This question is one of the first that most personal injury clients ask about their case. Regardless of whether they were injured in an automobile accident, a trucking collision, a work-related accident, or by medical malpractice, personal injury clients want to know the value of their claim.
Unfortunately, some personal injury attorneys will give unrealistic answers to such questions, usually for the purpose of trying to convince a potential client to retain their services. A good attorney, however, will usually not provide a detailed response to these questions at first. The reason: a case’s value cannot be determined until the case has been investigated and all of the critical facts have been analyzed.
There are many factors that determine the ultimate value of a personal injury lawsuit. The strength of the liability, causation, and damages facts are some of the most important. To maximize your recovery, a personal injury lawyer needs to begin gathering evidence early in the process, and to advise the client on how to keep the records needed to prove damages.
If the facts are good, a personal injury attorney who has the proper skill set can maximize the recovery for the client. If the facts are bad (i.e., little or no insurance, bad evidence on liability, etc.), then the lawyer has to work through different set of circumstances, which could affect the end result for the client.
The better question for a client to ask is: Do I have a lawyer that has the skill set to maximize the recovery for my personal injury case? A qualified and experienced attorney can analyze the case and obtain a proper result. The facts play a big factor in the end result, but a skilled lawyer can guide the client through the process and take the proper steps to obtain a favorable result.