Archive for #personalinjury #compensation #attorney

Choosing a Worker’s Compensation or Personal Injury Attorney

The country has gone through a tough time during the past few months and families are starting to feel the sting. This has brought issues such as personal injury law and workers’ compensation claims to the forefront. To know if people have a case, they need to speak with the right attorney. For those who are looking for legal representation involving personal injury and workers’ compensation cases, there are a few factors they need to consider.

Paying Attention to Credentials and Experience

It is easy to get sucked in by flashy advertisements and beautiful websites; however, in order for someone to figure out if they have truly found the person that is right for them, they need to look at credentials and experience. Ask the lawyer about his or her training in the legal field. Then, ask about experience. Try to figure out what types of cases that the attorney has litigated in the past. While every case is different, there are similarities among certain personal injury and workers’ compensation cases. A good attorney should be able to speak to this during an initial consultation.

What To Watch For When Choosing a Lawyer

When speaking with an attorney, there are also a few red flags that people should watch for. Most importantly, be very wary of any attorney or lawyer who promises certain results. The reality is that no attorney can predict the future. Even if a case seems like it is as close to a “sure thing” as possible, there is no telling what will happen once motions get filed and other attorneys get involved. Therefore, no attorney should ever promise a client a certain result.

How Do Payments Work for Attorneys in this Field?

Every attorney is going to have a different payment structure; however, there are a few common themes. If someone is filing a personal injury or workers’ compensation lawsuit, these attorneys usually work on contingency fees. This means that the attorney does not get paid unless the client wins and receives some financial award. Then, the lawyer takes a percentage of this award as his or her payment. These are a few of the most important factors that people should consider when looking for an attorney.

Getting a Compensation after a Car Accident: What is the Multiplier Method?

If you have been injured or experienced emotional distress in a car accident because of someone else’s negligence and carelessness, you have the right to seek compensation. But how can you calculate your total compensation? While some damages are pretty easy to evaluate, others are a lot harder to calculate and justify.

To determine the amount of damages and pain is difficult because of many different factors. The method most lawyers and insurance companies use is called the “multiplier method”. It helps to determine the value of damages, including pain and suffering.

Economic And Non-economic Damages

If you had been involved in a car accident, you will most likely experience both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are all material losses that you have sustained because of the accident. For example, medical expenses, including emergency room attendance and physical therapy, are economic damages. Economic damages are usually easy to calculate because they are concrete and documented. Non-economic damages are those that do not have an inherit dollar amount. They include emotional suffering and mental traumas caused by a physical injury. Since there is no record or corresponding bill, it is harder to calculate non-economic damages and put a price on them.

Surprisingly, there is no strict mathematical formula to calculate non-economic losses. It is up to you as a victim, your lawyer, and other involved parties to decide what is fair compensation for this type of damage. In some cases, a jury will decide what you deserve.

The Multiplier Method

The multiplier method is a technique that insurance companies use to calculate pain and suffering damages. It uses the number between 1.5 and 5 which is chosen depending on how serious the injury. For example, if you have experienced a severe, life-threatening injury, the number should be close to 5, while minor injuries would get 1.5. There are also numbers 6 and 7 for extremely serious injuries. In order to determine the appropriate number, you should consider the following factors:

  • The fault of other drivers involved in the accident
  • The seriousness of the injuries
  • The presence of verified documents proving your injuries and suffering
  • Recovery period.

Why Do You Need an Attorney

An experienced attorney will help you to decide on your multiplier, gather evidence of the injuries, and maximize your claim. Having an attorney is the best thing you can do to understand the legal process and build a strong case.