Personal injury cases are nothing to brush off your shoulder. These are serious cases because they involve you being injured or someone else you love being injured because of the negligence and careless of someone else. That’s nothing to toy with.
That’s why it’s crucial that you understand just what factors affect the verdict of your personal injury case. Because you really want the most compensation possible to make up for the mental and physical pain and suffering you’ve been through because of the defendant. While you’re looking for a San Diego Personal Injury Attorney, keep reading here to learn more about this whole process.
- The Injury or Injuries You Have
Obviously, this is the first item on the list because it’s the most important factor when it comes to determining how much compensation you’ll receive for your accident. Basically, the more significant your personal injury is, the larger your potential compensation will be.
And this makes sense, right? For more serious injuries like a broken leg or brain damage, you’re looking at higher medical costs and more pain/suffering than with a more minor injury. So be sure to keep this in mind when taking your first steps in a personal injury case.
- Pre-Existing Injuries
You will often be faced with insurance companies that want to pay out less because of pre-existing injuries that they argue were there before the accident and therefore, helped to intensify the injury. Basically, if you hadn’t had the pre-existing condition, you would not have faced such an intense injury.
However, this can be worked around by proving that the accident itself made the injury worse. It wouldn’t have gotten that way on its own, so the defendant would be at fault for making it so much worse.
- The Location of the Accident
So, this is where the location of the accident comes into play. If you were injured in a more liberal area of the United States, you will probably be looking at a higher compensation, in general, for your accident. However, if you find yourself injured in a more conservative area, you might find yourself with less compensation in the end.
- Your “Likeability”
This all has to do with personality. Have you ever thought about how much your “likeability” affects the decision of the jury? This basically means that if you’re a more likeable person (i.e. more easy going, friendly, and overall outgoing), you are more likely to be awarded a larger settlement than someone who is less likeable.
Generally, this isn’t the way a trial is supposed to work, but this factor definitely can influence your jury’s decision. So, ensure that you’re properly prepared on the court date so you can appear put-together and friendly in front of the jury. Even if the jury won’t be swayed by this, it’s better to do all you can to get the most compensation for your injury or injuries.
- Your Lawyer
You will want to have a lawyer who specialized in personal injury law if you want to have a large settlement coming your way. There are tons of lawyers out there who specialize in the general law field. However, if you get a lawyer who doesn’t know all of the ins and outs of personal injury law, you’re better off going in there by yourself.
Also, ensure that you get a personal injury lawyer who has tons of experience in the field and positive reviews from past clients. This is crucial if you want to get a positive verdict from the jury.
Personal injury cases are some of the most personal and complicated cases out there. That’s why you should make sure you’re properly educated before you go into one.