When you are involved in an automobile accident, you must deal with medical care, police reports and insurance reports in the beginning. There is probably damage to your vehicle, and you will miss work due to time off from the accident. Insurance companies will try to talk you into settling for much less than you should. After all is settled with that, you will more than likely have a case to settle. Here, we discuss how your case could be determined.

The process of figuring your compensation

When determining how much your compensation should be, there is a formula that is used. Once the formula is figured, this isn’t the answer to the settlement. It is only the beginning. After that, they take more factors into consideration and then decide on an amount to offer for a settlement.

To begin with, they take special damages into consideration. This would be the total of medical expenses that were incurred. General damages like pain and suffering, emotional factors and permanent disability are multiplied to special damages. If the general damages are minor, they multiply by 1 1/2 to 3. If general damages are relatively large, they would multiply times 5 or larger.

Other factors that affect settlement amounts

Once they have this figure, loss of any income is added to the equation. Finally, any other factors about the case are taken into consideration. For instance, the amount would be higher the more painful the injuries are. Long-lasting treatment, long recovery period or serious permanent effects would increase the amount of the settlement, as well. If you car is totally damaged, then the cost of the car – or a replacement with a car of similar value can be added to your settlement. NYC car leasing companies like Zooomr, can help you get similar replacement cars.

Other factors affect the amount of your settlement, too. These would include how recent maintenance was performed, the automobile’s features like cd player, air, or alarm, and the condition of the automobile. Be sure that information about the vehicle is recorded properly such as the make, model and year. This is important because the wrong information could negatively affect your settlement.

If the individual who caused the accident was under the influence of alcohol or drugs or did anything out of the ordinary to cause the accident like texting and driving, this will greatly influence the outcome of your case and the amount of compensation you receive. They would also face charges, fines and possibly jail time if convicted.

What information to provide for property damage

There is information that should be supplied to help determine the amount of property damage. Cost of repairs is one such piece of information. You should obtain about 3 estimates and choose the middle one. The extent of damage would be an issue, and the value of the property. You should also provide the cause of the accident via a police report.

Overall

It is important to understand that each case is different, and accident claims vary according to state laws where the accident occurred. An experienced Los Angeles personal injury attorney knows the laws for their state and can help guide you in the right direction to ensure your case is presented the proper way.

Factors affecting the case like medical bills, long-term treatment and damage to the vehicle all must be taken into consideration before determining what the value of the settlement will be. Reports will need to be gathered from police and medical facilities, witness statements will be accounted for and estimates of the vehicle damage will be gathered.

You are already under a good deal of stress from the accident, loss of work and bills. The proper attorney will gather all the information and evidence for you, build a case and present it as it should be. You can relax and know that it is being taken care of in a professional manner.