Is There a Formula to Determine an Accident Settlement?
Learn More About Your Claim's Potential Money Damages
Miller & Zois Personal Injury Verdicts & Settlements
- $8,000,000 Car Accident Verdict
- $2,500,000 Malpractice Verdict
- $2,500,000 Malpractice Settlement
- $2,100,000 Product Defect Settlement
- $1,300,000 Truck Accident Settlement
- $1,200,000 Truck Accident Settlement
- $1,100,000 Truck Accident Settlement
- $1,100,000 Malpractice Verdict
- $1,000,050 Truck Accident Verdict
- $1,000,000 Car Accident Settlement
- $1,000,000 Truck Accident Settlement
Talk to a Lawyer at 800-553-8082 or Get an On-Line Consultation
It may be that the appropriate amount for settlement is some multiple of the special damages, but that is a mere coincidence. An accident settlement that works is because it is fair based on what you went through from the accident - your pain, your suffering, your bills - not because it is the result of some pre-ordained mathematical formula. In some accidents, three times medical bills and lost wages (called together "specials") is an awful settlement; in others, it is fantastic. This fact helps people who are really injured and have suffered an hurts those who have weaker claims.
If you have a personal injury claim in Maryland, let us tell you what our law firm does: we fight. Our record of success demonstrates this. We handle only serious injury cases. If you want to discuss your claim with us, call 800-553-8082 or you can get free on-line consultation. Regrettably, we can only take serious injury or wrongful death claims.
Why Settlement Formula Talk Actually Decreases the Value of Your Case
Attorneys trying to get the best compensation possible for their cients need to avoid the temptation to engage in the slippery slope of talking to insurance adjusters in "___ times specials" terms. Why? Because there is no formula in personal injury cases to calculate settlement value. An accident case is worth what a judge or jury would give the Plaintiff and there are about 10 variables far more important to this calculus than any settlement calculator or formula
Insurance adjusters deal with a lot of lawyers, some who know exactly what they are doing and others who do not have a clue how to properly position an accident case to maximize the value of that case. When attorneys use formula talk, they are telegraphing to the claims adjuster that you are looking at your client as simply a number that is a part of a formula, not a person. Accident lawyers that talk in "times specials" math are not the same lawyers that read and evaluate the medical records... or try accident cases in Maryland.
Sure, in very small whiplash injury type cases, a formula will be correct in many of these claims. Still, even in those small soft tissue cases, accident lawyers tossing around formulas will send a loud message to the adjuster that will forever mark the lawyer as an inexperienced advocate who is not able to fight the fight their clients need. This makes for a smaller settlement offer in this case and the next one.
Settlement Formulas in Disguise
One thing insurance companies - thinking particularly of Nationwide and State Farm - have been doing of late is pitching offers in terms of how much more they are paying than the medical bills and lost wages. Someone smart came up with this because it is like calling something $9.99 instead of $10.00. It just sounds more palatable to say, "We are offering $50,000 more than the special damages" than saying "this offer is 1.8 times the medical bills plus lost wages." But, really, it is the same thing as a compensation formula.
Is There a Way to Figure Out the Value of My Case?
More Settlement Information
You are not going to find the exact value of your case on-line. But we do have resources that explain how cases are valued and the average settlement values for different types of personal injury cases and different types of injuries. But use this information carefully. There are a lot of variables at play and there may be reasons why you case is worth much more - or much less - than these statistics suggest. The take home message is clear: average settlement value data is great but it will not calcuate your settlement for you and does not take the place of professional analysis of your case.
Finding a Lawyer for Your Serious Injury Case
Our attorneys look at cases on the merits of each case. We handle only serious injury claims for a relatively small number of clients who really need our help. If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury or wrongful deathas the result of the negligence of someone else, we would be glad to talk to you about your case to see if we believe we can add real value to your claim. Call our lawyers at 800-553-8082 or get a free Internet consultation.
Sample Demand Letters
- Sample Demand Letter #1 (example of a demand letter)
- Sample Demand Letter #2 (another sample demand letter with links to even more)
Values of Specific Injuries
Note: We provide sample verdict data on this page and a listing of some of our personal injury settlements These do not reflect the value of your case or any individual case. To really get a better idea of the value of YOUR claim, you need to speak with a lawyer who can addresses all of the relevant facts in your case.
Foot, Ankle and Leg
- Ankle Fracture Settlements and Verdicts in Maryland (median value between $21,000 and $88,000)
- Foot Injury Verdicts Nationally (average award is $703,703)
- Foot Injury Verdicts Nationally #2 (including amputated toe cases)
- Fracture and Broken Leg Verdicts (median and average verdicts)
- Amputated Toe Cases (national verdict data)
- Knee Injury Verdicts (median and average verdict data on knee injury cases)
Wrongful Death
- Average Wrongful Death Verdict in United States (average verdict for men and women)
- Wrongful Death Settlements and Verdicts in Maryland (wrongful death values)
- Wrongful Death Verdict Values for Women (average and median wrongful death values for women)
- Wrongful Death Settlement Verdict Values for Elderly (data from Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia for victims over 64 years-old)
- Wrongful Death Jury Awards for Minors (data showing disparity between female and male wrongful death verdict in children)
Herniated Disc and Other Back and Neck Injuries
- Average Disc Injury Verdicts
- Value of Herniated Disc Cases (Maryland, Washington D.C. and Virginia)
- Vertebrae Fractures (case values)
- Fractured Back (median verdict and settlement values in Maryland)
Rotator Cuff/Shoulder Injuries
- Rotator Cuff Settlements and Verdicts in Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. (median values)
- Fractured Shoulder Verdicts and Settlements in Maryland (median values)
- Rotator Cuff Settlement and Verdicts (national verdict data underscores the rise in value of rotator cuff cases)
Medical Malpractice/Nursing Home
- Average Medical Malpractice Verdicts (by type of injury)
- Nursing Home Lawsuits (verdicts in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.)
- Cancer Misdiagnosis Verdicts (average verdicts in misdiagnosis of cancer cases)
More Injuries
- Burn Injuries (average by type of burn injury)
- Loss of an Eye (verdicts and settlements in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.)
- Vision Loss Cases (value of vision loss cases without specificity as to the type of vision loss)
- Facial Scarring (average value)
- Chest and Breast (average value)
- Fractured Hip (Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia)
- Wrist Fractures (settlements and verdicts in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia)
- Finger and Hand Verdicts (average and median)
- Ear Injuries (national data)
Value of Personal Injury Settlements Generally or by Type of Case
Motor Vehicle Accidents
- Valuing Truck Accident Cases (data on truck accident settlement and verdicts)
- Valuing Truck Accident Cases Part II (more on settlement and verdicts)
- Valuing Truck Accident Cases Part III (rear end truck accidents)
- Value of Motor Vehicle Accident Cases in Maryland and Throughout the Country (average care accident settlements)
- Comparison of Verdicts Throughout the United States (jurisdictional comparisons)
- Head on Collisions (verdicts for head on motorcycle, truck, and car accident cases)
- Bike and Motorcycle Accidents (mean and median values)
Other Cases
- Product Liability Verdicts (median value of products cases by type of product)
- Value of Medical Malpractice Cases in Maryland and Throughout the Country
- Premises Liability (Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia)
- Legal Malpractice (verdicts and settlements in Maryland, Washington, D.C, and Virginia)
Specific States
- Maryland
- New York State (average personal injury jury verdicts)
- California (average personal injury jury verdicts
- Texas (average personal injury jury verdicts)
- Michigan (average personal injury jury verdicts)
- New Hampshire (average jury verdicts)
- Tennessee (average jury verdicts)
- Kansas City (average jury verdicts in Missouri side of Kansas City)
- Connecticut (average jury verdicts)
- Delaware (ranked most anti-consumer state in the country)
- Idaho (average jury verdicts)
- Oklahoma (medical malpractice jury verdicts)
- North Carolina (average jury verdicts)
- Minnesota (average jury verdicts)
- Louisiana (average jury verdicts)
- Minnesota (average jury verdicts)
Related Articles
- What is the Value of My Personal Injury Case? (how personal injury claims are valued)
- Handling Your Accident Claim Without a Lawyer (tips on proceeding without a lawyer)
- Settlement of Personal Injury Accident Claims (more information on the settlement of personal injury cases)
- Personal Injury Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (extensive personal injury victim FAQ's)
- Personal Injury Victim Help Center (information for accident victims)
- Maryland Cap on Non-Economic (Pain and Suffering) Damages
- Impact of Race and Poverty on Jury Awards (do race and poverty impact awards?)
- Valuing Cases in Virginia (general info on Virginia injury case results)
- Valuing Cases in Washington D.C. (general info on Washington D.C. case results)
- Handling Your Own Case: It is a bad idea to handle your handle you own car accident case. It really is. What? You won't listen? Okay, here is some advice to limit the extent to which you screw it up.
Our lawyers handle personal injury vehicle accident, malpractice and product liability claims throughout the country. If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury or death as the result of the negligence of someone else, call our lawyers at 800-553-8082 or click here for a free Internet consultation.