You have been involved in an accident, missed work and experienced a painful injury, but you do not need extensive treatment and suffer little to no permanent harm physically. With these factors comes a common question: How serious does my accident need to be in order to justify filing a personal injury lawsuit?
 
It is important to realize that there are number of factors that come into play when deciding whether or not to pursue a personal injury claim. One of the most important aspects that must be taken into consideration is what your potential damages may be. One article states that, “In personal injury cases the defendant is accused of responsibility for the accident and the resulting injuries, however, it is the defendant’s insurance company that provides the legal defense and pays out the settlement or jury verdict up to the policy limit.” Therefore, the question still remains: what damages have you suffered as a result of the accident?
 
An attorney from the Crowson Law Group stated; “When determining if your personal injury case is valid the issue of damages is important. Damages is referred to money for a breach of some duty or violation of some right that is imposed by the law. In Alaska compensatory damages are intended to compensate the injured individual for any loss or injury they have suffered. So in a scenario like the one outlined above where an individual has suffered no permanent harm physically, has missed a few days from work and has experienced a painful injury; this warrants a personal injury claim. However, the extent of the claim is determined by the extent of the injuries and damages sustained.”

There are some general guidelines used by insurance companies in order to come up with a rough estimate of what your claim is worth. Generally, insurance will pay a plaintiff or claimant for medical bills and related expenses that were incurred as a result of the injuries caused by the accident, as well as any future medical bills and related expenses that may be incurred, any income loss as a result of the accident due to time taken away from the workplace while recovering or getting medical treatment and rehabilitation, any resulting physical disabilities, scarring or disfigurement that are expected to be permanent, loss of family, social and educational opportunities due to medical treatment and emotional harm, stress, depression, humiliation and any negative impact on family and personal relationships sustained. In addition, any cost for repairing or replacing damaged property. In order to determine how much an individual is to be paid for pain and suffering the insurance company has a special formula that guides the amount to be paid for pain, suffering and other non-monetary losses.
 
One article notes that “lawyers and law firms have different approaches when it comes to cases they may or may not take. If they are very specialized they work only on cases worth hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. Most do not need that level of damages to get involved, but it can vary widely. A less experienced attorney, or a law firm with a less experienced attorney, may take a less valuable case.” However, it must be noted that the amount of damages themselves may not be the only issue. To learn more about your personal injury claim contact Anchorage Attorneys who handle only personal injury matters.

About the company:

Crowson Law Group is a law firm of renowned professionals who focus exclusively in personal injury matters. If you are looking for a law firm that is ranked as one of the best Anchorage law firms for handling personal injury, be sure to include Crowson Law Group on your list.