Personal injury cases are nothing to brush off one’s shoulder. These are serious cases because they involve you or someone you love being injured because of someone else’s negligence and careless of.
Thus, it’s crucial you understand what factors affect the verdict of your personal injury case given you are seeking the most compensation possible to for mental and physical pain and suffering due to the negligence of the defendant.
1. The Injury or Injuries You Have
This is the first item on the list because it’s the most important factor when it comes to determining how much compensation you’ll receive for your accident. Basically, the more significant your personal injury is, the larger your potential compensation will be.
For more serious injuries — like a broken leg or brain damage — you’re looking at higher medical costs and more pain and suffering than with a minor injury. So, be sure to keep this in mind when taking your first steps in a personal injury case.
2. Pre-Existing Injuries
You’ll often face insurance companies that want to pay out less because of pre-existing injuries — they’ll argue these injuries were there before the accident and therefore, helped to intensify the injury. Basically, if you hadn’t had the pre-existing condition, you would not have faced such an intense injury.
However, this can be worked around by proving that the accident itself made the injury worse. It wouldn’t have gotten that way on its own, so the defendant would be at fault for making it so much worse.
3. The Location of the Accident
This is where location of the accident comes into play. If you were injured in a more liberal area of the United States, you will generally be looking at a higher compensation for your accident. However, if you find yourself injured in a more conservative area, you might find yourself with less compensation in the end.
4. Your “Likeability”
This item is all about personality. Have you ever thought about how much your “likeability” affects the decision of the jury? Essentially, this means if you’re a more likeable person (i.e. more easy going, friendly, and overall outgoing), you are more likely to be awarded a larger settlement than someone who is less likeable.
Generally, this isn’t the way a trial is supposed to work, but this factor definitely can influence your jury’s decision. So, working with your attorney, ensure you’re properly prepared on the court date so you appear put-together and friendly in front of the jury. Even if this won’t sway the jury, it’s better to do all you can to get the most compensation for your injury or injuries.
5. Your Lawyer
You’ll want to have a lawyer who specialized in personal injury law if you want to have a large settlement coming your way. There are tons of lawyers out there who specialize in the “general law” field. However, if you get a lawyer who doesn’t know all of the ins-and-outs of personal injury law, you’re better off going in there by yourself.
Also, ensure you get a personal injury lawyer who has years of experience in the field, experience and success in the courtroom and positive reviews from past clients. This is crucial if you want to get a positive verdict from the jury.
Personal injury cases are some of the most personal and complicated cases out there. That’s why you should make sure you’re properly educated before you go into one.
