Personal Injuries: Maximizing Settlement Value

            Personal Injury cases are often unfortunate events that happen to good people. This can affect someone’s ability to work, their daily lives, and can have devastating effects on a person. However, it is often confusing to most people how we look at cases and how we value them. The hope is always that the injured person can recover, and get back to 100% of their previous health. Sometimes, there is no getting back to 100%, which is an awful situation to be in. In either scenario, your doctors will tell you when you are no longer expected to improve. This is called reaching “maximum medical improvement”. At this point, it is time to try to evaluate the claim you have and find out what settlement you should take.   

            The bulk of your claim is made up of the costs of your medical treatment. Typically, if you get back to 100%, this will only include your past medical treatment. If you find yourself permanently injured, then future medical expenses are included in the compensation, as is a potential permanent impairment. Other expenses that an injured party is entitled to compensation for are past and future lost income, mileage you incurred medical appointments, and pain and suffering. All of these things can sometimes be difficult to value. Insurance adjusters know this, and if an injured party does not have experienced counsel, they leverage this uncertainty into a lower settlement. This is unfortunate, but this is the reality of the way our system works. Having an experienced injury attorney is integral to getting the best result, and maximizing your available benefits.

That is why at Parnell, Michels & McKay we have utilized a time-tested system to accurately calculate for all of these uncertain expenses. We know how insurance companies evaluate your file, and we have extensive experience getting our clients the settlements that accurately account for their loss. We also have experience trying jury cases, and with that knowledge, we can advise our clients on what a jury of your peers would likely decide, and how that affects the decision you make on settling.

If you find yourself injured, contact Parnell, Michels & McKay today and find out how we have helped secure millions of dollars in compensation for our clients.