What is my claim worth?

I was at a lunch with a random non-client recently and he asked me, “So for a normal case with a broken leg, what is something like that worth?”

You know attorneys almost never give simple, straight-forward answers.  So of course, I didn’t.  But there’s a reason for that.  There is no simple, straight-forward answer to that sort of question.

Let’s take his example: What’s a broken leg case worth?  Well, riddle me this…

Are there any problems with liability?

What are the treatment costs?

Was there any need for prolonged treatment? 

What sort of activity level did the person have prior to the accident?  After the accident?  After recovery? 

Was there any sort of permanent disability from the break?

Was there any lost income? 

And that’s just a few of the questions that I think would factor into case value.  You see, this business isn’t a simple one.  So the next time you’re wondering how a personal injury attorney earns his or her fee, remember that they don’t only answer questions, but they know the questions that need to be asked.