Every year around the world, millions of people are injured or disabled in car accidents.
If you are one of them, there is something you can do about it. By getting a lawyer to help you file a lawsuit, you can have your accident-related expenses covered by the person who was responsible.
You may be wondering about permanent injury settlement amounts and how much you can get for yours.
There are many factors that go into this, so keep reading to find out more.
Factors that Affect Permanent Injury Settlement Amounts
While there are more, we’re just going to look at the 5 biggest factors that are used to determine how much you can get by filing a lawsuit after a car accident.
1. Type of Injury
The first determining factor is related to the type of injury itself.
Soft tissue injuries are ones that only involve skin and muscle. Examples include minor scrapes, bruises, and sprains. These typically result in a lower settlement amount.
Hard injuries include broken bones, head injuries, and nerve damage. These will increase the value of the settlement because these are more severe injuries.
2. Recovery Period
As you can imagine, a longer recovery period will result in a larger settlement. This is in part because you will miss more work or school and your wages can be included.
If your recovery period is shorter, then you can expect a smaller amount for your settlement. However, it should even out because it also means you’re able to get back to work sooner.
3. Medical Treatment Needed
The amount of medical treatment will also determine how much you can get in your settlement.
For minor injuries that only require a few check-ups and medications, you won’t be able to get much of a settlement. After all, these types of visits don’t cost as much as the alternative.
If, on the other hand, you have to have surgery, complicated procedures, and numerous doctor visits and/or prescriptions to be treated, you will have a larger settlement to cover those costs.
4. Lasting Impact
Something else that is taken into consideration is the lasting impact of the injury. Permanent injuries that only require medication to manage pain won’t get you as large of a settlement as injuries that impact your ability to live a normal life. Those will increase the value of your settlement.
5. Other Distress
The final factor we’re going to go over is other distress. If an injury caused emotional distress at the time, this may allow you to get a higher amount in your settlement.
This is particularly true if the physical or emotional distress is ongoing and as a direct result of the injury.
Need Help Filing a Lawsuit?
Now you know 5 factors that affect permanent injury settlement amounts. With this information, you should have a better idea as to how much you might be able to win following your car accident.
If you need help filing a lawsuit, contact us today for a free consultation.
We can help you determine what course of action is best for you in your situation and may be able to provide an estimate for you for a settlement amount.