Personal injuries can completely turn someone’s life upside down. After an accident, many of our clients cannot work or enjoy hobbies, and some of them experience stress in their personal relationships. Because their pain is so great, some accident victims will not sleep as well as they used to and feel exhausted all the time.
At Alliance Law Group, we fight on behalf of injured victims and their families. Our goal is to receive fair compensation for your personal injuries. But how will we know what is a “fair” amount? After all, “fair” is a subjective term.
Helpfully, we have settled hundreds of personal injury cases over the decades. To determine whether compensation is fair, we look at the following factors.
How Much Money Has the Accident Cost You?
Most people suffer out-of-pocket losses after an accident related to:
- Emergency medical care, like ambulance transportation, surgery, diagnostic tests, and surgery.
- Extended medical care, including rehabilitation, prescription medication, follow-up appointments with a doctor, and at-home assistance.
- Lost income or wages, if injuries are so serious a person cannot work.
- Damage to property, like car damage suffered in a rear-end collision.
How Much Pain and Suffering Have You Endured?
A settlement should compensate for other losses, not only out-of-pocket expenses. You should also receive settlement money for pain and suffering, which includes:
- Physical pain or discomfort
- Emotional distress
- Irritability
- Mental anguish
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
Pain and suffering are also subjective. Some people won’t value your pain all that highly. By contrast, you might think that constant pain in your leg is worth a million dollars.
What’s fair? We rely on our extensive experience to see how much other people with similar injuries have received in a settlement for similar accidents. We will strive to receive as much as possible.
How Much Money Will a Jury Award If You Go to trial?
If you can’t settle, we need to take your case to trial. It helps to consider how much a jury is likely to award you if you win. We can research jury awards in Washington to see how many juries have been awarded in similar cases. That provides a baseline for negotiation.
How Much Insurance Does the Defendant Have?
We must always consider the defendant’s ability to pay when determining what is a fair settlement. Some people have ample insurance. They might buy car insurance with higher policy limits than the state minimum, or they have umbrella coverage that will kick in for a car accident. If so, we can usually get close to what we consider a fair amount for your injuries. But if the defendant has no insurance, then a smaller amount might be fair.
Contact Us to Talk about Your Injuries
People who negligently injure you should pay compensation to cover your losses. Of course, they might refuse to—and they might not even accept that they are responsible for your injuries. That is where a lawyer from Alliance Law Group is a tremendous asset going forward. Give us a call to schedule a time to discuss your accident and whether you can bring a claim.