Skip to Content

Personal Injury Cases: Placing A Value On Damages

October 1, 2013 | Category: | Share

If you have been injured in Florida, you probably are greatly concerned with not only your recovery but also with certain financial issues that typically arise from being involved in an accident. For example, people who are hurt in automobile accidents tend to have huge medical bills and extensive property damage. Likewise, those who are involved in truck accidents might require a great deal of rehabilitation and long-term medical care that can add up very quickly.

Your Fort Myers personal injury attorney will also tell you that the costs can be even more significant in cases that involve someone's death due to an accident. There are many factors that must be considered when valuing a personal injury case. Accordingly, accident victims are encouraged to work with skilled attorneys who can properly evaluate the case and make a fair determination with respect to possible monetary values.

What Types of Things Are Considered When Valuing a Case?

The value of some damages is easier to determine than others. For instance, it is fairly simple to calculate a person's past and future medical costs, property loss and lost earning ability. Although the value of damages will vary from case to case, there are a few types of damages that are common among personal injury claims in Florida. Some of those damages include:

  • Compensation for the injury
  • Lost income
  • Past, present and future medical costs
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of support, companionship and consortium

In most cases, the value of a person's claim will be guided primarily by the extent and seriousness of the individual's injuries. A Fort Myers personal injury attorney might take several additional factors into account when valuing a case, such as the facts of the case, the accident victim's age, the victim's lifestyle and line of work, and any other legal/evidentiary issues that play a role in the case.

The Valuation Process

Once a case begins, the injured party's lawyer and the at-fault party's insurance company will attempt to assess how a jury might view the case if it goes to trial and how much that jury might award the accident victim. Each side will then arrive at its own value and begin negotiations, if plausible. The analysis involves careful and detailed consideration of past and future medical expenses, lost wages, and pain & suffering,"  states Personal Injury Attorney Randall L. Spivey.  Additionally, the injury incurred might be of a complex nature such that it delays an accident victim's final diagnosis.

Individuals should also note that there may be significant monetary compensation available to those with severe and/or permanent injuries. Valuing a personal injury case involves taking a close look at the difference between the injured party's quality of life prior to the accident in comparison with his or her life after the accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident and would like to learn more about the potential value of a personal injury case, let a Fort Myers personal injury attorney at The Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., help you get the compensation you deserve.

Contact Us

Location

Spivey Law Firm Logo Spivey Law Firm 13400 Parker Commons Blvd.
Fort Myers, Florida 33912

(239) 337-7483

Free Consultation