i was in a vehicle with a friend and was hit by another car it hurt me in the wreck (but didnt do much to the car) i was thrown into the dash causing whiplash. the ambulance had to take me to the E.R and i was released and has to attend physical therapy for a couple of weeks bc of the knots in my back and all that and i had a total of $3,600 in medical bills. my attorney started working on my case back in january when it happend. the other car was a rental car so he had to sue the rental insurance. im still waiting for my settlement money. the attorney said the insurance place has an offer of $5,000. should this be the appropriate amount or should i be entitled to more? i miss lots of school due to this and lost my credits so i cant graduate with the rest of the class. is this a fair amount?
2006-12-13 08:40:12 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
i had huge knots in my back and they had to put this heat laser thing on there that loosens them up. the doctor told me to go to the physical therapy..my back still hurts all the time from it
2006-12-13 08:54:22 · update #1
I need to know more about your case to determine whether this is a fair offer. What state do you live in? If you live in IL, then the pictures of the car you were in showing no damage may or may not get into evidence (judge's discretion due to the Diconsola and Ferro Cases). If the pictures get into evidence in your state then this will greatly hurt your case at trial.
Also, why is your attorny just suing the rental car. He should also be suing your friend's insurance (assuming he had insurance). Did the other driver have car insurance other than the rental insurance?
Medically speaking, what was your injury diagnosed as? Did you have a fracture of any kind or were there any positive findings on an x-ray or mri?
Did you miss any work at all or were you just a student?
The missed school and not being able to graduate goes towards "loss of a normal life." Did you miss out on any other types of activities or hobbies?
How much pain and suffering did you have?
I can't begin to guess what your caseis worth without knowing the ful picture. The liability may be bad or risky, for whatever reason. You may live in a jurisdiction where the jury sees those pictures.
10 times medical is ludacris! In IL, a good settlement is usually 3 times specials. Specials is all your actual damages added together (medical bills, lost wages, property damage).
2006-12-13 08:54:11 · answer #1 · answered by orzoff 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
dont take a settlement, you should get 10 times the medical cost's. plus lost wage's, and you need to make sure you get an agreement for future medical bills for your back. it may seem fine now, but down the road you will have problems in your back from it again. and also you are intitled to make up costs and time for school. read all contracts and fine print closely. i even had a non-involved lawyer read them for me too. good luck.
2006-12-13 19:55:46 · answer #2 · answered by waljac6108 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sounds reasonable for some knots in the back. litigation will cause your case to drag on for many many months, even years. have your atty make a counter offer if you are wanting more and take what you can get. it doesn't sound like tehre is a whole lot seriously wrong with you.
2006-12-13 17:56:45 · answer #3 · answered by Steph C 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yup, litigation is the always the answer. I wish people would sue more often. Physical therapy for knots in the back? Give me a break.
2006-12-13 16:51:39 · answer #4 · answered by Wurm™ 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You need to talk to your attorney about getting more in your settlement for pain and suffering.
2006-12-13 16:46:19 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
You really need to talk to a lawyer.
2006-12-13 16:42:28 · answer #6 · answered by Erica, AKA Stretch 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋