Vehicle Personal Injury Question

The normal amount depends on your injuries. You do not have to accept their offer. You can rest assured it is lower that what you would otherwise get.

Hire an attorney. Most will take a case like this on a contingent fee basis and see to it you are appropriately compensated.

There is no easy answer to questions unfortunately. It is not uncommon for insurance companies to make "low ball" offers. The damages you are entitled to will depend on the severity of your injuries, how they impacted your life, the duration of your symptoms, the type of medical treatment you received (unfortunately most insurance companies do not treat chiropractic care very favorably), your prognosis for the future and other factors. If it has been 18 months since the accident and you are still having symptoms, you should be very careful about settling your claim as this may have lifelong consequences. I would recommend you consult with an experienced personal injury attorney who can give you additional feedback after reviewing the specifics of your case. There is no set formula for calculating damages, but based on experience and some research into similar cases, it is often possible to give you a ballpark of what you should expect. If you wish to have a free initial consultation, feel free to contact my office. Otherwise, I wish you the best of luck and encourage you to seek out an attorney to review your case before you agree to any settlement.

You should hire an attorney. While no attorney can guarantee it, the value of your case is likely to be increased by more than the amount of their contingent fee. A reputable attorney will tell you whether their services are likely to put more money in your pocket than if you try to negotiate a settlement on your own.

There are simply too many variables to know what fair settlement would be. An experienced personal injury lawyer in your area will be able to give you a better sense of that after you've met with them and discussed things like liability, your injuries and the effects that the injuries have had on your life.

Best of luck.

Each case is unique with its facts, parties and injuries. However, with every case, it is difficult to positively equate a particular amount of insurance money to one's personal injury. The injury is personal and money is disposable. However, since money is all you can recover, you need to ensure it is fair and "makes you whole," before signing any insurance release.

In your case, since you are concerned about the future, you should consult your doctors about any permanent injury to your shoulder and/or need for future care. If this additional information from the doctors does not add any further value to your case, then you should consider getting a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer. The lawyer will be able to offer a professional opinion on the value and risks associated with your case. During this conversation, you will also likely learn about filing a lawsuit and the litigation process.

In Washington State, you have three (3) years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. A day later, and you forever lose your right to recovery. Since you are already 18 months post-collision, you should contact a lawyer to learn about your options. Good luck.

This post is for informational purposes only and does not create an attorney-client relationship.