How Much Is My Case Worth? | Workers’ Compensation Attorney Florida Explains

Summary

Determining the value of a workers’ compensation case depends heavily on specific variables regarding the injury and income. Cases involving injuries that require expensive medical procedures, such as back surgery, are generally worth more than those involving less costly treatments. Furthermore, a claimant’s wages play a crucial role: those with higher weekly earnings force the insurance company to pay more over the recovery period, thereby increasing the case’s value.

To accurately assess a case’s worth, an attorney must review medical records, lost wages, and the estimated duration of treatment. After analysing this data, the attorney and client collaborate to calculate the maximum potential recovery and submit a demand. The process then moves to negotiation, where the goal is to secure the highest possible amount without accepting unfair or initial offers.

FAQs

Q: What factors determine how much a case is worth?

A: The value of a case depends on several factors, specifically the type of injury you have and what your wages are.

Q: How does the type of injury affect the case value?

A: If you have an injury that requires expensive treatment, such as a back injury that requires surgery, the case will likely be worth more than one that requires a cheaper procedure, such as a hand injury.

Q: Why do higher wages increase the value of a case?

A: The higher your wages, the more money the workers’ compensation insurance company must pay while you recover from surgery or treatment. For example, a person earning $2,000 a week will have a case worth more than someone earning $300 a week because the insurance company has to pay more wages over a long period of time.

Q: What information does the attorney need to value a case?

A: To answer the question “how much is my case worth,” the attorney needs to review medical records, assess lost wages, and determine how long treatment will be required.

Q: What happens after the necessary information is gathered?

A: Once the attorney has the medical records and wage information, they sit down with the client to review the numbers and determine the maximum amount they can recover. They then make a demand for as much money as possible and begin negotiating.

Q: Do I have to accept the first offer?

A: No, you do not have to accept the first offer, nor do you have to take an offer that is considered unfair.

Transcription of the Video

“The most common question I get is how much is my case worth and that all depends on a number of factors it depends on what type of injury you have if you have a back injury that needs back surgery that’s going to be very expensive for the insurance company to pay for it your case will probably be worth a lot more than let’s say somebody who has a hand injury that needs a surgery that only costs a fraction of the price of the back surgery however it also depends on what your wages are so the higher your wages the more money the workers comp insurance company’s going to have to pay you while you recover from a surgery or from treatment the longer your case is going to take the more money they’re going to spend and if they’re going to spend more money per week or every two weeks because you have much higher wages then let’s say for example you get paid $2,000 a week versus someone who gets paid $300 a week the person who’s getting $1,000 or $2,000 a week their case is going to be worth more money because the insurance company’s going to have to pay more wages over a long period of time so when we when somebody asks me ‘How much is my case worth?’ I have to get a lot more information i need to see your medical records see your lost wages figure out how long do you think you’re going to need treatment for then once we have all that information we sit down with our clients go over all the numbers figure out what we think is the most money that we can get and then make a demand and ask for as much money as possible. Then we’ll start negotiating, and hopefully we’ll get the most money possible for our clients. We can always, uh, we don’t have to accept the first offer; we certainly don’t have to accept an offer we don’t think is fair. We’ll have those conversations as the case goes on to make sure that our clients get the most money for their cases”.