If you have been hurt in an accident, the first thing you need to do is reach out to a doctor. You must make sure that all of your injuries are appropriately diagnosed. The sooner you can start the treatment process, the better your prognosis will be. Then, do not forget to reach out to a trained personal injury lawyer who can review your case, such as the team from Tully Rinckey Law. There are a lot of people who are wondering how large of a settlement they will get in a personal injury case. There are several factors that will determine the total size of your settlement.
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The Extent of Your Injuries
One of the first factors that will play a role in the size of your personal injury settlement is the extent of your injuries. Keep in mind that one of the main goals of a personal injury lawsuit is to help you cover your medical expenses. Therefore, the worse your injuries are, the larger your settlement will be. For example, if you require emergency surgery, Tully Rinckey says that this could drive up the cost of your medical bills. Even if you have health insurance, your bills can still be substantial. A personal injury lawsuit can help you pay your medical bills, not only your past ones but also potential future medical expenses.
Your Ability to Work
Next, your ability to return to work will also play a role in the size of your personal injury settlement. If you are hurt and unable to return to work, how are you going to make ends meet? You still have bills to pay, outside of your medical expenses. If you have lost income as a result of your injury, you could be entitled to compensation that can replace that income. If you are unable to return to work for six months, you may receive some money to replace that income. If you are unable to return to work for the rest of your life, the settlement you receive could be substantial.
The Ability of the Other Party to Pay
Unfortunately, the ability of the other party to pay will also play a role in your personal injury settlement. You could receive a judgment for millions of dollars, but if the other party does not have that money, you might not see very much of it. Therefore, you need to work with an attorney who can assess the ability of the other party to pay. If the responsible party is a large corporation, they may have an easier time covering the cost of your personal injury settlement. If you are filing a lawsuit against an individual, you may not be able to recover a lot of money if they don’t have a lot of assets available. That is why you should work with a personal injury lawyer who can navigate the situation.
Potential Punitive Damages
Finally, you may also be entitled to punitive damages. Some situations are truly accidental. If that is the case, you might not be entitled to a lot of punitive damages. On the other hand, if the actions of the other party were particularly egregious, you could be entitled to significant punitive damages. This is an avenue that a trained personal injury lawyer should explore. It could significantly increase the size of your personal injury settlement, so do not hesitate to bring this up with your personal injury lawyer. They will talk about this aspect of the case with you.
Work With a Personal Injury Lawyer Who Can Help You
Ultimately, these are just a few of the many factors that are involved in a potential personal injury settlement. Because there are so many moving parts, you must make sure you work with a trained lawyer who can help you. You deserve to focus all of your attention on your medical recovery, and you need to work with an attorney who can handle the legal side of these issues for you. You may be able to receive compensation that can replace lost income and cover potential medical expenses. You should reach out to a personal injury lawyer who can review your case.
