Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Settlement: Key Factors to Consider
The vast majority of personal injury cases are settled out of court. However, many cases do not even reach the settlement stage either because of a lack of evidence, the expiration of the relevant statutes of limitation, or victim ignorance about what he or she had grounds to file a claim. Also, settlement payouts vary based on the extent of your injuries, damages, and the limits of the policies you hold.
Learn More About Personal Injury Claims
If you were involved in an accident and want to learn more about personal injury claims and personal injury settlements in Fort Lauderdale, the Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney with the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato may be able to assist you. Please call us today at (954) 633-8270 for a free consultation and case evaluation. We treat our clients like family and devote the time needed to ensure that you are aware of your legal options and what you need to do based on the unique circumstances of your case.
Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Case Settlements
Personal injury cases are decided on the strength of available evidence. If you have a sound claim and can back your claims with evidence, you may be able to win an out-of-court settlement from the at-fault party and his or her insurer for your injuries or losses.
Different types of accidents require different forms of evidence. Here are a few examples.
- Photo or video evidence can be used for almost all accident types.
- Driver fatigue or distraction can be used in vehicle accident cases.
- Maintenance and service logs can be used in machinery-related accidents.
- Evidence of experience and qualifications can be used in vehicles, medical malpractice, and nursing home accidents.
- Previous citations or warnings can be used for many different accident types, from driving accidents to animal bite cases.
You must have the right evidence to support your claim so that it is not dismissed or countered with an unsatisfactory compensation offer. However, even if your claim is denied, and you do go to court, sound evidence will likely give you a higher chance of a favorable verdict.
In addition to evidence, winning a claim also hinges on your ability to prove that an at-fault party owed you a duty of care but breached that duty, caused an accident, and the accident resulted in losses or injuries to you.
Personal Injury Verdicts and Settlements
Verdicts and settlements, however, are just one part of the story. Personal injury cases also include an assessment of all or a combination of the following:
- Are there any non-economic damages involved? These include pain and suffering, emotional trauma, the loss of a spouse’s or partner’s companionship, lower quality of life, and other intangible losses.
- Economic damages are almost always involved in personal injury cases. Depending on the type of insurance you and the at-fault party have, you may be covered for economic damages stemming from medical treatment, lost income, property damage, and incidental expenses.
- Punitive damages are damages intended to punish the at-fault party and deter harmful behavior in the future.
Other considerations include:
- The severity of your injuries and their impact on your daily life
- The costs of all medical treatments you may need in the future
- The extent and duration of the treatment you may need
- Whether or not you will likely recover from your injuries
To place a dollar figure on non-economic, intangible, or other hard-to-quantify losses, an attorney or an insurance adjuster will use the factors above to come up with a figure between 1.5 to 5. Known as the insurance multiplier, this figure is then multiplied by your economic damages to arrive at a figure for your non-economic damages. The sum of all your damages is what you will then seek in compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance company via a demand letter.
Our Expert Lawyer Help You For Fair Compensation
An attorney may be able to help you work out a fair compensation figure or tell you if the personal injury settlement in Fort Lauderdale that you were offered is fair and equivalent to your losses. Call the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato at (954) 633-8270 today to review your case and possible settlement offer.
We Are Just a Call Away
The Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato are just a call away. You can reach our team of dedicated and compassionate staff can at (954) 633-8270. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you need help with a personal injury settlement in Fort Lauderdale.
