Recently in Auto Accidents Category
- Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Maryland (an overview)
- Uninsured Motorist Lawsuits (blog topic directed at Maryland auto accident lawyers)
- How to Try an Uninsured Motorist Lawsuit in Maryland
We get a lot of hits on Google for lawyers asking for a sample lawyer representation letter in an auto accident case. You can find one here. But a word of caution. If you are getting on Google looking for a sample lawyer representation letter to send out for your injured client, there is a good chance you don't have the experience to handle the case. Here is the better play: refer it to a good lawyer. In Maryland and in many states, they will split their fee with you consistent with the Rules of Professional Responsibility (we will do this too, hint, hint.)
Auto accident victims in Maryland want an accident settlement calculator to determine the value of their case. "What numbers do I punch in to find out how much my case should settle for with the insurance company?" The unfortunate reality is that personal injury cases are far more complicated that than. The battle over value between Maryland auto accident lawyers and insurance companies is fought not over a settlement formula but over the nuances of the medical records including what were the injuries, how painful and life changing were/are they, and were the bills fair, reasonable and casually related to the accident.
- How is the Value of Personal Injury Claims Is Calculated? (how lawyers, insurance companies and, ultimately, juries determine settlement value)
- Is There a Formula to Computer Value of Personal Injury Claims? (more on why there is no formula for settlement)
- How to Maximize the Value of Your Case (thoughts on getting the most of of your personal injury claim)
This from the Georgia Personal Injury Report that I found yesterday in my research on average back injury settlements.
"Just received this month's Georgia Trial Reporter. This is a monthly report that publishes settlement and jury verdicts from around Georgia. It is what attorneys use to research the value of your case. Your attorney, if they have a subscription to the report, can go online and query for facts similar to yours to figure out how much your case is worth.
This month's publication reports the average value (settlement & verdicts) of a case involving a lumbar (i.e. lower back) disc injury with surgery is $115,000. The average value of a cervical (neck) disc injury with surgery is $125,000. Keep in mind these are only averages. Most of the cases we see that involve back surgery usually also involve a herniated disc that is pushing on a nerve. So why the $10,000 difference in the two types of injuries? First, a ten thousand dollar difference represents less than a 10% gap. If I had to guess what is behind the numbers I would have to say that many people (i.e. jurors) suffer from lower back pain so they tend to diminish the value of such a problem because they have all felt the pain themselves. Versus most of us instinctively protect our necks which would lead jurors to take such an injury more seriously, not that every spinal injury is not serious."
Again, this is Georgia, not Maryland or any other jurisdiction where the value of neck and back injury cases may differ. But certainly it is interesting data.
- How the value of your case is calculated?
- Inside scoop on dealing with all of the major car insurance companies, including GEICO, State Farm, Allstate with specific information on negotiating with each company