It’s hard to determine up front what your personal injury case might be worth. After all, you have to consider how serious your injuries are, and what kind of impact they will have on your future health, career, and personal life. A car accident resulting in a horribly broken leg may have steeper initial medical costs, and require less recovery time, while a premises liability case that has left someone with chronic musculoskeletal pain, or other special needs, may have substantially more long-term expenses to consider. Overall, how much your personal injury case is worth all depends on what the situation is and how good of a personal injury attorney you have fighting on your behalf.
A good personal injury attorney will have a significant amount of experience determining a base “value” for your specific injuries, based on a general understanding of various medical diagnoses as well as an ability to hypothesize other long-term damages you may be entitled to, such as loss of future wages and other personal sacrifices. It’s all about putting a value on your physical, emotional, mental, and monetary anguish, and demanding that amount as compensation to make up for your accident. Some of the most common “damages” you can be awarded for in a personal injury case are:
- Medical expenses such as hospital costs, physical therapy, prescriptions, etc.;
- Loss of income or future earning capacity;
- Property loss, including clothing, vehicles, or anything else damaged in the accident;
- Emotional distress in the form of psychological consequences such as stress, anxiety, fear, sleeplessness, etc.;
- Pain and suffering, whether immediate or ongoing;
- Loss of enjoyment from being unable to participate in favored hobbies, activities, etc.;
- “Loss of consortium” – which deals with personal relationship difficulties (often between spouses) and can be refer to loss of physical or emotional intimacy;
- Punitive damages, which represent a sort of fiscal “punishment” the responsible party is forced to pay in addition to other compensatory damages.
Whether your claim amount is determined up front by both parties involved, or after a trial by a judge or jury, having exceptional personal injury attorneys on your side to effectively articulate your current and future needs is essential to guaranteeing that you get everything you deserve. If you have suffered a personal injury, and are looking for exceptional legal representation to ensure that your case is valued appropriately during proceedings, our personal injury attorneys at Harris Law would love to help. Call Harris Law today at 231.347.4444 or fill out the free consultation form in the sidebar to schedule your free personal consultation.