How much money is my Tennessee or Mississippi personal injury claim worth?

Posted on December 11, 2008 by James K. Ferrell

 

This is the single biggest question a lawyer is asked? I am a personal injury lawyer with a firm and attorneys that serve Tennessee and Mississippi so being asked what the value of an injury is worth comes with territory. And it should, when you’ve been hurt in any type of accident bills start mounting up. There are doctor bills, rehab bills, body shop bills, wrecker bills and bills you don’t even understand. So knowing the value of your personal injury claim is very important.

 

First things first, I’m sure you are aware that I can’t tell you what your claim is worth without ever having talked with you, met with you or reviewed any of your medical files. But you still probably want to know how much is your injury worth.

 

The first thing to look at is how much were your medical bills. There is a direct relationship between the amount of your medical bills and the value of your injury claim. So if you’ve been injured now is not the time to be stoic and stay away from the doctor. You need to make sure that all of your injuries are taken care of. VISIT THE DOCTOR ASAP! If you claim to be injured but don’t visit the doctor then don’t plan on getting much, if anything for your claim.

 

What type of injuries do you have? Are they soft tissue injuries or are they hard tissue injuries? Soft tissue injuries involve only muscles and connective tissue. For example, neck sprains, back sprains, and general aches and pains are considered soft tissue injuries. A hard tissue injury involves more severe injuries such as ruptured or herniated disks, vertebrae dislocation, broken bones, torn cartilage or ligaments and more severe medical issues such as paralysis.

 

If you were hurt in a wreck and suffered only soft tissue injuries then the value of your claim will generally be low. In these types of cases you can usually settle the claim on your own without the need for a lawyer (hey why pay 30-40% to me when you can handle these cases yourself). The value depends on the severity of the injury, your ability to document the injury including your lost wages, medical bills and proof of the accident. Generally, in these types of claims you can expect to recover all of your bills and any lost pay multiplied by 2 or 3. In addition, you will receive reimbursement for damages to your property (car) and the use of any rental car. However, much of this depends on your ability to correctly keep up with records and on your reputation in the community.

 

Let’s take a look at what you MIGHT could expect for a minor accident with only soft tissue injuries. The following are examples of what your bills and expenses might be:

 

Medical Bills      =          $250

Medication         =          $50

1 day of work     =          $100

Damage to car  =          $750

Rental car          =          $100

 

First separate the medical bills and time off work (these are called special damages) from the property (car) damage expenses.

 

Special Damages    =      $400

Property Damage    =       $850

 

Here at the Ferrell Law Firm we multiply the special damages by a number that is determined by looking at several different factors relevant to your specific situation. That number can fluctuate from anywhere from 2 to 5.5 times the special damages. We get our number by assessing the facts of the case, the individuals involved and the sentiment of the community. However, for this example let’s just use the number 3, which would probably be the number for an average claim.

 

Special Damages of $400 multiplied by 3 is equal to $1,200. We then add in the total of the property damages. In our case here, that would be $850. The total amount of both special damages and property damages would be $2,050.

So if you were injured in a wreck where soft tissue damages and property damages occurred similar to this example, and proper records were kept then you could hope to settle for around $2,050.

 

I hope that this case helps you better understand how injury claims are valued. In my next post, I’ll look at hard tissue claims.
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5 Reasons you should always take pictures if you were in an accident?

Posted on December 7, 2008 by James K. Ferrell

 

If you have been in a car accident one of the best pieces of evidence that you can obtain is pictures of the wreck! These photos are very often the most substantial proof of the damage that occurred in the accident. Photos can help prove that you were innocent and that the other person was at fault. They can also help increase the value of your personal injury claim.

 

A well-taken photo of an accident scene can do the following:

 

1.      Helps show details of the accident that may not have been initially noticed.

2.      Give an accurate depiction of the accident scene as it was immediately after the wreck occurred. There is no doubting what the scene looked like. You have an image of it frozen in time.

3.      Pictures are powerful! They show want you want to be seen and do so much better than you ever could by testifying to a jury.

4.      Pictures can’t be denied. It’s impossible for the insurance adjuster or defendant to deny what happened when you have a picture of it.

5.      Photos always impress adjusters. They show the adjuster that you mean business and are not going away.

 

If you, or someone else that you know, can take pictures of the accident scene immediately after the car wreck always do so. If photos can’t be taken immediately then come back as soon as possible and take them. You should try to take the pictures at roughly the same time of day as when the accident occurs in order to get the most accurate depiction possible.

 

What should you take pictures of? Anything and everything that you feel is important. But make sure to snap pics of any skid marks, hidden traffic signs, damage to your vehicle and etc. Get a good overall picture of the accident scene taken from 30-40 feet away so that the adjuster and your lawyer can have a good view of the scene. Then step in about half that distance to get a closer view, and finally take close up shots of the damage both cars and any property that might have been damaged.

 

If you aren’t sure on how many to take just snap away! The more pictures that we have to choose from the better it will be to help make your case. If you choose to handle your claim on your own you should immediately develop the photos. If you choose to have our law firm handle your case just bring us your camera’s memory card and we’ll download everything for you.

 

Remember, car wrecks can be very life changing. Many times you aren’t fully aware of the damage done to either you or your vehicle for many weeks or even months. Be sure to document everything you can as soon as the accident occurs. This will help you have a stronger case and a better chance at a fair recovery!

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