If you have been injured in an accident, you may receive a settlement offer. It’s important to know how personal injury settlements are calculated before you accept any money though. A Middlesex County personal injury attorney could tell you more about how this process works and help you negotiate for the compensation that you deserve.
What Factors Can Affect Personal Injury Settlements?
Many different considerations have to be made before personal injury settlements are calculated. The whole event needs to be looked at. What happened? Who was to blame? How will the accident and injuries continue to affect the victim?
So the insurance company will look at a few different factors before asking plaintiffs to accept personal injury settlements. They could consider:
- Whether the victim will continue to need medical care for their injuries
- If injuries will leave a victim disabled or unable to work
- How long a recovery period for the accident victim will be
- If the victim has developed serious mental health issues as a result of the accident
Any of these things could increase the value of personal injury settlements. When it’s clear that an accident’s aftermath is going to continue to affect a victim and their family for years or for life, the compensation offer is going to be more generous.
There are some factors that can reduce the value of a settlement. If the person who got injured was partly at fault for the accident, that can reduce how much compensation they receive. If your personal injury case lacks evidence against the defendant, that can also put you in a weaker negotiating position and lower the value of your settlement offer.
How Long Do I Have to Sue For Damages?
You have two years to sue for damages after getting hurt in an accident. We recommend acting as quickly as possible though. This gives your lawyer the chance to gather evidence that could disappear, like surveillance camera footage. If there were witnesses, you want to have them interviewed while their memory is fresh. Of course, the other benefit of acting quickly is that the sooner you begin the legal process, the sooner you could be awarded compensation.
Can an Attorney Help You Win Higher Personal Injury Settlements?
A personal injury attorney cannot make guarantees, but you can be sure that a lawyer from our firm will advocate for you at every stage of the legal process. Your lawyer will help you build the strongest case possible and they will:
- Defend you from accusations of fault or wrongdoing
- Negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf
- Prepare you for testimony or depositions
- Gather evidence that can make your claim even stronger
Schedule a Consultation
When you are ready to move forward with your case, contact Stathis & Leonardis. We can schedule a consultation and tell you more about your legal options. If you have any questions about personal injury settlements, we’re here to answer them.
