It’s hard to put a price tag on a serious injury. A catastrophic injury, such as brain trauma, spinal cord injury, an amputation, or any serious injury may cause severe trauma as well as physical pain and suffering. It’s hard to put monetary amount on that.
However, whether you file a legal claim or seek compensation through an insurer, determining the correct cost of your injuries is important. Knowing how much your claim is worth allows you to pursue fair compensation, so more of your injury is covered. This is important to help avoid high medical bills you can’t pay, lost income that leaves you unable to pay your living costs, and other financial disasters that unfortunately can happen to Florida plaintiffs.
To get the right valuation for your personal injury claim, you may want to ask:
- How much have you spent on property damage? Consider property repairs and replacement cost, too. For example, after a truck accident you may be paying to repair your car and also to replace your phone. Even replacing or repairing jewelry can be expensive, so make sure you consider all the property that has been damaged.
- How much have you spent on medical care? Keep receipts for all your medical care, including medications, medical devices, visits to hospitals, surgery, and any other costs.
- How much time at work have you lost? Keep careful track of the amount of time you have been unable to work as well as any benefits which have helped replace part of your income.
- How much have you spent on incidental costs? Many people are surprised to see how much they spent on incidental costs, such as trips to the doctor, taxis from the accident scene, car rentals, at-home nursing or personal care services, cleaning services while they’re injured, and other costs. Try to keep receipts for everything.
- How much income will you likely lose in the future because of your injury? It’s not just how much you have to pay immediately after your injury. Your injury can end up costing you money in the future, too. Consider when you’re expected to return to work, and whether you will need to take time off of work in the future for follow-up medical care.
- How much will your future medical expenses likely amount to? If you need ongoing medical care, such as rehabilitation, because of your injuries, you need to take into consideration how much you will likely pay over the years or over a lifetime. Even having to replace a crown over a lifetime because of a facial injury can add up.
- How will inflation affect future injury costs? If you expect to have ongoing medical costs or lost income because of your injury, keep in mind that these costs will be higher in the future because of inflation.
- How has your injury impacted your life? In Florida, you can seek compensation for your pain and suffering. The more seriously your injury has impacted your life and the more it will impact your life in the future, the more you can seek to help address the suffering you are facing.
Working with an experienced attorney can help you get an accurate valuation for your injury. Flaxman Law Group has more than 60 years of combined experience and you can always reach us by calling 866-352-9626. Call today if you’ve been injured to set up a free accident consultation with our Miami, Homestead, or Hollywood offices so you can get a strong sense of how much your potential case may be worth.