How much should I settle for in a personal injury case?
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How much should I settle for in a personal injury case?
I was in a car accident about 7 months ago. I suffered a back injury which resulted in spine surgery. The motorist who hit me was uninsured so I have dealt only with my insurance company. I have been paid for lost wages and they have covered my medical bills. Now they are asking if I’m ready to settle for the pain and suffering. I have no idea what is fair in this situation and don’t want to get taken advantage of. I am still not totally healed and it could be over a year before I am feeling closer to normal and may never be totally normal again.
Asked on November 16, 2013 under Personal Injury, Oregon
Answers:
Anne Brady / Law Office of Anne Brady
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
A rule of thumb is that you take the medical bills plus lost wages and add them together and multiply that times 2-3 to get the total award, including pain and suffering. If you know what your medical bills were, since you may have a permanent injury, I would add that to lost wages, multiply by three, subtract what they have already paid, and that is your figure for pain and suffering. If they try to low ball you much below that, contact a personal injury attorney.
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