How Much is Your Personal Injury Case Worth?
The first thing most clients want to know about their case is “how much is my case worth?” Unfortunately, I can’t give you a definite answer as each personal injury case involves a unique set of factors affecting the final settlement. However, I can explain how the value of your case will be determined. Four factors contribute to your case’s value: 1. Liability 2. Injury severity and type 3. Vehicle damage and 4. Insurance policy limits. All four impact the ultimate value of your case, so you should understand how and what each factor means. In this blog post, we will explain each factor and show you how each impacts your case.
Liability: Florida is known as a “pure comparative fault” state. This means that state law requires a percentage of the blame be assigned to all involved parties for every motor vehicle accident. In some cases, fault will be black and white, and one party will be found 100% liable for the crash. However, other cases may mean multiple parties could have contributed to the accident.
Injury severity and type: Injury severity and type significantly impact the value of your case, as more serious injuries almost always result in more damages. Your settlement amount can vary depending on a variety of factors, including how much pain your injury has caused, whether your injury has any permanent effects, seriousness of your injury and whether it has caused any disfigurement, recovery period, medical bill costs, wage loss suffered and amount, and how much your injury affects your daily life.
Vehicle Damage: Damage to vehicles is another significant factor in calculating your claim’s value. Typically, the greater the damage to the cars, the greater the probability that the crash victims were severely injured. For example, in cases where a similar injury was sustained, a claim involving $10,000 in property damage often receives a higher settlement than an accident resulting in $800 worth of damages. You could struggle to get a settlement to cover your medical bills if the accident only caused some scratches to your vehicle.
Insurance policy limits: Insurance policies have limits on the amount of money they will pay for a claim. This limit varies based on policy terms. In most cases, you can only recover damages up to the other driver’s policy limit. For example, if your case involves $20,000 of damages but the at-fault driver’s policy limit is $15,000 per person, you can only recover $15,000. Your insurance company is responsible for covering the difference if your damages exceed the policy limit and you have Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage.
Call our Experienced Miami Car Accident Lawyer Today
At Suarez and Montero Car Accident Attorneys, our clients know they can trust our team of highly experienced and well-informed car accident attorneys to deliver the type of aggressive legal representation needed to take on insurance companies. If you’ve been in any type of vehicular accident, let our motor vehicle accident lawyers review your claim! Our skilled Miami car accident attorneys will work around the clock to hold the appropriate parties responsible for your injuries. We will fight to make sure that you get the maximum amount of compensation owed to you. Let us review your case and discuss your legal options. Our attorneys are ready to provide proven legal representation in pursuing your claim and stand ready to protect your rights. We are available 24/7 to give you a free, no risk case consultation. We serve clients throughout Florida including those in the following areas:
Miami-Dade: Aventura, Coral Gables, Doral, Fontainebleau, Hialeah, Homestead, Kendall, Miami, Miami Beach, Miami Lakes, North Miami, Tamiami, and Westchester.
Broward: Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, and Weston; and Palm Beach County including Boca Raton, Lake Worth, and West Palm Beach.
