How to value a Auto Accident Case in Washington State

Clients often ask us how to value personal injury cases, and the honest answer is that no cases are truly the same. That said, there are some parameters we consider in valuing claims for our clients. 

In personal injury cases, if an insurance adjuster is using a damages formula to value your claim (which is almost always the case), it's usually based on a multiplier of between one-and-a-half to five times medical costs. This is how the adjuster typically arrives at a base negotiating figure -- not including lost income. However, in some cases, certain factors line up so overwhelmingly  that the top multiplier of five is simply not high enough. In those claims, the multiplier might move up to six, seven, or even as high as ten times special damages (ie. medical and lost income). 

Here are some factors That Justify a High Personal Injury Multiplier

In order to realistically consider a multiplier of more than five, you must have had a serious injury, and most, if not all, of the following factors must be present:

• 1) the other party’s fault/ liability for an accident must be obvious and almost total
• 2) injuries must be unquestionably observed or detected by medical examination
• 3) injuries must be patently painful and dramatic -- a fracture, or a wound, tear, or displacement that requires surgical treatment, or that cannot be successfully repaired
• 4) diagnosis and treatment must come primarily from physicians and hospitals
• 5) recovery must be prolonged (six months or more)
• 6) suffering of some permanent issue -- pain, immobility, weakness, discomfort, scarring -- that is medically documented, and
• 7) your physicians must clearly indicate that you will have recurring, degenerative, or future problems as a result of the injuries, even if they have stabilized for the time being.

If most or all of these factors are present in your case, larger multiples may be justified in seeking more than five times your medical costs. 

Unfortunately, the fact that you feel justified in initially seeking such an amount doesn’t mean that you will receive it. Please note that allowing yourself to get carried away with the unjustified hope of a high settlement when the facts of your case don’t support it will only delay an already process. 

For more information on your rights in a personal injury case, please consider contacting a Kirkland Personal Injury Attorney. 

Contact us today at: 

DC Legal, pllc

520 Kirkland Way, Ste 103

Kirkland, WA 98033

T: (425) 889-9300

www.seattledclegal.com