3 Things That Affect a Personal Injury Case
After an accident that leaves you seriously injured, you may be feeling angry that you are hurt. You may also be worried that there are things that could affect the results of your claim. Here are three things that affect a personal injury case.
Factors that Impact the Value of a Personal Injury Case
When someone comes into our office asking about the value of an injury case, we tell them that two things have the most impact on their case. First, how did the accident happen and who’s at fault? Second, what is the nature and extent of the injury? We will fully work up each case by listening to what our client has to share about how the accident happened and then reviewing investigative reports and accident reports. Next, we revisit the client’s description of the accident with emphasis on the injury and how it’s affected their daily life, including the ability to work, play sports, recreate, or simply pursue normal activities. We can then give you a very, very good estimate of the value of your case. Very often, an insurance company will make an extremely low offer right off the bat; however, when you come to an experienced personal injury attorney such as myself or other members of my firm, we can give you a clear picture of what your case is worth.
How a Preexisting Condition Can Affect a Personal Injury Case
So often, we have clients who come in to see us after they’ve been injured in a car accident and tell us that they injured that same part of their body several years ago. That occurs in many, many of our cases. One thing that’s very important – and one that we, as personal injury attorneys, are very familiar with – is the ability to segregate the part of your injury that is due to your current accident from anything that’s attributable to a preexisting condition. The simple fact that you have a preexisting condition doesn’t mean that it was aggravated by your current accident. You could have hurt your arm or neck 10 or 15 years ago and, while you may have a preexisting condition, it may not have bothered you for those 10 or 15 years. It’s very important to work with a lawyer who’s handled this type of case and can distinguish between the types of injuries which are affected by a preexisting condition and those that are not.
Does It Matter Which Doctor You See?
Normally, if you’re injured, there are certain doctors you’d go to right off the bat. First, if you’re seriously injured, you will normally be taken by ambulance to a local hospital. If your injuries are less serious, you may be able to drive yourself – or have a family member drive you – to the hospital. After that initial treatment, it’s very important to consult a physician who specializes in the type of injury you sustained. In other words, if you have an injury to your neck, you want to be sure to see an orthopedist, a neurologist or neurosurgeon, or a physical therapist or chiropractor. These are the medical care providers who handle these types of injuries. Most importantly, make sure the doctor you choose has experience treating the type of injury you’ve sustained.
If you have been involved in an incident that left you seriously injured, you may be eligible for compensation. Contact our Rochester personal injury attorneys for dedicated representation to see how we can help you recover your damages.
