I was doing some research on the web recently and I came across a number of sites that claim to be Claim Calculators. I guess a person can plug in their information and be given a number of the value of their case. There are even a couple of charts that are out there.
That is simply crazy. Each case can be a stack of numbers, but the reality is that what makes a difference in cases is what is the loss. You can have the exact same injury that is valued differently by how it is presented:
– What wage loss was there?
– What are your future job prospects?
– What were you planinng to do?
– What is your education?
– What medical options are there?
– Have you tried all types of care?
– What are your doctors saying?
– Who do you have around you for help?
– How has this affected your social life?
– What was the defendant doing?
– What were you doing at the time of the collision?
– What do the witnesses say?
These are just some of the many , many questions that can affect the case one way or another. They are questions that your lawyer should know to ask and be looking at in reviewing your case.
Beyond that, it makes a big difference who your lawyer is. You don’t want someone who thinks your case is just another case to run through the calculator. You are a living person who needs to be looked at realistically to see what your losses are.
Can you get your case over quick? Sure, take the usually inadequate offer the insurance company will make. Keep in mind that research suggests that you will probably get about a 1/3rd of what you would have received if you were were represented by a lawyer who is good at doing this kind of work.
I hate seeing the cases of people who are ripped off because they didn’t ask the right questions or weren’t represented properly. You are more than a number. The calculators seem to be just that.
