Personal injury cases can arise from a number of different accidents. What makes a personal injury case depends on if another person acted negligently and caused the accident in the first place. If they are the one responsible for the accident, they are also the person responsible for getting your life back to normal. Oftentimes, this means filing a claim with their insurance to get all your extra costs covered. Is your claim worth the hassle, though? These factors can help you determine how much money you could get out of a claim.
Medical Expenses
The severity of your injury can play a big role in the value of your claim. First and foremost, medical bills can be expensive and pile on quickly. Your limited savings for emergencies can get burned up fast if you require tests, x-rays, scans, physical therapy, and other doctor visits. The bills you receive can directly translate into some of the value you’ll seek in your claim.
Lost Income
If you can’t work because of your injury, you’re losing money. A claim should calculate not only what you’ve paid out of pocket, but also what you otherwise would have been paid if the accident hadn’t occurred. This is incredibly important, as some injuries could have you out of work for a long time.
Property Damage
Damage to your vehicle or other property can be used in a claim as well. The value of these items can be directly calculated into costs. In addition, any repairs that are needed following the accident also count toward your final claim.
General Damages
General damages cover all the other losses that can’t be easily translated into monetary values. They include pain and suffering, which a victim should be entitled to compensation for. However, pain and suffering are much harder to prove in a claim.
Attorney Fees
Just because pain and suffering are difficult to include in a claim doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be fought for. General damages are just as important for recovery, and turning to a lawyer can be a good solution for getting those losses covered. Fortunately, attorneys are usually paid by a contingency fee, which is an amount agreed upon beforehand between the lawyer and the client.
The fee will only be collected once the claim is won and compensation is awarded to the client. There is no reason you shouldn’t reach out to a personal injury lawyer, like a personal injury lawyer in Bloomington, IL, if you feel you need one.
Thanks to Pioletti Pioletti & Nichols Attorneys at Law for their insight into the potential value of your personal injury case.