There are around 39.5 million cases of injury in the US each year, where the victims need medical treatment. Many of these people go on to consult a personal injury lawyer. Determining how much your personal injury case is worth can be complicated, as many factors affect the potential value of a claim.
John Redmann, an experienced personal injury lawyer in Gretna, LA, shares an overview of what impacts compensation and how much you may expect from your personal injury case.
Factors That Determine the Worth of Your Personal Injury Case
The two main factors that influence how much compensation you receive from a personal injury claim are:
- Economic Damages – This covers quantifiable financial losses like medical bills, lost income from missed work, property damage costs, etc. The average cost of treatment for a car accident is around $15,000, but the economic cost of a disabling injury can easily exceed $162,000. Documented evidence must support these costs.
- Non-economic Damages—These are subjective losses like pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, physical impairment or disfigurement, etc. They are harder to quantify but can significantly increase the value of a claim.
Other factors like the insurance coverage available, location of the incident, shared fault, pre-existing conditions, and quality of legal representation from your personal injury lawyer also impact potential settlements.
Common Personal Injury Damages
While every case is unique, people often receive compensation for the following damages in a personal injury lawsuit:
- Medical expenses – Bills from hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, physical therapy, prescription medication, etc. Proper documentation is key.
- Lost wages – If the injury prevented you from working for a period of time, you can claim lost income. Pay stubs and employer records help justify the amount.
- Reduced earning capacity – If the injury diminished your ability to work and earn as you previously could, you can claim these projected lost future wages.
- Pain and suffering – There are no fixed guidelines, but more severe injuries warrant higher awards for pain and suffering. Juries decide on an amount.
- Disability – If the injury caused permanent disability, the compensation can be significant depending on the extent, duration, and impact on quality of life.
- Emotional distress – You may receive additional damages if the injury caused mental anguish, depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc. An estimated 2% of car accident survivors go on to develop PTSD.
- Loss of enjoyment of life – If you can no longer participate in activities you previously enjoyed, you can make a claim for losing that enjoyment and lifestyle.
- Punitive damages – If the conduct was exceptionally reckless or intentional, you may receive punitive damages meant to punish the defendant.
Average of Personal Injury Settlement Amounts
While settlement amounts vary widely, some average ranges for common injury types are:
- Whiplash – $3,000 to $150,000
- Broken bones – $3,500 to $75,000
- Spinal cord injury – $50,000 to $3 million
- Amputation – $100,000 to $500,000
- Burn injury – $400,000 to $12 million
- Brain injury – $50,000 to $3 million
Discuss your specific situation with an experienced personal injury attorney to get an accurate estimate of what your claim may be worth. They can assess the details of your case and provide knowledgeable legal guidance on maximizing your compensation. With the right approach, you can obtain fair payment to cover your damages, losses, medical care, and more.
