How Do I Know How Much My Case Is Worth?

Injured clients always want to know how much their personal injury case may be worth. This is understandable. Our potential clients are fearful of how they may continue to live their life unable to work and facing mounting medical bills. The value of your personal injury case depends on the particular harm that you suffered, and it is best to consult with a Santa Barbara and Ventura personal injury lawyer.

To understand this, allow us to explain how damages work in a personal injury case. Damages are intended to put you in the same position as if the accident never happened. Of course, your health may not be able to be restored, nor can you undo everything that you have experienced. Nonetheless, the court will assign a dollar value to your damages in an attempt to compensate you for everything.

Damages in Your Personal Injury Case

There are two different types of damages in your case. First, there are economic damages. These pay you back for the actual losses that you have suffered out of your pocket. This can include things such as:

Then, you are also entitled to non-economic damages. These are intended to compensate you for the experience that you have gone through and may also in the future. This is where you will find your more subjective categories of damages such as:

These are things that are difficult to assign a dollar value to, although insurance companies and juries try. Even when they try to use objective formulas, there is still significant subjectivity involved. It is not uncommon for two sides to be far apart on the measurement of pain and suffering.

Even economic damages can be subject to widely differing opinions. The other party may have a very different view of how much you have lost in wages, often arguing that you are capable of doing some work, even if you cannot do your job. They could also argue that your future medical care damages should be worth less because they are using a different rate of inflation.

All of this is to say that the exact value of your case will either be determined after extensive negotiations for a settlement or by a jury. As your attorney, we know what your case is worth, but the other side may not agree with our opinion, especially when it costs them money. Our job is to either negotiate a fair settlement agreement or use the legal process to get you what you deserve.

Ventura and Santa Barbara Personal Injury Lawyers Helping Injured Clients

If you or a loved one have been injured, contact a Santa Barbara and Ventura personal injury attorney at Bamieh & De Smeth PLC to learn more about whether you may be able to receive financial compensation. Call us at (805) 643-5555 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation. We will evaluate your case and explain to you the legal options going forward.