Before you file a personal injury lawsuit, you may want to know how much your case is going to be worth. It’s natural to wonder how much your claim is worth before you file it. Many people ask what the average settlement is for a personal injury claim. Personal injury law is relatively vast. This accounts for medical malpractice, slip and fall injuries, car accidents and more. Instead of an average settlement, here is what you need to know about determining your lawsuit settlement.
Factors Behind Lawsuit Settlements
Several different factors affect your final settlement. First, you have to prove negligence in your claim. If there is negligence and substantial injury, then you can file a lawsuit claim. The number that you ask for is going to depend heavily on your injuries. You can ask for damages based on medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. Also, in some states, the judge may demand punitive damages from the defendant. Remember that the settlement should be worth the time and effort of the claim.
Negotiations for a Lawsuit Settlement
Your negotiations are going to affect the final settlement. When it comes to negotiations, you are going to want a lawyer at your side to help handle these. Whether you are negotiating with an insurance company or the defendant and another lawyer, you are going to want someone who understands these negotiations. Your lawyer will be able to calculate what your settlement is worth. He or she will also have the experience necessary to understand whether you are receiving a fair deal. If an insurance company tries to offer you a settlement lower than what the lawyer believes you could win in court, you may end up taking the claim to trial.
Many insurance companies figure that the people filing the lawsuit may not know how much their case is worth. They will try to pay as little as possible and hence it is important to know how to negotiate.
Can you predict how much your injury claim is going to be worth based on the cost of other lawsuit costs? Typically, the answer is going to be no. There is no average settlement cost because every type of personal injury claim may have its standard. Even then, the prices differ depending on several factors. If you want a clear estimate of how much you can ask for, set up a consultation with a personal injury lawyer in Canoga Park, CA, such as from Unidos Legales, today.