When a Buffalo resident suffers a personal injury and his or her life is permanently changed, it can be difficult to grasp how a value can be placed on it. Nonetheless, that is exactly what insurance providers and, if the case is sued, lawyers must attempt to do.
Some damages, such as the cost of medical expenses and lost wages, are relatively easy to calculate. Others, such as the value of pain and suffering, can be extremely subjective and difficult to place a hard number on. There are also other variables, such as potential future medical expenses, that may come into play when determining the total value of damages in a case.
When attempting to determine the actual value of these more subjective items, lawyers will usually look into the value that New York State courts have recently placed upon similar injuries. Making such comparisons, however, requires consideration of several variables such as the age of the injured person and how long they will have to live with the injury, prior health and the likelihood of future recovery.
Insurance companies will often try to get injured individuals to accept a settlement that may look enticing, but is actually much less than the full value of the injury. If you have a personal injury matter, live in the Buffalo area and are not sure how to proceed, please feel free to contact my office at 716-542-5444. We would be happy to help you.
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