What is a fair settlement for my accident injury claim?
As a partner at one of the most successful St. Louis personal injury law firms, I get calls each day from innocent victims of accidents. Good people with significant injuries. After speaking with the victim for a few minutes, I always get the question of what a personal injury claim is worth. What is the settlement value of my case? To first understand how to properly value a claim, each of us must understand that it is nearly impossible to gauge the settlement value of a claim until a person has concluded medical treatment. This medical treatment must be inclusive of opinion reports from treating doctors as to any future medical care that may be necessary for the patients good medical care.
There are no two injury claims that are handled the same or valued the same. Factors such as insurance company, venue, employment, family dynamic, and the defendant rarely are taken into consideration by most lawyers. However, if you are looking for an opinion from a lawyer, it is important to make sure that he/she takes ALL of these factors into consideration, and more! If you break your arm in a car accident, it will probably heal with little future concerns. But if you injure your spine and are diagnosed with a bulging disc or herniated disc, then future complications, such as early onset arthritis, become a real concern that must come into play when demanding a settlement from the at-fault party.
If you are looking for advice from a lawyer when it comes to settlements, also consider that the value of any claim is much different when you talk about "jury value." Obtaining justice from a jury is the only real way to determine what is fair for an accident injury claim. In submitting your case to a jury, you enlist the help of your community to determine how much is fair in resolving your case. Understand that settlement value and verdict value are two completely different things. While a settlement can be a wise choice when liability and damages are in dispute, obtaining a verdict from a jury is always advisable in cases where the insurance company is unreasonable and the community must be called upon to properly judge the case.
To discuss the value of your particular case, contact St. Louis personal injury lawyer Stephen Schultz by calling (314) 448-0934.
There are no two injury claims that are handled the same or valued the same. Factors such as insurance company, venue, employment, family dynamic, and the defendant rarely are taken into consideration by most lawyers. However, if you are looking for an opinion from a lawyer, it is important to make sure that he/she takes ALL of these factors into consideration, and more! If you break your arm in a car accident, it will probably heal with little future concerns. But if you injure your spine and are diagnosed with a bulging disc or herniated disc, then future complications, such as early onset arthritis, become a real concern that must come into play when demanding a settlement from the at-fault party.
If you are looking for advice from a lawyer when it comes to settlements, also consider that the value of any claim is much different when you talk about "jury value." Obtaining justice from a jury is the only real way to determine what is fair for an accident injury claim. In submitting your case to a jury, you enlist the help of your community to determine how much is fair in resolving your case. Understand that settlement value and verdict value are two completely different things. While a settlement can be a wise choice when liability and damages are in dispute, obtaining a verdict from a jury is always advisable in cases where the insurance company is unreasonable and the community must be called upon to properly judge the case.
To discuss the value of your particular case, contact St. Louis personal injury lawyer Stephen Schultz by calling (314) 448-0934.
