How Much Will My Personal Injury Settlement Be in New Hampshire?
A car crash or any other accident in which you sustained an injury can be a life-altering experience. Not only do you have to pay your medical bills and miss time at work (and income), but you also have to cope with physical and emotional pain.
If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, a car collision, or any other accident, you may be entitled to compensation. But how much will your personal injury settlement be? In New Hampshire, there are a variety of factors that affect the value of personal injury cases.
How Much is Your Personal Injury Case Worth?
If you contacted a Manchester personal injury lawyer to help you pursue compensation, your attorney will review your particular case and determine damages by looking at:
- Medical bills (past and future)
- Rehabilitation and therapy costs
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of wages
- Loss of earning capacity
These and certain other factors affect a potential payout in your personal injury case. Typically, pain and suffering and other non-economic damages (such as loss of enjoyment of life or scarring) account for a considerable portion of a personal injury settlement. There is not an easy way determine what these damages are. Although some people will say to use a multiplier of the medical bills, that is simply not accurate. Someone with a lot of medical bills but who has a quick recovery may have far less pain and suffering and other non-economic damages, than someone with less medical bills but a permanent injury. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you calculate a reasonable amount for the pain and suffering and other non-economic damages in your case.
Then, your attorney will add in the amount of your medical bills, lost wages, and other out-of-pocket expenses. The resulting number is approximately how much your personal injury case is worth in New Hampshire. As there are many different factors to take into account based on the individual case, you should discuss your case value with an experienced lawyer.
What Factors Affect Personal Injury Settlements in New Hampshire?
When it comes to recovering damages in a personal injury case, the following factors may affect the value of your settlement:
- The severity of your injury. You may be able to ask for a higher amount if your injury is serious or permanent, especially if the treatment will last for years or decades, or you are not expected to fully recover.
- Your insurance policy limits. If the person who caused the injury has few assets, a personal injury settlement may practically be limited to the available policy limits.
- Complicating factors. This can be different in every case. Examples might include if it difficult to determine what injuries were caused by a particular event, or if you had another injury right after/before, the value of your claim might be different than someone without these same factors.
- Legal representation. Last but not least, whether or not you hire a personal injury attorney to represent you will affect how much your case is worth. An experienced lawyer can help maximize your case value while also helping you navigate through the claims process.
Negotiating Personal Injury Settlement in New Hampshire
You are expected to negotiate with the opposing party in order to reach a settlement in your personal injury case. Once you have finished your treatment (or are at a medical endpoint), you can submit your demand letter to the other party or their insurance company (in some instances suit must be filed first – such as if the statute of limitations is approaching).
Then, your personal injury attorney will negotiate with the insurance company in an effort to come to an agreement. If no settlement is reached during the negotiation process, your case may go through the court process and, ultimately, it will be up to a judge or jury to determine how much your personal injury case is worth.
Consult with an experienced Manchester personal injury attorney to calculate the value of your case. Contact the Law Office of Manning Zimmerman & Oliveira PLLC to determine how much to ask for in your personal injury settlement. Call at 603-624-7200 to receive a consultation.
