I don’t lead with the numbers, sorry.
At the end of the day, what I am supposed to do is get people money for the injuries. I can therefore understand why people are often very focused on the settlement value of their injury claim. But we CANNOT start the conversation with that. It’s not that I’m being coy, it’s that I’m being smart. Let’s discuss…
How do we value your claim? There’s A LOT that goes into that analysis. Here are just a few things that I consider when valuing a claim:
- Liability issues
- Potential defenses
- Pre-existing injuries
- Causation concerns
- Type & timing of medical treatment
- Duration of recovery
- Diagnoses
- Cost of treatment
- Out of pocket expenses
- Lost income and the proper documentation thereof
- Presentation of the plaintiff in light of potential jurors
- County of venue
…and that’s not even an exhaustive list!
So when you call me 2 days after your accident, when most of the above list is no where near sorted, I simply can’t tell you what your case is worth. And I shouldn’t even try! Anyone that is worth their salt in this business won’t try to guess what a case is worth. It’s not worth the trouble that an off answer might result in.
What you SHOULD be looking for is an attorney that’s focused on the RIGHT parts of your claim. The first priority is your health and that should override all other concerns. The second priority is handling your claim in the best way possible, and that does NOT involve making random stupid guesses about the value of your claim when we just don’t know what it will look like over time.
If you want thoughtful advice and guidance on your case, call me at 919-929-2992.
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