If you have been injured in an auto accident, you may be wondering how much money you can expect to receive in damages. This is a difficult question to answer, as the value of your case will depend on many factors. After an accident, the insurance company will use an insurance adjuster to investigate the accident and determine how much an injured person should receive.
In most car accident claims, the amount of money you can recover will depend on the severity of your injuries, the amount of property damage, and whether or not the other driver was at fault.
At Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C., our accident lawyers have years of experience helping people who have been injured in car accidents. We know what to do to get you the best possible outcome in your case. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.
Your Lost Wages
Insurance providers compensate victims of automobile accidents based on the victim’s documented or otherwise proven harms and losses. In most cases, an important factor is the amount of your medical bills and lost income. It is crucial to document your income thoroughly if you want to be paid for the wages you lost while recovering from a car accident.
Have your supervisor sign off on your income level and be ready to answer questions about how your income is calculated. For example, if you receive income from tips or a substantial part through cash, you will need records documenting that you were earning what you claimed to earn. If you cannot prove that you were making the income you claim to have lost after an accident, an insurance company will most likely deny your lost wages claim.
Injuries Sustained in the Car Accident
Other important factors that may impact your level of compensation include the nature and severity of your injuries. For example, whether you are a candidate for future surgery and whether you have permanent or catastrophic injuries caused by the accident, are important questions. If your doctors believe that you need surgery to resolve health problems caused by the auto accident, your case will most likely be worth more than if you do not need surgery after an accident.
In addition, if you suffered a permanent injury because of the accident, your compensation level will likely be greater than a victim who sustained a less serious injury that resolved after a few weeks of physical therapy treatments.
The Amount of Your Damages
Your damages are the losses that you have suffered as a result of the car accident. Your economic damages, such as your medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage, can be calculated by looking at your bills, receipts, pay stubs, and an estimate of the value of your damaged property.
Calculating pain and suffering damages such as emotional distress is typically more difficult and determined by how much the accident has impacted your life.
The Jurisdiction You File Your Claim In
There is a myriad of factors that can impact the value of a personal injury case. Some factors are fairly predictable (medical bills and lost wages), while others depend on the jurisdiction.
For instance, Maryland law differs from Virginia law in some respects, and both states differ from the District of Columbia in other areas. In addition, the court system where you file your claim may impact your claim as some court systems have a reputation for higher verdicts and others for lower verdicts (and insurance companies are well-versed in these reputations).
Other Factors That May Impact Your Car Accident Settlement
Of course, other things can negatively impact the value of your personal injury claim. For instance, if your own carelessness contributed to the accident, your claim may be denied completely. If you have preexisting health problems affecting the body parts you claim were injured in a car crash, an insurance company might balk at having to pay for your alleged injuries.
Similarly, if you were in a car accident after the accident you filed a claim for and claimed the same body parts were hurt in the subsequent accident, an insurance provider might resist compensating you for a permanent injury claim. The company could claim the following accident is the “real” cause of your pain, not the accident for which you filed a claim.
How Much Compensation Can I Receive in a Claim?
For more than 50 years, the Washington, D.C. personal injury lawyers of Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. have successfully represented individuals and families who have been injured or lost loved ones due to someone else’s negligence.
Here is a small sample of some of our successful verdicts and settlements:
- $15 million for a woman who was permanently paralyzed from the neck down due to being struck by a stray bullet.
- $6 million on behalf of a man who suffered a brain injury due to a rear-end collision.
- $5 million medical malpractice settlement on behalf of a 14-year-old client who suffered a severe brain injury as a result of a doctor’s inappropriate use of a chemical product.
- $4.8 million on behalf of a severely injured man when his motorcycle struck a trailer being pulled by a minivan.
- $4.5 million for a woman who was seriously injured in a pedestrian accident after being struck from behind by a transit bus in a crosswalk.
See additional examples of our case victories and settlements on our “Case Results” page.
If you have been injured in a car accident, contact our law firm today for a free consultation.
Contact Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel, P.C. for Assistance With Your Car Accident Claim
All of the above variables are part of the reason it’s important to have an aggressive and informed personal injury lawyer on your side like the attorneys of Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel, P.C. For more than four decades, our team of seasoned litigators has been crafting case strategies and roadmaps with the goal of securing our clients the highest possible level of compensation and holding wrongdoers accountable.
Our firm has helped clients recover more than $500 million in compensation, and we have more than 100 years of combined experience. All of our partners are recognized by Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers®, and our firm includes three past presidents of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.
We value the attorney-client relationship and work to help our clients obtain fair settlement offers to compensate them for the injuries they’ve suffered. Still, our attorneys are extremely well-equipped to go to trial if needed. If you or a loved one was seriously hurt by another’s carelessness, please call (202) 659-8600 or contact us online today for a free and prompt consultation with an attorney.