Essential Components of a Personal Injury Case
Injury accidents and personal injury cases are a common yet unfortunate reality of day-to-day living, but depending on their severity, they can be the worst time of someone’s life. But if you’ve sustained injuries in an accident due to another party’s negligence, you can fight for your fair compensation. The idea of bringing a personal injury claim may be daunting; however, it’s important to seek your deserved compensation for damages. And understanding how to value your case makes the process easier.
Types of Personal Injury Damages
First, it’s vital to know about personal injury damages. Here are a couple of damages you can seek in your personal injury case.
- Loss of Companionship: If someone’s spouse or companion sustains accident injuries in Arizona, the loss suffered by their partner is referred to as loss of consortium. A loss of consortium claim can cover a number of things, including the loss of love and affection, and companionship. Furthermore, numerous other variables exist to determine the extent of the loss of consortium. These variables will include the life expectancies of the couple, the quality of the marriage before the accident occurred, and the subsequent effect on the marriage.
- Property Loss: The at-fault party may be liable for property damage caused by their negligence. For example, vehicles that sustain damage in an accident are recoverable losses.
Remember that the statute of limitations in Arizona is two years. That means you must file your personal injury claim within two years after you’ve suffered damages from an accident. If you have questions about filing or the best time to bring your case, discuss the details of your case with an attorney.
Keep in mind that accidents that do not cause injury are not legally actionable, and lawyers have a name for negligence that does not result in damages: negligence in the air. Just because someone is acting negligently does not mean that you will be able to recover damages – you need to establish that you have suffered an injury.
Essential Components of Your Personal Injury Case
Next, it’s important that victims are aware of a few essential components of an injury case.
1. Crash Severity
Though a severe crash may not always lead to severe injuries, it may warrant a more valuable case. If your crash was more severe, a jury is more likely to value your case. Furthermore, an insurance company will also put a higher value on your case.
2. Injuries and Damages
Muscle pain can cause you to suffer for weeks or months, but soreness is as valuable to your case as broken bones or more severe injuries. Unfortunately, if you sustained more serious injuries, you’ll have a more valuable injury case.
3. Medical Treatment
Medical treatment can be used as evidence to prove the severity of your injuries. And the medical bills you get during your treatment are an important piece of evidence. These bills help value damages such as pain and suffering.
4. Money Available
Keep in mind that a person with a minimum limit policy may not have enough money to collect. However, if a business or corporation is responsible for your injury, there should be enough insurance available.
5. Liability
Last but not least: liability. If you shared some of the responsibility for your accident, your case’s value will decrease. For example, if a jury believes you are 20% responsible and your case is worth $100,000, you will receive $80,000 (80%) from the defendant or other at-fault party.
Personal Injury Lawyer in Arizona
Regardless of the type of accident they’ve suffered, victims should discuss the facts of their case with an experienced attorney. Whether you’ve sustained injuries in a car wreck or a pedestrian accident, you can secure your fair compensation. And to ensure the best settlement possible, you should speak with an injury attorney in Phoenix right away.
Our personal injury attorneys at ELG have years of experience when it comes to fighting for victims and their families. If you’ve sustained injuries in an accident, reach out to our injury lawyers at (623) 877-3600 for a free consultation and legal representation today.