What’s Covered In A Personal Injury Settlement?

If you have been injured and someone else is at fault, you should speak with an experienced personal injury attorney right away. Many people make the mistake of only dealing with their insurance carrier or, even worse, trying to deal with the responsible party directly.

The problem with not contacting an attorney is that you may miss out on the opportunity to reclaim a variety of expenses you will likely incur as the result of your injury. The purpose of a personal injury settlement is not only to help you “get back to normal,” but also to compensate you and your family for the inconvenience of being injured.
 

Personal Injury Settlement Categories

On paper, there are four common categories covered in a personal injury settlement. While easy to list and describe, in practice, they can be harder to define and often overlap.

The categories are:

1) Medical Bills
Medical expenses you have incurred and will incur in the future as the result of your injury.

2) Wage Or Earning Loss
The amount of wages you would have earned in the time between your injury and the time you expect to be able to return to work, if possible.

3) Pain And Suffering
Compensation for the pain, suffering, anxiety, upset, and distress caused to you and your family as a result of your injury.

4) Loss Of Society And Companionship
This category is for your spouse, and is meant to compensate them for the loss of your companionship and availability resulting from your injury.

How Much Money Will I Actually Receive?

Making predictions about how much money you may receive without knowing any details about a case is impossible. Every case, and every injury, is different. A good personal injury attorney will not predict the value of a personal injury settlement until your case has matured and is ready for a settlement demand.

Once that stage has been reached, your attorney should have a frank discussion with you about what they think the minimum, maximum, and expected settlement values will be.
 

Let Your Lawyer Fight For You

Hiring an attorney means having an experienced representative to fight on your behalf while you focus on recovering from your accident and injuries. Businesses and insurance providers often try to strong-arm accident victims, or ignore them altogether. But they tend to change their tune pretty quickly when the threat of legal action comes into play.

To learn more, or to schedule a free consultation, please contact our office today.