Determining Damages | How Much is My Personal Injury Claim Worth?

After a personal injury case in San Antonio, the bills can pile up. You should be compensated for your losses, but knowing how much you deserve can be difficult to calculate without the help of an experienced attorney. There are numerous factors that contribute to potential damages in your claim, and it’s important to know how those can affect your case. At Carabin Shaw, our staff is dedicated to helping victims get the most for their accidents, which is why we’ve won over $500 million for our clients. When you are pursuing a San Antonio personal injury claim, you want to make sure you get everything you deserve. If you’re wondering, “How much is my personal injury claim worth?”, the following information should answer your question:

Types of Damages

The biggest factor in knowing what you are owed is determining what kind of damages you’ve sustained. The law distinguishes between two types of damages: economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those that have a tangible dollar value, like medical expenses. Non-economic damages, on the other hand, do not have an exact monetary value, like pain and suffering. A San Antonio personal injury attorney can tell you more.

The following are the different types of damages you can be compensated for:

• Medical expenses - In a personal injury claim, one of the most common forms of compensation is for medical expenses. The defendant should pay for any costs you incur because of your injuries.
• Lost wages - Some accidents cause you to miss work, and any loss of income you experience due to your injuries and accident can be compensated, including future earnings.
• Loss of property - In a car accident, for example, you can recoup the cost of the damages to your car or any other piece of property of yours that was lost because of the accident.
• Pain and suffering - If you experience pain because of your injuries you may be entitled to pain and suffering compensation. To learn more about pain and suffering, talk to a lawyer.
• Loss of enjoyment - Some injuries may impact your life in such a way that you are no longer able to do recreational activities or hobbies that you once enjoyed. If you’ve sustained this kind of injury, you can pursue loss of enjoyment.
• Loss of consortium - The aftermath of a San Antonio accident can sometimes affect marriages. A plaintiff can be compensated for loss of consortium if they lose the ability to maintain a sexual relationship or lose companionship after their accident.

Be sure to speak with a San Antonio accident attorney to determine which damages apply to your case.

Calculating Damages

To calculate damages, most adjusters will use the multiplier method. To arrive at a total estimate, they will multiply your economic damages by a factor of 1.5-5, depending on a number of factors including the severity of your injuries, your recovery time, and the long-term impact the accident will have on your life. Legally, the most ambiguous component of this method is how one justifies the multiplier. Most defendants will argue for a lower multiplier, while you and your attorney will want to apply a higher one. For the best chance of getting the compensation you deserve, talk to a San Antonio personal injury attorney.

More Than a Guess

When trying to determine damages for your San Antonio personal injury claim on your own, the best you can do on your own is guess. But to truly know what your case is worth, you need an experienced lawyer on your side. Our staff at Carabin Shaw has worked on countless cases for victims just like you, so we know from experience how much a case is likely worth. If you’re still wondering “How much is my personal injury claim worth?”,you need to talk to an expert. You need to talk to a San Antonio accident attorney at our firm.

---