First, how much medical treatment are you going to incur and require before you are healthy or at least stationary? The amount of medical treatment you undergo, will have a direct impact on the amount of pain, anguish and inconvenience you will have to endure. Additionally, if you need surgical or other complicated procedures, they have to be factored into an analysis of your case value as well. If you are at the infancy of your case, you are guessing at the value and so will any reputable attorney. It is better to await the end of treatment to discuss value.
Second. Value will also increase if you have permanent injury that will contribute to a long and painful lifetime. Naturally if you are suffering and will likely suffer indefinitely, that will be a function of how permanent your injury is. Once you are done with treatment, then your permanent injury can be assessed.
Third, there is no way to tell whether you will be fully compensated by a case until after settlement negotiations commence. Things like a policy limit and limitations on coverage may artificially hold your recovery back. Many federal claims are also limited by statute. Also the other driver or defendant may not have any assets to pursue, which will play a part in “valuation of your case.”
So why should you run when an attorney suggests a value to you? Because, they really need your business, are inexperienced or both. To try and retain you as a client, they feel they need to impress you, woo you or tell you what you want to hear instead of telling you the truth.
We get paid when you get paid and a percentage or what you recover. Let’s both wait to see how you are doing later in your treatment, before we start the evaluative process. Trust our office can determine value after we have all the facts. After all, we have tried and settled over 4000 cases in the history of the firm.
