Video Transcription
I wanted to talk today a little bit about case values. You wouldn’t have any reason to know this but one of the factors that contributes to actually how the case resolve, and whether it can actually be resolved, is the defendant’s insurance company. There are certain companies which I don’t want to get sued for defamation, which I won’t name of this tape. If you’re struck by one of those insurance companies, that they may lowball your offer, and they may force you to go to trial. You could have the same facts and circumstances in the same exact injuries.
If it’s a different insurance company, then probably the case is going to get settled up fairly quickly. As far as other factors that come into play as to what the value is on your case, it depends on, number one, whether your doctor’s willing to come to court to testify that the injuries were in fact caused by the car accident itself. It could depend on whether or not you sought treatment fairly soon after the accident. It could depend on whether you already had been injured before in a previous car wreck or some other way that you’re injured as to other. You’re going to get compensated fully or what you think should be the full compensation for your injuries.
Another factor that could come into play would simply be the fact that, believe it or not, sometimes we have to file lawsuits and client’s deposition has to be taken. If you don’t present well as a client and the defense lawyer doesn’t really like you and you don’t have what we call jury appeal, that case is going to be valued a lot less than if somebody comes across as being upright, frank, answering the questions truthfully, not trying to beat the system.
There’s a multitude of factors including actually where we would have to file the case. There’s a big difference between having to file the case in Fulton County, or Dekalb County versus Polk County, which about an hour or so from metropolitan Atlanta here. In those rural counties, the jurors just have a tendency not toward a lot of money to people. They think they you’re lucky to be alive and people shouldn’t be filing lawsuits and everything like that.
In those counties, the real requirement for us to file lawsuit all their time is a lot of times a broken bone or scar, some more significant injury so that they can understand. Even with those types of injuries, the jurors have a tendency to be so conservative that they will basically rationalize in their mind that, “Well, yes, they broke their leg or whatever but they’re lucky to have a leg,” that type of mentality. There’s just different factors that depend on where we should file, when we can file, and those are all factors that really significantly impact the value of your case.
If you have any questions about case value, give me a call and we can do a little research. I’ll happy to talk to you. My number is 770-792-1000.
