What is My Tractor Trailer Accident Injury Case Worth?
This is a great question, and one we hear over and over from new clients. Understandably, it is often the question a person is trying to answer when he or she is choosing a lawyer, or even deciding whether to hire one in the first place. Too often, it’s very difficult to get a straight answer to this question. There are several reasons for that.
On the one hand, there are no guarantees when it comes to lawsuits and what a jury might award in a tractor trailer accident injury case. It is appropriate and wise for a lawyer to be careful giving an answer that a client might construe as a “sure thing” or “minimum” or “guarantee.”
But too often, there is another reason lawyers may not want to give a straight answer to the question. The lawyer may not really know how to value the case. And even worse than that, some lawyers may not want you to know how they are ultimately going to answer that question after you hire them.
So, What is My Tractor Trailer Accident Injury Case Worth?
There are really two answers to this great question: (1) Your case is worth whatever an insurance adjuster says it’s worth; or (2) Your case is worth whatever a jury says it’s worth.
If you are facing a serious injury, particularly from a complex event like a tractor trailer accident, then you’d better know how your potential lawyer plans to answer the question.
In our Firm, the onlyacceptable answer to the question is Option 2: your case is worth what a jury says. Does that mean every case has to go all the way to jury trial? Fortunately not. Clients are understandably worried about the time and risk involved in trial. That said, the way we answer the value question absolutely does mean that lawyers who do take injury cases all the way to trial, where necessary, to get a fair result for their client will have two advantages over lawyers who settle everything. First, we know how to better estimate what a jury might do, and be able to reasonably discuss what a client’s case is worth. Second, and equally important, insurance companies know what lawyers will go to trial. And they know we have proved (by results) that a jury may say the case is worth more than the insurance company wants to pay. Over time, that ends up benefiting all our clients, even those who ultimately settle.
Any actual estimate of your specific case’s value has to do with numerous facts that have to be evaluated for your specific case. These include how bad was the at fault party’s conduct; where will the case be tried; how long-lasting will the injuries be; and what amount of medical bills and lost wages (past and future) do you have? It is not an exact science, but lawyers experienced in trying cases can at least make reasonable estimates of what a jury could do. At our Firm, it never costs a potential client anything, and there is no up-front commitment, for a person who wants to discuss their particular case.
