A common question asked by or Michigan car accident clients at our law firm is "
How much is a fair settlement in my case?" This can be a difficult question to answer at the beginning of a case due to the number of factors that go into determing the settlement amount of any personal injury lawsuit.
Factors include the degree of fault of the negligent driver, whether the client was partially at fault, the nature and extent of the injuries, the level of disability, the length of treatment, and how the injuries from the accident have affected the client's ability to lead his or her normal life.
The jurisdiction or location of the accident also has an impact on a settlement amount. Typically, settlements are larger in bigger cities than in smaller, more conservative areas. Jurors in those areas do not customarily award the same dollar verdicts than in other places.
Another major factor is always how much liability insurance the negligent driver had on his vehicle at the time of the accident. Quite often, the negligent driver will have no insurance or the minimum policy limits. If our client had uninsured or underinsured motorists coverage, this will help to achieve a fair settlement even if the negligent driver did not have insurance or had insurance with the minimum policy limits of $20,000/$40,000. For an understanding of these types of insurance coverage, you should read our "
Michigan Auto Insurance Report."
An experienced
Michigan car accident lawyer can gather all of this information and estimate a fair settlement amount. Quite often, though, this can change even throughout the course of a lawsuit when new information becomes known, witnesses are interviewed, and a better grasp on the prognosis of the injury victim is known to all involved.
There is no specific formula for determining a settlement amount but smart and aggressive lawyering can maximize a settlement. A review of some of
our verdicts and settlements may give you a better idea what your case is worth. For a realistic explanation, feel free to call the lawyers at our firm.
Category: Auto Accident
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