The Million Dollar Question – What’s My Case Worth?
Although every motorcycle accident is different, each serious injury motorcycle accident has one thing in common-with mounting medical bills, pain and suffering and lost income, you feel like your life has changed forever. And the number one question from seriously injured motorcycle victims continues to be “How much is my case worth”?
Your case worth will be defined by the details of your accident. I don’t recommend trusting anyone who gives you a number without knowing the specific details of your motorcycle accident-both from a medical and liability point of view. A price tag should not be placed on the value of your motorcycle case early on because it is very difficult to be fully aware of all of your injuries and the medical care you will require from your accident. These are only a few of the more common after effects that an injured motorcyclist cannot account for immediately following their accident; however, they represent some of the most critical pieces to your personal injury claim arising from your accident. Down the road you will become thankful that no one placed a price tag on your accident early on. Why? Because over time you will become more aware of how your motorcycle accident affected your life and what your real damages are.
FACTORS CONSIDERED IN DETERMINING THE VALUE OF YOUR CASE
- The extent of your injuries
- The extent of your medical care
- Whether you will need future medical care
- Whether you had surgery and/or whether you will need surgery in the future
- The cost of your medical bills
- Whether you have sustained permanent damage or loss of function
- Whether you sustained scarring or disfigurement
- Whether you lost income from work
- Who were the medical providers that you treated with
- Whether you have medical reports from top notch medical providers advocating your case
- The extent and length of your recovery
ECONOMIC DAMAGES IN A MOTORCYCLE CASE (SPECIAL DAMAGES)
- Past and future lost wages
- Past and future medical expenses
- Motorcycle repair and replacement expenses
- Loss of irreplaceable priceless items
NON-ECONOMIC DAMAGES IN A MOTORCYCLE CASE (GENERAL DAMAGES)
- Past and future pain and suffering
- Emotional distress or mental anguish
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Physical Impairment
- Lowered quality of life
ADDITIONAL DAMAGES IN WRONGFUL DEATH CASES
- Grief
- Loss of love and companionship
- Loss of household and personal services
- Burial and funeral expenses
It is very common for the insurance companies to seek out motorcycle victims after their accident and offer them quick, cheap compensation. This compensation can be easy to accept when all you can think about is mounting medical bills and lost income from your work. If you accept the check from the insurance company and sign their required release, you will be forever barred from obtaining any future compensation, regardless of further medical issues which may arise! The insurance companies know this. Their goal is to have you accept a cheap, quick offer so they don’t have to pay the true value of your case in the future when the nature and extent of your injuries become apparent. Don’t become one of their victims!
Your case is more valuable if it is presented to an insurance company with medical documentation from first rate medical providers and expert legal representation. Further, you are more likely to obtain high quality medical care and achieve the best recovery when you are seen by medical providers with exceptional reputations who are well known in the medical community. These medical providers will also advocate your case to the insurance companies with well documented medical reports. Most injured motorcyclists will not be able to be seen by medical providers such as this through their private health insurance, medi-cal, medi-care or military insurance since the number one goal of these healthcare providers is to provide as little medical care to you as possible; further, these medical providers rarely provide a report which advocates your motorcycle claim. Finally, most motorcyclists are not advised that the treatment they receive from their health insurance-whether military, medi-cal, medi-care-or some other private source is not a free lunch. These health care providers will require reimbursement of monies from you when your case settles for all medical services they have provided to you which relate to your accident. You have options here, so pay for the best medical care that will help you achieve a complete recovery from your injuries and help you achieve superior compensation from your motorcycle accident.
It is always my goal to make certain that my clients are seen by the best medical providers possible. This is the best way to guarantee that my clients will achieve both a complete recovery from the injuries they sustained in their accident and achieve superior compensation. At my office we believe that our clients should focus on recovering from their injuries and not be concerned with mounting medical bills. If we assist our clients with referrals for appropriate medical care, the clients are not responsible for any payment to any medical provider until and unless their case is resolved. This way, my clients do not sustain any financial hardship or financial risk whatsoever and their focus is centered on recovering from their injuries and regaining their lives. The point to remember here is that who you see for medical treatment, coupled with obtaining reports prepared by exceptional medical providers is crucial to achieving the best possible recovery from your injuries, and to adding superior value to your case. To be sure, these are two of the most important factors that are taken into account when determining the value of any motorcycle injury accident.