Clients often come to me with questions about neck injuries, which are the most common injury I see resulting from motor vehicle accidents. Unfortunately, people are often misled about how much they can expect from a neck injury settlement. There are a wide variety of factors that influence what sort of payment you can expect to receive. One thing is critical to know—you will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation from a neck injury. Barrett Law has the experience to help you through this process. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.
What Factors Affect the Amount of a Neck Injury Claim?
Obviously, we all have tweaked our neck a bit from time to time after a night on a lumpy hotel bed. Compare that injury with a severed spinal cord and you will immediately see that there is a wide spectrum of “neck injuries.” The severity of the neck injury is the primary factor in determining the amount that you will be compensated for an accident—the more severe the injury, the greater the compensation. The severity of the injury also takes into account the amount of pain endured, the activities inhibited, whether a job was lost, and medical costs incurred. But even if an injury is severe, it does not mean that the injured party will be compensated. How can that be? Four factors come into play to affect recovery.
First, the person who injured you must have been negligent. If you were at fault for your injury, or even partially at fault, your compensation will be reduced proportionally. For example, if you were injured in a car accident, but were looking at your phone at the time, it is unlikely that you will recover full compensation for your injury, as you were partially at fault.
Second, you must be injured by someone with insurance to cover your claim. Even if the person who injured you was entirely at fault, if they no insurance, you will recover nothing. Even if they have insurance, your recovery will often be capped by their liability coverage caps.
Third, along the same lines as the above, if you are injured by a corporate entity, such as a driver for a national corporation, you are far more likely to recover money than from an individual of limited means.
Fourth, your attorney must be experienced enough to understand the value of your neck injury. Even if you have a good claim, an inexperienced attorney can make mistakes that cost you dearly. For example, inexperienced attorneys often take initial offers in neck injury cases, because they want a quick return on their work. However, you may have long-lasting or late-emerging side effects of your injury. You deserve compensation for those injuries, but they may go uncompensated for if your attorney urges you to take the initial offer from an experienced defense counsel or insurance company.
What Should You Do If You Suffered a Neck Injury?
If you have a neck injury, focus on yourself and on healing. Let experienced counsel take care of preserving medical records, attaining expert diagnoses, and dealing with insurance companies. These are important tasks that a personal injury attorney can handle for you.
Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you have suffered a neck injury.
Barrett Law has the experience to take on defense attorneys and insurance companies that are focussed on denying your compensation for the neck injury you experienced. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.
