"Ask Me Anything," 10 Answers To Your Questions About Best Lawyers For Personal Injury
How to File a Personal Injury Claim
You may be able make a claim for personal injury if you were injured in an accident as a result of the actions of someone else. These claims will at a minimum provide you with compensation for any future medical expenses.
Compensation is available for other losses with a monetary value such as pain and discomfort. Calculating the exact value of damages can be challenging.
Medical bills
Medical bills are a common expense that our clients in Palm Coast and Ormond beach suffer after an accident. Personal injury cases can help pay for these expenses. However, personal injury law firm to keep track of all costs related to the injury. This includes the costs of your medical bills, but also any additional expenses you incur as a result of your injury (such as hiring someone to mow the lawn or purchasing gas to travel to and from medical appointments).
Utilize your health insurance plan to cover medical expenses. This will help you avoid incurring large amounts of medical debt. It is crucial to contact your insurance provider and the billing office of your healthcare provider if you receive a statement that you believe is not accurate. Detail the issue and be sure to seek documentation of the conversation, for example the name of the person you spoke to and the date and time of the phone call.
In some cases an insurance company could file a lien against your claim to recover the money it paid for medical treatment. This is a legal procedure known as subrogation. It is possible to negotiate the amount your insurer can claim under this process.
Lost wages
If you are injured in a car accident and are unable go to work and earn a living, the loss could be a major financial burden. In most instances, the loss of wages is covered by the auto insurance policy of the driver who was at fault. However, there are some instances when this may not be the case, and you might have to file a lawsuit for additional compensation.
In most cases, lost wages can be calculated by adding the days missed and multiplying it by your hourly earnings. Salary employees can also calculate their lost wages by calculating their annual salary. This calculation will also include any other benefits you might have received had it not been caused by the injury, such as overtime pay, commissions, tips and bonuses.
You must be able to prove that you have the proper documentation to claim the lost wages. This will include a letter from your physician describing your injuries and why you were unable to go to work. You'll also have to provide pay receipts, bank statements and tax returns. A lawyer can assist in compiling these documents and can even collaborate with an accountant in order to determine the fair market value of your lost wages.
Pain and suffering
Personal injury cases award compensation for pain and suffering in addition to medical bills and lost wages. These are called non-economic damages and include things such as physical pain, emotional distress and loss of a normal lifestyle. Non-economic damages are difficult to quantify and they may differ from person to person.
Insurance companies use a variety of methods to determine the value of a person's pain and suffering. The multiplier method and per diem are two of the most popular. The multiplier method entails assigning a severity score for injuries between one and five. One could be a few bruises and scrapes, while a five would be severe injuries or permanent disabilities. Then you multiply the medical costs by the number you need to calculate your total economic damages.
The per diem method is a method to calculate pain and suffering. It awards the amount in dollars for each day you were injured. This method is less popular than the multiplier method.
An experienced attorney can help maximize your compensation for pain, suffering and other damages. They will provide evidence to support your claim and submit an order letter to the at-fault party's insurance provider. They will then negotiate to come to an fair settlement. If you and the other party cannot agree, then you can schedule a hearing in court to have an arbitrator take a decision. Arbitrators are lawyers who have retired and judges with years of experience in deciding personal injury cases.
Damages
A successful personal injury lawsuit can be compensated for direct and indirect costs. Direct costs include medical treatment lost wages, medical expenses, and costs related to an accident. Indirect costs, also referred as general damages, cover things like pain and suffering. General damages are difficult to quantify, so they depend on the opinions of experts and are highly subjective.
In the majority of cases, the amount of damages a plaintiff suffers will be determined by adding up bills and loss of income, then projecting future losses based on the plaintiff's anticipated recovery time. A lawyer will need access to a variety of medical bills and other documents to determine the future economic damages. In some instances it might be necessary to consult with a specialist in order to estimate the future medical costs and other expenses.
A personal injury lawsuit could also seek punitive damage awards from the defendant. These are meant to penalize the defendant and deter similar conduct. These are intended to punish the defendant and deter similar behavior. A court may only decide to award punitive damages only in situations where a defendant's actions are considered to be reckless or malicious. The majority of personal injury cases do not reach this stage. If it does happen you'll need an attorney to help you navigate the process and ensure you're granted the maximum amount of amount of compensation for your case.