The common factors affecting the value of an accident case include your medical bills, loss of earnings, type of injuries (permanent or temporary), and similar things. Most people know these, but there are also other salient factors that you may not know of. Here are four examples of additional factors to be aware of.
Marital Status
You are more likely to get a higher award if you are married than if you are single. Here are two reasons for this:
Your Doctor's Words
The court will use your treatment records, and maybe testimony from your doctor, to determine the extent of your injuries. You can't convince the court that you are permanently disabled if your doctor's prognosis includes a forecast of full recovery after a couple of years. This is one of the benefits of working with local lawyers; they are likely to know the reputation of the local doctors.
Pictures and Videos of the Accident
There are several reasons why you are advised to take pictures or videos of an accident scene immediately after the crash. One reason is to preserve factual evidence, such as the location of the cars, presence of skid marks, and similar thinks.
Another reason, equally important, is to help show the severity of the situation. This is necessary because the trial (if it comes to that) may take place long after the accident, even after you have healed. Pictures of your fresh injuries, bloody clothing, and damage to the vehicles can help to freshen up the scene for the parties involved. This can be especially helpful in a jury trial.
Number of Plaintiffs
The number of people injured in the accident may also determine how much you recover because you all have to share the same insurance limit of the defendant (the negligent party). Consider a case where the defendant has a liability insurance limit of $30,000, and there are three plaintiffs claiming $15,000, $10,000, and $17,000 as medical costs. In this case, each of you may not receive the full compensation since there is no money to pay for it.
As a layman (as far as legal issues are concerned), you aren't likely to know all the factors that may affect the value of your settlement. The only way to strengthen your case is to hire somebody who does – an injury lawyer.
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Share19 October 2015
When I was injured in a slip and fall accident a few years ago, my family and friends had a hard time relating to the things I was going through. While some people thought that my decision to file a lawsuit was frivolous, others were under the impression that I would walk away as a millionaire. Their lack of personal experience with this type of legal problem left me feeling alone during one of the most difficult times in my life. That is why I decided to start this blog so that accident victims from all over would have somewhere to come to get the information and support that they need. I truly hope that this page can be that place for you.