6 Factors That Can Affect the Value of a Personal Injury Lawsuit (Pt. 1)

After another’s negligence or recklessness hurts you, picking up the pieces and focusing on your recovery will be essential. While doctors can help you with your physical and mental recovery, an experienced attorney – like a trusted St Louis personal injury lawyer at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law – can help you:

• Hold the negligent party (or parties) accountable for hurting you
• Uphold your rights to compensation and justice
• Help you succeed in your financial recovery.

When you are ready to move forward with your case, however, you may be wondering how much your case is worth and how much you can expect in terms of compensation. Well, the short answer is that it depends. The more helpful answer, however, is that:

• Some of the bases of the value for these cases will be pointed out below, as well as in the upcoming second part of this blog series.
• For more specific answers about the value of your case, contact a St Louis personal injury lawyer at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law today.

Some Bases of the Value for Personal Injury Cases

1 – The specific negligence involved

Was the defendant (i.e., the person who you are suing) solely and fully (100 percent) responsible for the accident or event that caused your injuries? Or is this liability split up between a few different parties and/or possibly even you (or other victims)?

Figuring out just who is liable for the incident that caused your injuries will be a crucial first step in determining the value of a personal injury case. For instance, cases in which the “at fault” party is a single individual with minimal insurance coverage will likely be worth less those in which the negligence is shared among multiple parties and/or among corporate or municipal entities.

2 – Victims’ statements and/or behaviors

You, as the victim, have to be careful about what you say and do after an accident takes place and causes you harm. This is because your statements and behaviors may be used against you later by insurance companies and/or defendants in personal injury lawsuits to argue, for example, that:

• You admitted some blame for causing the accident.
• You stated that you were not that hurt.
• You have been doing things that violate doctor’s restrictions (based on your injuries).
• Your actions indicate that you may not have been as badly injured as you are alleging in your lawsuit.

So, if you are serious about your pursuit of compensation and justice via a personal injury lawsuit, it’s wise to be cautious about making any official statements and to avoid doing anything that could seem to minimize your injuries.

3 – The extent of the injuries sustained

One of the most crucial elements to any personal injury case is the nature and extent of the injuries sustained. After all, there would be no personal injury case without an injury having occurred.

Just how the injuries can affect the value of these cases, however, will usually be as follows. Cases in which the following occur are typically valued higher, as more compensation is necessary to help the victim recover and/or even survive:

• Severe brain injuries
• Irreversible spinal cord injuries
• Loss of limb
• Loss of eyesight and/or hearing.

Be sure to look for the second installment of this blog series for some more factors that can play a role in determining the value of personal injury lawsuits.

St Louis Personal Injury Lawyer at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law

If you or a loved one has been hurt by someone else’s negligence or carelessness, contact an experienced St Louis personal injury lawyer at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law for experienced help pursuing justice.

To learn more about how we can help you, attend a free, no obligations initial consult with a St Louis personal injury lawyer at Brown & Brown. You can schedule this meeting by calling us at 573-333-3333 for our Missouri office or at 618-888-8888 for our Illinois office. You can also email us using the form at the right-hand side of the screen.