Car accident claims can be quite complicated. Every case is unique, so claims don’t have standard value. To determine your claim’s value, you need to have extensive legal experience. Insurers of negligent drivers will try to reduce your payout or avoid paying you altogether. The amount of compensation you may get in the end depends on some factors such as the following:
How Serious Your Injuries Are
The more serious your injuries the higher your possible settlement. If the accident leads to minor injuries like bruises and lacerations, your medical bills can add up to just a few hundred dollars. But catastrophic injuries like traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and amputation can lead to hefty medical bills. It is a wise decision to wait until you reach maximum medical improvement before you settle your claim. This way, you already know the full extent of your injuries.
The Income You Loss
Car accident-related injuries can leave you taking time off of work. Because of this, you may have a problem paying bills and supporting your loved ones. Serious injuries usually require several months of treatment, therapy, rehabilitation, and adherence to the orders of your doctors. It’s not enough to speculate, guess, or claim that you suffered a wage loss.
You need to provide the insurance company with documents that prove you sustained income loss because of the accident and injuries. It can help to secure correspondence from your boss that verifies how many days or hours you have been unable to report to work. Other related evidence you can present includes expert opinions regarding your future earning capacity. This is important if you sustained permanent or debilitating injuries.
How Strong Your Evidence Is
Usually, the evidence that can be used to strengthen a car accident claim includes the police report, video and photographic evidence, witness statements, expert witness testimonies, and medical reports. As a claim, you must establish that the other party caused the crash and prove that your injuries directly resulted from the accident. For this, you should present medical evidence that shows you sustained physical injuries and that these injuries caused you serious pain and suffering.
Keep in mind that the lack of medical evidence can also hurt your case. For instance, if you fail to seek prompt medical attention after the accident, the insurance company may argue that your condition could not have worsened if you visited a doctor right away. You can only recover damages that you can prove.
