How Much Is My Car Accident Case Worth in Charlotte?

When we meet with new clients, one of the first questions they ask us is how much their car accident case is worth. It is difficult to estimate the exact value of your case. However, our attorneys have extensive experience in personal injury lawsuits, and we can help you create an estimate of what your case will likely be worth. Many different factors go into how much compensation you can recover. We work with a network of professionals who help us determine all of the costs you may incur in the future due to your car accident injuries. We will also help you value intangible damages like emotional distress.

In North Carolina, courts award compensatory damages to successful plaintiffs. There are two types of compensatory damages — special damages and general damages. Special damages are the easiest to assign a number to because these expenses are typically well-documented. Our personal injury lawyers can help you gather the information you need to prove all of the special damages resulting from your car accident injury. Special damages include the following types of damages.

In many car accident cases, medical costs take up a large percentage of the damage award. When a car accident victim is catastrophically injured, their medical bills often exceed $1 million over their lifetime. You can provide evidence of your medical costs through billing statements and receipts. Medical costs include the emergency ambulance ride to the hospital, surgical costs, doctor's visits, and pharmaceutical costs.

You can also include laboratory testing and Rehabilitation costs, such as physical therapy, in your medical costs. If you need to buy durable medical equipment, such as a wheelchair, you can include that expense. Similarly, if you had to alter your home or car to help you with your mobility, you can include these costs.

Many of our clients are unable to work while they recover from their serious car accident injuries. Most people are aware that they can request the loss of their salary or hourly wages. In addition to requesting compensation for your lost income, you can also request damages for work-related benefits you lost, such as your health insurance. You can prove your lost income through tax returns and pay stubs from when you were able to work. If your injury is severe enough to prevent you from working in the future, in that case, you can also request compensation for the loss of future wages.

As a personal injury plaintiff, you can request compensation for your property’s total fair market value when it was damaged. For example, if you had to pay a cost to repair your vehicle, you can request compensation. You can also request compensation for any personal property that became damaged in the car accident, such as laptops or cell phones.

Out-of-pocket expenses are those costs that have not been mentioned above but are directly related to your injuries. You can discuss which type of out-of-pocket expenses may be available with your lawyer.

General damages are more difficult to calculate than special damages. The exact value of your general damages can become a matter of the jury's opinion. For example, the insurance company may claim that the value of your general damages is lower than you and your lawyer think it is. General damages include compensation for the pain and suffering you have endured from your car accident injuries.

The more pain you have had to endure during your treatment and surgeries, and the more compensation you should receive. In most cases, permanent and long-term physical injuries typically result in the highest amounts of compensation.

You can include sleeplessness, depression, and lack of family engagement in your requests for compensation for your pain and suffering. If you lose the ability to engage in sexual intimacy with your partner because of your injuries, in that case, you can also request compensation for loss of consortium. Finally, you can request compensation for emotional distress.

An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you calculate all of the types of damages mentioned above to value your car accident lawsuit properly. If you or your loved one has been injured in a Charlotte car accident, the experienced lawyers at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, are here to help. Contact us today to schedule your free initial consultation.