Value of Settlement Reflects Serious Nature of Injury

In order to determine the value of a given claim, the insurance company examines the cost of having the injury diagnosed and treated. Insurance companies categorize certain injuries as serious.

Hard injuries are viewed as serious

• Each such injury is decidedly more serious than a sprain or a strain.
• Each of them can be detected by a medical exam. Sometimes it proves to be an especially intrusive examination.
• Even after it has healed, a hard injury has a permanent effect on the body.

What are some examples of hard injuries?

• Broken bones
• An injury to the head
• Wounds
• Separations and dislocations
• A tear in the cartilage
• Damage to a spinal disk
• Damage to vertebrae

Soft injuries

There are many injuries that include strained back, neck, knee or ligament rupture that involves only muscle injuries or soft tissues. Most of the insurance companies put a lower dollar amount on them as these are considered less serious than hard injuries. They reason that that soft injuries are not long term or permanent despite the high level of pain the accident victim endures. Additionally, the insurance companies now that proving clearly soft tissue injuries in the court is difficult for the injured individual if the claim legally disputed.

Personal injury lawyers know that these types of injuries that includes whiplash, nerve damage and muscle tears can be difficult to prove but that is the reason documenting these injuries is important. This will substantiate the soft injury for an injury claim with the detailed treatment plan and reports. Trying to represent on your own can prove detrimental in getting the entitled compensation and that is why it is a must to appoint a lawyer to represent the injured individual’s rights.

Factors that determine the value of a settlement

In the eyes of the insurance company, the value of settlement increases, if the plaintiff has received the proper treatment, as per Personal Injury Lawyer in Bridgewater. Usually, insurance companies lump together the cost of diagnosis and the cost of treatment. The one exception to that approach comes in cases where the patient received many tests, but did not receive extensive treatment.

Insurance companies use multipliers, when calculating the value of an injury. If the injured victim must undergo physical therapy, the value of the multiplier decreases, in those cases where the therapy has continued for many weeks. Insurers prefer the physical therapist to work with the patient while being observed by a doctor. Patients that want an insurance company to value their time in physical therapy ought to make note of that fact. Thus, it is important to let the injury lawyer handle the details of the claim with the insurance adjuster or the insurance company.

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