How Much Is Your Personal Injury Case Worth?

After being injured in an accident, you might file a lawsuit against the responsible party. Is it worth it? How do you know? As a personal injury attorney can explain, each personal injury case is quite different with a variety of factors that play a role in how much the case is worth. It can help you determine whether to file a lawsuit when you know how much it is worth, and there are some things you can look at with a lawyer in order to make that determination.

Injury Severity

Consider how severe your injuries are before you decide whether to file a lawsuit. If you have one broken arm with pretty typical care that includes casting it for six weeks, that’s not typically considered severe. If you have a brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple broken bones or other similar health issues, those are usually considered severe. The more severe your injuries, the higher your medical expenses are going to be. This would make the worth of your case higher also.

Ongoing Care

Some injuries require medical care at the time of the injury and others require it for some time following the injury. If you are going to require ongoing care, it’s going to be more expensive. Your case would be worth more if a doctor suggests or orders that your care lasts more than a few months.

Lost Wages

Many injuries are so severe, they limit the ability of the sufferer to get back to work. If you are losing wages as you undergo medical procedures and try to recover, it’s going to be a financial burden for you and your family. The longer you’re out of work, the more wages you’ll lose and the greater your case will be worth. You can also seek damages for future lost income as well, and your attorney can help you to determine how much that would add to your case. 

Pain and Suffering

The extent to which you suffer as a result of your accident could also increase the worth of your case. For example, if your injury causes serious immediate pain, you could be compensated for that. If you suffer PTSD after your accident, compensation can be given for that as well. You can also be compensated for the loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium and similar emotional issues. Each of these issues would increase the value of your case.

Having a Lawyer Help You Determine Worth

When you’re deciding whether to file a lawsuit against the individual who caused your injury, you might want to know the worth of your case. Contact a personal injury lawyer so you can work together to make that determination.