FAQ

There is no formula to determine the value of a personal injury case, but certain factors can affect the amount of compensation you can recover, including the extent of your injuries and the insurance policy limits of the negligent party. An experienced St. Louis personal injury attorney at our firm can evaluate your case and help you better understand the value of your case.

Every personal injury case is different and can take more or less time to settle depending on the severity of your injuries and the complexity of the accident. It can take a few weeks to a few months for your attorney to investigate your accident, compile evidence, and negotiate with the at-fault party. Once a lawsuit has been filed, the case may proceed to mediation in hopes of avoiding a trial, which can take another few weeks or longer.

Most personal injury cases can be satisfactorily resolved without going to trial; both sides are usually motivated to avoid a lengthy court case. However, if a favorable settlement cannot be agreed upon, it may be necessary to take the at-fault party to court.

Economic damages are intended to compensate the injured party for verifiable, non-subjective losses. This includes things like medical bills, missed wages, and property damage. But not all losses can be so easily quantified. This is where non-economic damages come in. Non-economic, or “general” damages, compensate for more subjective, although still very real, losses like pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and emotional trauma. Although rare, there is a third category of damages called punitive damages, which are intended to punish the at-fault party for particularly egregious behavior.