How to calculate the compensations for damages in case of personal injuries

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For victims of personal injury accidents, who have the daunting task of determining the costs of the accident, a personal injury calculator is a useful online tool that can help one gain a first glimpse of the amount he/she should be asking for as a settlement for the accident. Adding up the damages seems a pretty straightforward process, however, plaintiffs need to have a broader approach to the calculus so that the final settlement amount can also cover any future damages.

What to expect from a settlement?

A personal injury settlement is a monetary compensation for the injuries and material losses suffered by the plaintiff. This amount is often negotiated before a court and many plaintiffs, as well as defendants, will prefer to agree upon a sufficient amount so that the case will no longer go to court.

Valuing the nature and the extent of the injuries is an essential part of calculating the settlement amount and the personal injury calculator is useful for adding up all of the medical expenses, up to the date when the calculation is made. Patience can be important in these cases and victims are advised to finish their entire medical treatment and talk to their physician about any other future treatment before filing the complaint with their requested settlement. This is recommended in order to have the clearest information possible about the total medical expenses.

How are the damages calculated?

The settlement amount will typically include the following:

• medical costs: the combined value of all of the medical bills received for treating the accident injury, whether or not they were covered by insurance; victims can also include the estimated costs for future medical care.
• lost wages: the value of the income lost by the victim while not being able to work because of the injuries sustained in the accident.
• property damage: the value of the property that was damaged in the accident.
• emotional pain: a special type of damages, awardable in severe cases with life-altering injuries.

Claiming losses after a personal injury accident is a process that should be assisted by a lawyer who specializes in civil claims, most notably the type of personal injury accident the victim was involved in. We recommend that you seek out professional legal assistance if you have been the victim of a vehicle accident, slip and fall accident, dog bite or other injuries attributed to negligence.

Kristen Powell