After suffering an accident, it's natural to want to figure out how much the damages you sustained are worth. While some, like hospital bills or vehicle repair bills, are relatively easy to calculate, others are more complex, such as pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. That's where online injury settlement calculators come in.
But just how useful are these tools? The unfortunate truth is that injury settlement calculators aren't reliable and should generally be avoided. Let's dive into how they work and what they miss.
How Do Settlement Calculators Work?
Settlement calculators work by having you input your economic damages, which typically include current and future medical expenses, current and future lost income, and property damage, which are then added together. In many cases, calculators will also attempt to estimate your non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, by multiplying your damages by a factor of 1.5 to 5. The result of these basic mathematics is a supposedly accurate estimate of your total settlement.
Why You Shouldn't Rely on Injury Settlement Calculators
The convenience of settlement calculators may be appealing, but injury victims should be wary of their results for several reasons. As mentioned, these calculators rely on basic mathematics and the information you are able to provide them, and this often proves problematic because of:
- Ambiguity over future expenses: Your future medical expenses and lost wages can be difficult to determine because they depend on your individual treatment plan and recovery time. These can differ from person to person, even for those suffering from the same type of injury.
- Negligence laws: States have different negligence laws, which may reduce your settlement amount, or even bar you from receiving compensation, based on how much you were at fault for the accident.
- Subjectivity of non-economic damages: Non-economic damages, such as the injury's effect on your mental health, are generally subjective and difficult to measure. A calculator cannot account for how an insurer or jury might assess these factors.
Injury settlement calculators can often give false expectations of how large your accident compensation will be. On the flip side, they can also undervalue your claim and make it seem like it isn't worth pursuing compensation. Either way, settlement calculators have a net negative effect, and their accuracy should not be trusted.
Is an Attorney More Accurate Than a Personal Injury Settlement Calculator?
Working with a personal injury attorney can give you a far more accurate estimate for your settlement than any calculator you can find online. An attorney serves as your personal advocate, working to ensure the full extent of your damages is accounted for and taking into consideration the legal complexities that may influence your settlement. Furthermore, an attorney can take the next step of negotiating on your behalf with the insurance companies, fighting to secure the maximum possible compensation. Simply put, attorneys bring expertise and attention to detail to your case that calculators do not.
Find the Right Personal Injury Lawyer for Your Case
There is much more that goes into calculating damages than just adding up all the bills and receipts. While online injury settlement calculators can sometimes be useful for getting a rough estimate of what your potential settlement could be, you should always take their results with a grain of salt.
Searching for a personal injury attorney can feel daunting, but it's well worth the effort in order to accurately value your claim and improve your chances of securing a settlement. There are many online databases and other resources to help you find attorneys near you, as well as read about their case results and reviews. When you think you have a match, schedule an initial consultation. Most attorneys offer free consultations, which means that having a quick discussion with them is risk-free.
