While most car accident or personal injury victims are not immediately thinking about the value of their case after being injured, after months of treatment, pain, and missing everyday events, a fair compensation is certainly relevant. In fact, it’s very critical to making the injured person feel they are being treated fairly after a situation they did not cause.
To understand what your injury is worth and to get the most money for your suffering, we try to prepare our clients by discussing what the insurance companies consider relevant factors when valuing cases. Honestly, the factors are pretty basic and easy to understand.
Seriousness of Injuries
The most obvious factor is the seriousness of the injuries. Are the injuries permanent or disfiguring? In that case, the value of the case is clearly much higher.
While very serious injuries are compensated with more money (assuming there are insurance policies or other assets), that does not mean that soft tissue / whiplash type cases are low value.
Soft Tissue / Whiplash Injuries
Sometimes, our clients with soft tissue injuries that require chiropractic care or physical therapy deal with the most annoyances after an accident. The injuries often take longer to heal, take dozens of doctor appointments, and lead to other problems such as migraines and an inability to engage in normal life.
For this reason, soft tissue cases must be handled with extreme care to present the client’s actual experience. It is also important that the client engage in the treatment that is advised by the medical care team so that injuries are properly documented.
Since, unlike broken bones or scars, soft tissue injuries are hard to convey to a jury, it is critical that the injured person document the injuries through doctors, journals, and other methods that show the full impact. The “extras” might be things like canceled plane tickets or vacations, loss of income, costs to hire help around the home, and other evidence that life has been drastically and negatively impacted.
Documenting Injuries
It’s also important that the “extras” are documented in a format that your attorney can use during negotiation or trial. Make sure you discuss the best way to help your attorney share your story. In addition to photos, journals, and receipts, your attorney may want to document changes in your life through video and declarations of those who know you best. Be sure to discuss all of the options at the outset of the case.
Get Experienced Legal Guidance
For the best outcome, give our office a call to see how our personal injury attorneys can help. We have locations in Kitsap County and Thurston County for your convenience. We do not handle medical malpractice or LNI but, when we can’t take a case, we will do our best to find you a good referral. Call today for a free consultation. (360) 792-1000
