What is My Case Worth?
The most common question I get is “What is my case worth?”
First, I never promise my client’s any specific amount. You have to understand that there are juries that have not found the defendant (the bad guy who hit you) liable even when he hit someone from behind. Crazy, but it happens, so anyone who promises you a recovery is not experienced or outright lying.
Of course, since we are experienced Texas personal injury claim attorneys we are able to research your claim and combine it with our experience to give you an approximation, with the understanding that there are no promises when it comes to lawsuits. Our analysis is based on your personal injury claim details and we use past settlements or verdicts as a starting point to estimate a reasonable amount for your case.
Your Texas personal injury claim settlement amount usually involves compensation for:
- property damage
- past lost wages
- past medical bills
- past pain and suffering
- future pain and suffering
- future medical expenses
- and future lost wages
- in some cases, mental anguish
Past lost wages and medical bills are easy to calculate, though tort reform in Texas has made the past medicals a bit more complicated than it should be (and also benefits the insurance company at your expense).
Future medicals can only be estimated and the more accurate values are only known well into your case (and requires us to hire expert doctors to give a medical opinion). The same really applies to future lost wages as we usually have to hire an accountant to calculate that.
Past pain and suffering and future pain and suffering damages are at the discretion of the jury, and we research prior verdicts which will also vary by county. Soft tissue injuries usually involve back injuries are different from broken bones and brain injuries are in their own category.
Additionally, how the accident occurred can affect the value, especially if the driver was texting or drunk when they hit you.
So what is my case worth?
As you might have guessed, there’s no formula for correctly determining a settlement amount for your Texas personal injury claim. It’s certainly not as simple as multiplying your medical numbers by some factor and then adding your wages as some lawyers or book sellers would have you believe and it is something of a combined art and science. Each case is different and I’ve certainly gotten very large settlements for clients who had small medical bills and had to fight like the dickens for some who had large medical bills.
Your best bet is to contact an experienced Austin personal injury attorney to help you estimate the value and assist you to work toward a fair settlement. We’ve created a form where you can tell us some of the accident details and we can get back in touch with you about your Texas injury claim’s value.
Again, there’s no way to guarantee an insurance company will even settle your claim, let alone for a specific dollar figure, so don’t trust a lawyer who guarantees you a specific settlement amount. If you ask us “what is my case worth,” the best we can give you is a range, but only after you have reached maximum recovery and we’ve had a chance to review your health history and the accident facts.
You don’t have to deal with insurance companies and paperwork alone when you’re looking to file a Texas personal injury claim.
You can order a free copy of our free consumer guide, “The Seven Deadly Sins That Can Wreck Your Injury Claim,” to learn more about personal injury claims in Texas.
If you have a question for Andrew, you can submit it confidentially online or call us at (512) 246-9191.
