One of the first questions accident victims often ask is, “How much is my personal injury case worth?” This is one of the most common questions after car accidents, slip and fall accidents, and other personal injury accidents. These accidents can have a significant financial impact on victims, so it makes sense that people are anxious to know how much they can recover after an accident.
Several factors impact the answer, and the value of personal injury cases varies widely based on the specific facts of each case. Here’s a look at factors that affect how much your personal injury case is worth.
How a Freehold Personal Injury Lawyer Helps Maximize the Value of Your Case
If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by another person, you’re entitled to compensation for the losses the other person caused. There are two primary ways to get this compensation: file a claim with the insurance company or file a personal injury lawsuit.
Both options can be hard to navigate. A personal injury lawyer will advise you on the best strategy and handle all details so that you can focus on recovery and moving on after an accident.
Some of the things your personal injury lawyer will do to maximize the value of your case are:
- Investigate your accident to establish fault
- Gather evidence to show the amount of your damages
- Negotiate with insurance companies or opposing counsel to get a fair settlement
- Handle all administrative tasks, including complying with deadlines and filling your case within the statute of limitations
- Represent you in court
Insurance companies have an experienced team that will work hard to minimize the amount of damages paid. As an accident victim, you need an experienced team on your side to ensure you get the compensation you deserve. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more about how a New Jersey Personal Injury Lawyer can help you.
What Determines How Much Your Personal Injury Case Is Worth in New Jersey
Compensation in a personal injury case is intended to make an injured party “whole.” Because of this, the amount of damages available and the type of damages awarded vary significantly from case to case.
Some of the factors that impact the amount of your personal injury award are:
- The severity of your injuries
- Your long-term prognosis
- The amount of property damage
- How much work you had to miss
- Whether or not you have permanent injuries
- How your injuries impact your everyday life and ability to work
- How long your recovery takes
- Whether or not you had emotional distress after the accident
- Changes to your quality of life
A personal injury lawyer will look at all of these factors to estimate the amount of damages you’re entitled to.
Economic & Non-Economic Damages You Can Recover in a Personal Injury Case
In a personal injury case, injured parties are entitled to both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those that reimburse the injured party for documented expenses incurred because of the accident.
Examples of economic damages are:
- Medical bills
- Medical expenses for therapy, rehabilitation, and care
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Property Damages
Non-economic damages compensate an injured party for less tangible losses after an accident.
Non-economic damages compensate an injured party for things like:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Emotional distress
- Decreased quality of life
- Loss of consortium
Non-economic damages are frequently awarded in personal injury cases, but they’re more difficult to calculate than economic damages. Contact an experienced New Jersey personal injury lawyer to learn more about calculating non-economic damages.
How a Personal Injury Lawyer Establishes the Value of Your Case
Your personal injury attorney will gather evidence to support your claim for damages. Whether you file a claim with the responsible party’s insurance company or file a lawsuit, you’ll need evidence to support your claim.
This evidence will include:
- Medical records
- Medical bills
- Medical diagnoses
- Pay stubs
- Employment records
- Receipts and invoices
- Expert testimony
If your injuries are permanent or long-term, your lawyer will also calculate future medical expenses.
Your lawyer will establish future medical expenses through the following:
- Medical experts
- Vocational experts
- Economists
- Financial experts
- Life care planners
Establishing future medical expenses is vital for ensuring that you get the compensation you need to pay for future care.
Recovering Damages if the Accident Was Partly Your Fault
One question that is frequently asked is, “Can I still recover damages if the accident was partly my fault?” The short answer is yes.
In New Jersey, you can still recover damages even if you were partly at fault for an accident. New Jersey follows modified comparative negligence law, which allows courts to assign fault and liability to multiple parties.
Under this system, an injured party can recover damages as long as they are less responsible for the accident than the combined fault of the other parties. What this usually means for accident victims is that they can still recover damages, but the amount of their damages will be less than if the responsible party was 100% at fault.
Contact an Experienced Freehold Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss the Value of Your Case
Personal injury settlements and verdicts vary significantly based on the facts of each case. Because of this, it’s difficult to estimate the value of a case without knowing the facts. If you’ve been injured in an accident in Freehold, you should contact a personal injury lawyer.
Your lawyer will analyze your case, specifically looking at key issues like fault, the severity of injuries, and the impact the accident has had on your life. With this information, your lawyer can give you a general range of what your case might be worth.
After the initial consultation, your lawyer will begin to gather evidence to support your claim. During this process, your lawyer will gather the evidence necessary to come up with a more specific estimate for economic and non-economic damages.
To get started, contact a Freehold Personal Injury Attorney at Noonan & McMahon, LLC. You can schedule a free consultation or visit our Freehold personal injury office.