Dealing with whatever type of accident could be frustrating and overwhelming. More often than not, you have no idea what steps to take to handle this kind of situation more efficiently. However, aside from seeking medical attention for your injury, one of the things to do after being injured in an accident is to file a claim to recover compensation for your injury.
Unfortunately, knowing what fair compensation is with respect to your personal injury case could be difficult. This is where the assistance of a personal injury attorney could be beneficial to your situation.
Read this article to learn how a personal injury attorney determines fair compensation.
Considering A Variety Of Factors Related To Injury And Accident
One of the best ways an Oklahoma lawyer, or wherever you might be located, could help calculate your fair compensation is by considering several factors related to the accident and injury.
Generally, there’s no specific formula for determining the compensation you might recover. But there are certain factors that could influence the potential amount of compensation you would be entitled to. These include:
- The severity of the accident and injuries: When the accident was so serious in a way that it caused a severe injury, the compensation you receive would be much higher than the ones involved in a minor accident.
- The way the injury has affected your life: If you could prove how the injury has impacted your day-to-day life, you could probably receive higher compensation. For example, if the injury resulted in a disability, your attorney could also take it into consideration when computing the real value of your personal injury claim.
- The extent of hospital treatment: When your injury needs long-term hospital and medical treatment, then you could get compensated with a higher amount to cover all the expenses necessary for the completion of the treatment.
- Lost income and earning capacity: When the injury has forced you to take some time off work for your recovery, you might also receive compensation for all the lost wages and earning capacity suffered as a result of what happened.
- Pain and suffering: When you experience pain and suffering as a consequence of being injured, your attorney could also submit evidence to that effect to ensure you get compensated for the emotional aspect of personal injury cases.
- Property damage: If the accident doesn’t only cause injury but also property damage, your legal representative could also include it in determining fair compensation for your needs.
- Aggravating factors: These could also influence the amount of money you receive in a personal injury case. The common examples of aggravating factors include drunk driving on the part of the other driver and other traffic violations, which could potentially increase your compensation, provided you have evidence to prove it.
Collecting Pieces Of Evidence
Having a personal injury attorney could be beneficial in your personal injury case. Unless you’re a legal professional by yourself, you might need their assistance to gather pieces of evidence that may help determine the fair value of your compensation.
When it comes to personal injury cases, documentation and relevant pieces of evidence might be necessary to figure out the extent of injury or damage you sustained as a result of someone else’s negligence. The more you know about it, the easier it would be to prove the injury and the number of damages suffered as a result thereof.
That being said, it would be best to hire a personal injury attorney at your side who might help you collect evidence that’s used to calculate the right compensation you deserve. They might also have professional connections that can help you gather valuable evidence for your personal injury claim. For example, they can tap medical experts to provide testimonies about the injury and explain how the accident has caused such an injury.
On the other hand, the following are some other pieces of evidence your attorney can help gather on your behalf:
- Medical records
- Receipts showing payment of prescriptive drugs and medical treatments
- Photos of the injury sustained
- Photos of the accident scene
- Witness testimonies
- Documents showing lost wages and earning capacity, and many more
Bottom Line
After sustaining an injury in an accident, you might be wondering how much compensation you should recover. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced personal injury attorney, you would know what constitutes fair compensation for your injury. They won’t only make sure that the compensation is fair and reasonable but they’ll also provide strong legal representation when you decide to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Therefore, if you’re still unsure how an attorney could help you figure out the amount of money you should get compensated with, keep this information in mind and you’re good to go. Doing so could have peace of mind knowing you obtain the compensation you and your injury rightfully deserve.
