In the last blog post, we talked about how obtaining documentation and other information will help make it easier to resolve your injury claim. To build on that, it is important to understand what comes into consideration when considering the settlement value of an injured person’s claim. It is important to understand this in order to make sure you are getting the compensation you deserve.
At the outset of any injury case, someone has been injured in some way. Like everybody else, this person will receive medical treatment for their injury. The hope is that they can recover, and get back to 100% of their previous health. Sometimes, there is no getting back to 100%, which is a difficult situation to be in. In either scenario, their doctors will tell them when they are no longer expected to improve. This is called reaching “maximum medical improvement”. At this point, it is time to try to evaluate the claim to determine what a fair settlement is for the injured party.
Each claim is made up of the cost of your medical treatment, and other assorted damages. Medical bills make up the bulk of each injured person’s claim. Typically, if they get back to 100%, this will only include their past and present medical treatment. If they find themselves permanently injured, then future medical expenses are included in the claim. Other expenses that an injured party is entitled to compensation for are past/present/future lost income, mileage incurred going to appointments, and pain and suffering. Of all of these things, pain and suffering is the most difficult to value. Insurance adjusters know this, and if an injured party does not have experienced counsel, they leverage this uncertainty into a lower settlement that may not even compensate the injured party fully for their medical treatment.
That is why at Parnell, Michels & McKay we have utilized a time-tested process to accurately account for all of these uncertain expenses. We know how insurance companies evaluate your claim, and we have extensive experience getting our clients the settlements that they deserve. We also have experience trying jury cases, and with that knowledge, we can advise our clients on what a jury of your peers, or Judge, would likely decide, and how that affects the decision you make on settling.
If you find yourself injured, contact Parnell, Michels & McKay today.