Personal Injury Lawyer Durham: What is My Personal Injury Claim Worth?

There are five factors that may impact the potential value of your personal injury claim. Most people want to know the value of their claim right away. Contact a Durham Personal Injury Attorney today to discuss how much you should expect to recover based on five factors that may impact the value of your case. Keep in mind that no claim estimate can be certain until all medical treatment is complete and bills have been received.

There are five factors that could have an effect on the your amount of recovery from your personal injury claim.

Those factors are:

1. Your total medical bills and out-of-pocket expenses: The more bills and out-of-pocket incidental expenses you have, the more your claim is worth. Medical bills can be very expensive and are part of the damages you are entitled to recover. You may also be able to recover your lost wages and loss of earning capacity that resulted from your personal injury claim. Loss of benefits from your employment may also be figured into your recovery. Pain and suffering damages are generally awarded when your injuries affect your daily life. A Durham Personal Injury Attorney can advocate best how your injuries affect your daily life.

2. The severity of your injury: The more severe your injuries, the more you will recover. Multiple injuries are worth more than a single injury and broken bones are worth more than bruises. An attorney can employ experts to determine the severity of your injuries.

3. Liability: Liability plays a large role in recovery for personal injury claims in North Carolina. If you are in any way liable for your injuries, even in the slightest, you cannot recover for your injuries against the other party in a North Carolina jurisdiction.

4. Prior Claims: When you bring a personal injury claim it is recorded in a database. The insurance companies will use prior claims against you. If your case goes to trial the insurance company will use prior claims to make the jury believe you are litigation happy. If you have a substantial amount of prior claims it will raise questions about your credibility. Regardless of prior claims, it is important to provide your insurance company and attorney with all information about your prior claims for a speedy resolution.

5. Prior Injuries: Prior injuries can affect the value of your claim in a negative or positive way. Most case law claims that when you are in an accident you “take them as you see them,” meaning prior injuries have no affect on the value of your claim. However, this is not always the case. Each case is subject to different set of eyes critically analyzing your claim. Prior injuries may or may not have an affect on your overall award for your injuries. Prior injuries must be disclosed to the insurance companies and your attorney for fair compensation.

These five factors are not the only way to calculate the value of your personal injury claim, but are five important factors to consider. A Durham Personal Injury Attorney is best suited to look at all the elements of your claim and discuss your potential award.

You should not rely on any rules or personal injury calculators online to estimate the amount you may be able to recover from your personal injury claim. Contact J. Wallace Pierce at Pierce Law Offices to discuss the important factors surrounding your personal injury claim.