When it comes to calculating the value of an injury claim, you can only get a good estimate if you share plenty of information about your injuries and your accident. Without information relating to liability and injury type, nobody – not even a highly qualified solicitor, or a trained claims advisor – will be able to give you a good estimate for your injury.
Claims Calculators
It is for this reason that injury claim calculators have become as popular as they are. Claim calculators take very basic information about your case, and then throw back an estimate to you which is accurate. For example, the calculator at Accident Advice Helpline asks you; when you were injured, whether the accident was your fault, whether you received medical attention and where you were injured. With just that information, it then provides a claim value.
Personal injury claims calculators are a great way to get a quick and easy estimated pay-out for your injuries. However, such calculators do have some limitations:
The Limitations of a Claims Calculator
Of course, claim calculators are not 100 per cent accurate. For instance, they do not consider the extent of your injuries, nor do they consider how your injuries have and will affect your life. For this reason, it is also worth discussing your case with a solicitor or claims advisor. A claims advisor will ask you more questions than a calculator and provide an estimate based on this, while a solicitor will be able to refer to past cases they have worked on, and provide an even more accurate estimate based on this.
As such, it is recommended that in addition to using a claims calculator, you seek out good claims advice and speak with a trainer claims advisor or a solicitor.
How Compensation is Calculated
Compensation is calculated based on two key things:
- The extent of your injuries, and;
- How your injuries have and will affect your life.
In addition to these, the following things will also be considered:
- The acceleration of any pre-existing medical conditions;
- Your estimated recovery period;
- Your prognosis for the future, as determined by a doctor.
The worse your injuries are, and the longer your recovery period is, then the more financial compensation you can realistically claim. However, it is important to consider that the settlement demand put forward to the other side must be fair and proportionate to the extent of your injuries, and the other factors described above. If the settlement demand is not fair and proportionate, then the other side could contest the claim value, which will set back your claim by several weeks at least.