What is My Car Accident Case Worth?

So the question was asked, what is my car accident case worth? Now I get this question all the time from potential clients and it’s really a very difficult question to answer because it really depends case by case. But there are generally four separate factors that we look at in evaluating the strength and weakness of a case that all go into the value. So the first factor is liability. In other words, who is at fault for the crash? And if that’s determined pretty easily and if it’s a hundred percent liability then that goes in your favor. If there are questions against liability about liability, again that’s a factor that needs to be considered. Now the second factor in evaluating the value of the case is the severity of the crash. So how bad was the impact of the two vehicles? How bad was the property damage? If it looks really bad, obviously the case has higher value. If it’s just a little fender bender or a bump, well, uh, your case is going to be valued accordingly. The next factor in determining the value of a case are the injuries. What are the severity of the injuries? Again, common sense, the more significant the injuries, the more significant the value of the case. And then the fourth and final factor is basically what are the bills, what are the total bills, what are the out-of-pocket bills? And then are there any type of health care liens or any other liens at are asserted against the case. This final factor is the monetary portion of the analysis. Generally speaking, the higher the bills, the higher the case is worth. Now, there are limits to this rule, however. If you run up high bills with only moderate injuries, your bills are going to be a hindrance for you to settle. You and your lawyer need to watch the bills to make sure that they align with your injuries. This requires the guidance of an experienced personal injury attorney. And, it requires someone to actually pay attention to your file. So when you look, when you combine all four of those factors, and again, it’s case by case, right? You have four factors that all may vary from case to case. No two cases are alike, but you can generally get an estimate based on those four factors at the end of the case about what a case is actually worth.