#7 Can I help my patient determine what their personal injury claim is worth due to a car accident?
QUESTION: Can I help my patient determine what their personal injury claim is worth?
ANSWER: There are many factors involved in determining the value of a personal injury claim and it’s not possible to accurately estimate the value of a claim before your patient completes their treatment. Key elements and considerations include determining who is at fault for the accident, the damage to the vehicles involved in the accident, the extent of your patient’s injuries, their treatment duration, and the potential for permanent impact. It’s best to advise your patients to consult an experienced personal injury attorney for an accurate assessment. There is no fee or obligation for an initial consultation. During the meeting with the lawyer your patient will be informed about the personal injury claims process and learn how the value of their claim is determined.
Can I help my patient determine what their personal injury claim is worth?
We’re asked this question often by people who have been injured in a car accident and it makes sense why your patients would ask this question. The truth is — whether it’s a family member, a friend, an adjuster, or an attorney — if your patient isn’t done treating, and they tell you the monetary value of your claim — they either don’t know what they’re talking about or they’re not telling your patient the truth.
There are simply too many factors that determine what a claim is worth that need to be known before that question can be answered. Here’s a list of a number of the primary factors anyone will need to know in order to determine the value of a claim.
- Is there a question over who’s at fault for causing the car accident?
- What is the amount of visible damage to the cars involved in the accident?
- Does your patient have a pre-existing condition or have they had similar injuries in the past?
- How long did your patient receive medical treatment for their injuries?
- What medical providers did your patient see for treatment?
- What types of treatment did your patient receive?
- Did your patient make a full recovery from their injuries from the auto accident?
- If your patient didn’t have a full recovery — how extensive or permanent are their injuries?
- Are their injuries from the car accident affecting their ability to work?
- Will they need future medical treatment?
These are 10 of the most significant factors to be considered when evaluating a personal injury claim.
It’s best to advise your patient to not listen to anyone who says they know the value of their claim or how things will go with settling their claim if they haven’t completed all the treatment. It’s simply not possible to know the value of a personal injury claim before the person injured is done treating.
If your patient has questions about the value of their claim, talking with an experienced personal injury attorney can be very helpful. We offer a no-fee or no-obligation initial consultation. We want to make sure that your patient gets their questions answered and the information they need to protect their rights and personal injury claim.
We’re here to be a bridge of support for you and your patients.
We have developed a robust library of information for your patients who have been injured in an accident, which can be found in the INJURED? START HERE portal on our website.
There are 40 topic-focused articles, with accompanying videos, organized into the four categories that include the personal injury claim-related questions we’re asked most often, which include:
- Top 10 Personal Injury Claim Mistakes to Avoid
- What You Need to Know About Your Claim
- How Are My Medical Bills & Wage Loss Paid
- How to Prepare for Your Independent Medical Exam
Each article provides advice and guidelines to help your patients navigate each phase of the personal injury claims process. Whether we represent your patient or not, we are passionate about them knowing how to protect their rights, get the medical care they need, and avoid the mistakes that can harm their personal injury claim.
Each article provides advice and guidelines to help your patients navigate each phase of the personal injury claims process. Whether we represent your patient or not, we are passionate about them knowing how to protect their rights, get the medical care they need, and avoid the mistakes that can harm their personal injury claim.
Additionally, if it would be helpful to have the information we feature on our website available in your office to pass along to your patients, we’ve developed brochures for each of the four article series -- in both English and Spanish that we’re happy to send to your office. Please complete the form below and we’ll get them out to you promptly.
