that result in more severe injuries tend to produce larger settlement. Hard injuries, such as broken bones and spinal cord damage, usually raise the value of settlements, as opposed to soft-tissue injuries like sprains or bruising.
3. Permanency of Injuries – Victims of permeant injuries can generally expect to be awarded a larger settlement. These include brain trauma, disfigurement, diminished mobility or the permanent loss or use of a body part.
4. Medical Treatment Received – The cost of the treatment is taken into consideration, as well as the duration of treatment and types of treatment received. Personal injury damage awards almost always include associated medical care costs.
5. Ability to Work – Another component of an injury settlement is the amount of work that you miss due to being too injured to work, as well as missed work time due to injury-related medical appointments. This extends to income lost in the future, too, due to accident-related injuries. Considered as a “loss of earning capacity,” income loss considers many variables.
6. The Impact on Your Life – Possibly the biggest part of your case that’s also hardest to prove – human loss. You’ve probably heard it described as “pain and suffering,” or “noneconomic damages.” We prefer to call it human loss because this aspect of compensation makes up for the loss to you as a person. Human loss contains its own set of factors that can be as unique to your case as you are a person, because that’s what your case is about—you.
7. Certainty of Liability – The factors we’ve discussed so far relate to the impact of alleged injuries. But of course, there’s a preliminary question: is the defendant even liable for those injuries? The certainty with which a party can answer that question has a great impact on settlement value. In cases in which the other side is clearly at fault for a victim’s injuries, settlements will usually hit the higher end of the range for a given case.
Analyzing the settlement value of a case is part art and part science. Northwest Women’s Injury Law is dedicated to maximizing recovery for injured women and children. Our attorneys fight for your rights. Regardless of the severity of your accident or your injuries, we can help you recover the compensation you deserve. We’ll handle your claim while you focus on your recovery. If you need help, call us today at (425) 818-5331.
