Calculating the Value of Your Personal Injury Claim | Texas Attorneys
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An accident is always a disruption: a disruption to your health, your job, and your life. And when you are injured in San Antonio because of another party’s negligence, you should know that you deserve justice. The purpose of personal injury law is to financially compensate you so that you are “made whole” again after suffering injuries because of someone else’s recklessness. But how much should you be compensated?
At first, it may seem simple enough. However, calculating the value of your personal injury claim is more complex than you think. If you don’t have experience evaluating cases, you may end up getting much less than you should. Our staff at Carabin Shaw has been serving the San Antonio community for over 25 years. Every personal injury attorney San Antonio on our staff cares about winning the most for our clients, and our expertise means we know what it takes to accurately estimate your case and fight to get you all that you deserve.
Types of DamagesWhen you and your lawyer are pursuing money in a lawsuit, you are aiming to be compensated for your losses, known as “damages.” There are many different kinds of damages, but they are all categorized as either of the following:
- Economic damages - These damages have an exact dollar value in the real world, like medical bills or lost wages.
- Non-economic damages - Non-economic damages are things like pain and suffering. They do not have a tangible value, and properly assessing them is best left to a personal injury law firm San Antonio.
Less severe cases in San Antonio may solely involve economic damages, but accidents that result in serious injuries and impact your life will include non-economic damages as well. Below is a list of the different types of damages you may be owed:
- Medical bills
- Loss of income
- Property damage
- Loss of future earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
Every case involves different types of damages, so make sure to discuss with an attorney what damages apply to your case.
The Multiplier MethodOnce you’ve reviewed what damages you may be owed with your personal injury attorney San Antonio, they will use their expertise to assess how much your damages are worth in total. This process, however, is not always as simple as adding up the cost of each damage, since non-economic damages do not have a direct value. There are a few ways insurers and lawyers go about calculating the value of your personal injury claim, but the most common is the multiplier method.
To arrive at the value of a claim that involves pain and suffering and other non-economic damages, accident attorneys San Antonio, Texas will use a multiplier with a value ranging from 1.5-5 (depending on the severity of your circumstances). The value of the multiplier will depend on a number of factors your lawyer will evaluate, including:
- The severity of your injuries.
- Your projected recovery time.
- If there are permanent effects.
- How much the injuries have affected your daily life.
But justifying the value of the multiplier you use is not always easy. The insurers will argue for less, while you’ll want more for your pain and suffering. To get the compensation you deserve, it’s best to work with a personal injury law firm San Antonio.
More Than a GuessAccidents are unfair. But if you or a loved one has been injured in any kind of accident, talking to an attorney can help. Estimating the worth of your case is difficult on your own, but working with experienced accident attorneys San Antonio, Texas means you will have much more than a guess, you will have an accurate estimate. Carabin Shaw has won over $500 million for our past clients, which is proof that we know how to get you the money you deserve. Call us today at (210) 222-2288 for a free consultation.