What Factors are Considered When Determining Auto Accident Settlement Amounts?

An auto accident can be a very devastating experience. Not only can an auto accident disrupt your life but it can also drastically change it. Temporary and permanent injury often occur in auto accidents. Therefore, it’s imperative that the victim get a substantial payment and have all medical bills taken care of.

The insurance company isn’t usually going to want to go along with whatever dollar amount that is sent to them. They will often need to be sued in order to get what is needed to take care of the client. This is where an injury attorney in Melbourne comes in.

There are a series of steps that your personal injury attorney will take to begin the process of of recovering damages and insuring you are financially taken care of. It all starts in the legal office. After a consultation and a signing of agreements, your attorney is free to begin the process.

Your attorney will gather all of your medical information and help you decide an amount with which you are comfortable. They will then file the initial paperwork. This is a process they have performed many times so you can have faith that they know what they are doing.

So, what factors are considered when coming up with an amount? There are multiple, in fact. Below you can find a list of factors which should be considered when crafting the amount that you and your attorney are pursuing.

Factors to Consider When Creating a Dollar Amount

• Severity of Injuries
• Medical Costs and Fees
• Total Property Damage/Loss
• Lost Wages (previous/expected)
• Copiability of Driver (What % of the accident was the fault of each party)
• At-fault Driver’s Insurance Status and Coverage Amounts

As you can see, there is plenty of information that goes into deciding the final amount that you and your attorney will ask for. Chances are that the opposing insurance company will try to avoid going to court and start with a low-ball settlement offer. Your attorney has seen this exact scenario before. If they are in the ballpark, then negotiations can begin. If they are way off the desired total, a courtroom trial may be the only path.

Choosing an attorney with courtroom experience is a must. You want to be properly and fully represented when you step foot into that courtroom. Perform a little due-diligence on your attorney before moving forward. It will be well worth the time you spend doing so.