According to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), more than 65,000 people were injured or killed in Los Angeles County car accidents in 2020. Our Los Angeles auto accident attorneys know that damages can lead to racked-up medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering damages. If you have suffered serious injuries and damages in an auto accident in California, we understand you want to know how much your potential case is worth to recover compensation for these damages.
However, using an auto accident settlement calculator you find online will not give you an accurate number. Below, we discuss weaknesses in online claim calculators and factors that influence your case's worth.
What to Know About an Auto Accident Settlement Calculator
There are a lot of online car accident claim calculators online. While they are different, they generally include compiling your economic damages or monetary losses. The calculator will likely ask you for information about the following:
- Medical bills related to the accident
- Estimated future medical expenses for ongoing medical treatment
- Costs to repair your SUV's, vehicles, and other property
- Lost income from being unable to work due to your injuries
- Estimated future lost earnings
Once you provide the calculator with monetary responses to its questions, it will provide you with an estimated case value.
Can I Use an Injury Settlement Calculator to Get the Value of My Case?
If you search online for "personal injury settlement calculator" or "car accident settlement calculator," you will get many search results for websites claiming they can tell you exactly how much your accident claim is worth. While these calculators may be free and easy to use, they are inaccurate. If you were to try multiple online calculators to get your case's estimated worth, you would notice various results.
Our Los Angeles car accident lawyers urge you not to rely on a settlement calculator to value your claim. Why? Because these calculators do not consider your unique situation, you will likely have an estimate that seriously underestimates your damages.
What Are Some of the Problems With Online Personal Injury Settlement Calculators?
Our Los Angeles car accident lawyers cannot emphasize enough that every auto accident case is different. So many factors affect how much you can recover in financial compensation for your auto accident.
For example, accident liability, the extent of your damages, and available insurance coverage are just a few unique factors that will affect your claim's worth. Online calculators do not understand all the circumstances surrounding your case.
Here are a few other reasons why you should use online claim calculators:
- They do not account for all damages. While some online calculators are more advanced than others, these calculators generally only account for economic damages or quantifiable losses, such as medical bills and recovering lost wages. Most of these calculators do not handle nonmonetary losses, which accident victims usually suffer due to their injuries. In rare situations, punitive damages may also apply to an accident case.
- Every calculator is different. There is no standard formula for calculating the worth of an auto accident claim. All the calculators you find online use different variables and algorithms to provide you with an estimate. The math may not even be correct because there is likely no oversight on these calculators.
- They carry no weight for your claim. These calculators do not have any legal authority when you file a claim with the insurance company. The insurance company will not use it when assessing your claim.
If the insurance company offers you a settlement value based on the evaluation of a personal injury calculator or a pain and suffering calculator, we do not recommend taking it. Discuss your unique situation with an experienced auto accident lawyer first and let them review the offer by the insurance company.
Your attorney will ensure you do not agree to an unfair settlement that may not cover the long-term expenses you may have resulting from the accident. Instead, your attorney will perform a thorough financial and legal analysis to determine how much your claim is worth.
What If the Calculator Is on a Personal Injury Law Firm's Website?
You may wonder if you can trust an online calculator that is on the website of a personal injury law firm. Our answer is no. Unfortunately, a personal injury law firm may put a claim calculator on its website as a marketing tactic to get more clients. However, we would not trust working with a lawyer who uses one to evaluate your claim.
An online calculator sets false and unrealistic expectations, and you will likely hear a different story from the lawyer who uses one when filing your claim. A quality personal injury lawyer will consider all the factors influencing your case's worth, ensuring you seek maximum compensation for your damages.
What Factors Affect the Value of an Accident Claim?
As experienced car accident lawyers, we always get this question: "How much is my case worth?" It is a complicated question to answer because every accident case is different. An attorney must review your case in its entirety to give you an accurate estimate of how much you may be able to recover in financial compensation.
Your accident case has unique factors that will affect your claim's worth. While many factors can influence your claim, we will discuss a few common aspects below.
Accident Liability
Who is responsible for your damages? To have a successful accident claim, you must be able to prove that another person or entity is liable. Even if you suffer traumatic injuries in an accident, you do not have a case if you cannot establish fault.
Additionally, California is a comparative fault state. Under comparative fault, the parties of an accident can share responsibility for it occurring and its resulting damages.
For example, suppose your actions contributed to the accident, such as speeding or failing to yield. In that case, you could be found partially responsible for the accident. While this would not stop you from pursuing a personal injury claim, it may hurt your claim and reduce the compensation you can recover.
Insurance Coverage
Another factor that impacts your case but 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888an online calculator does not consider is available insurance coverage. You may only be able to recover as much compensation that is available in insurance coverage from the at-fault party.
For example, you may recover more compensation if you get in a commercial truck accident than in a passenger vehicle accident. Why? Because the at-fault driver in a commercial truck may have a significant commercial auto insurance policy against which you can claim. On the other hand, a passenger vehicle motorist may only carry California's minimum liability insurance requirements, which is $15,000 for injuries to one person.
Sometimes, you may get in an accident with an uninsured driver. If this is the case, you may have to make a claim against your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage to obtain compensation for your damages.
Extent of Damages
The extent of your damages and the severity of your injuries will also affect how much your claim is worth. While online calculators may ask for the price of your medical bills and estimated future medical expenses, the extent of your damages goes beyond medical bills. Calculators cannot consider how your injuries impact you and may continue to affect you in the future.
For example, every accident victim's injuries are unique. Even if two people have spinal cord injuries, one person's injuries may heal faster. At the same time, another may require ongoing medical treatment. Additionally, some injuries result in permanent disabilities or impairments, significantly affecting every person's life. Someone who suffers from lifelong injuries will have a higher claim value than someone who has temporary injuries.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Los Angeles Auto Accident Attorneys
After a serious accident in Southern California, we recommend contacting our firm's experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyers. Recovering fair compensation for your damages starts with knowing how much your case is worth.
The Law Offices of Steers & Associates has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our clients in settlements and awards. Just check out our case results. If we form an attorney-client relationship, you can also count on us to fight for your right to compensation.
Our team is available for consultation by phone, video conferencing, or in-person visits. During a free consultation, we can review your personal injury case and help you understand your best legal options. Call our office at (800) 824-5416 or submit our online contact form, and we will be in touch with you soon to schedule a consultation. We also have offices conveniently across Southern California, including Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, Lancaster, and Long Beach.
