Indiana Personal Injury Claim: How Much Money Should You Get?

Indiana law makes it very clear: If you are injured through no fault of your own, you have the right to seek compensation. The same laws also hold true for family members who lose a loved one to an accident.

However, less clear to many is how much money they should receive for their personal injury claim.

How much money should I get for my personal injury claim?

Attorney Matt Boulton has been helping Indiana’s injured answer this question for more than 20 years. He regularly figures personal injury claim values for a wide variety of case types, including:

• Car accidents
• Semi-truck accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Dog bites
• Slip and fall injuries
• Negligent security cases
• Nursing home abuse
• Wrongful death

No matter the type of accident or incident, attorney Boulton’s goal is to “make each client whole” for their losses. This means that any recovery of compensation should be equal to an amount that justifies the damages, injuries, and/or other losses you have incurred.

How attorney Boulton arrives at your specific case value will largely depend on your unique personal injury experience. No matter how similar they may seem, no two cases will have the same value.

With that in mind, there are hard costs that can be more easily calculated, such as:

• Hospital bills, all follow-up care, and any related medical or health care.
• The total cost to repair any property damage, specifically for auto-related accidents.
• Verifiable lost wages.

And while these factors are more straightforward, it is still advisable to have an attorney oversee the valuation of your hard costs, as there may be “future medical bills” that should also be included in your case.

In addition to the hard costs of a personal injury claim, the factors that may prove to be the most valuable components of your case are known as “pain and suffering.”

Pain and suffering are calculated on a case-by-case basis and are used to determine how much money you should receive for your individual loss and experience.

For example, accident victims regularly suffer varying degrees of ongoing pain after an accident. Some people may suffer minor soft tissue injuries that heal, while others sustain permanent damage to their back, or lose full use of a limb.

The pain and suffering portions of a personal injury claim for someone who has suffered minor injuries may total a few thousand dollars, whereas someone who suffers permanent loss may be entitled to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Ultimately, attorney Boulton will evaluate your case based on several individual factors. Once he has determined the potential value of your case, he will discuss this with you and explain how he arrived at that figure.

Additionally, Boulton Law Group will NEVER settle your case without your permission. This means that you will be fully informed of your case value BEFORE we make our demand to the insurance company.

How Indiana insurance policies can affect the value of your case

Having handled a large number of auto-related claims, Boulton Law Group is well versed in how car insurance policies can affect the value of a personal injury case.

All Indiana drivers are required by law to carry auto insurance, however, the amount a person carries can vary wildly from driver to driver.

State law says that Hoosiers must carry a minimum of “25/50/25” in coverage. What does this mean? The minimum automobile policy must account for damages that cover:

• $25,000 bodily injury per person
• $50,000 bodily injury per accident
• $25,000 property damage per accident.

Depending on the severity of your injuries, a minimum Indiana policy may not account for the total of your damages.

For example, if you were struck by someone who is carrying the state minimum and your medical bills equaled $30,000, the insurance policy would only cover $25,000 of that total because of the “per person” limit.

If you had a passenger in your vehicle who was also injured, and their medical bills totaled $15,000, the policy would cover the full amount of their bills because of the “per accident” limit of $50,000.

In the event that the other party’s insurance policy does not cover the total of your injuries, attorney Boulton will look for additional sources of coverage, including the “underinsured” (also known as UIM) portion of your own auto policy.

Getting the most money possible for your personal injury claim

To help ensure you receive the most money possible for your case, attorney Boulton will discuss with you the “do’s and don’ts” of your personal injury claim. He will also cover the factors that affect the overall value of your claim, such as:

Your percentage of liability

Evidence such as accident scene photos, witness statements, and Indiana accident reports will play a key role in determining fault for an accident or incident.

For auto accident victims, Indiana’s comparative fault law allows you to seek compensation as long as you are not more than 50% at fault for the collision.

Our goal is always to remove any liability from our client, however, there are instances where this is not possible. In these cases, the value of your personal injury claim will be directly proportionate to your percentage of liability.

For example, if you are found to be 10% at fault and your case is determined to be worth $50,000, then the overall recovery would be reduced to $45,000.

Following medical advice

The value of any Indiana personal injury claim will largely be linked to the medical treatment, analysis, and treatment prescribed by health professionals. Injured people that follow medical advice will have more valuable cases than those who do not.

Boulton Law Group will closely monitor your case to ensure that you are treating as prescribed and following all of your doctors’ orders. In the event that you miss a scheduled appointment, or have trouble making a physical therapy session, you should contact us immediately so that we can help you with a possible solution.

No matter how successful or capable your attorney, an insurance company will not compensate an injured person if they refuse to seek treatment or follow medical advice.

Staying off social media

We advise all of our clients to avoid posting details about their accidents or injuries to social media channels.

While it may seem harmless, insurance companies have the right to monitor your social media accounts to look for evidence that can negatively affect the value of your personal injury claim.

Evidence that can work against you on social media may include pictures, videos, and/or seemingly innocent written statements. Until your case has concluded, it is best to avoid social media.

Delay or pressure tactics

It is not unheard of for insurance companies to let your case linger for several months in the hopes that you might simply accept a lower settlement out of frustration.

Additionally, we have also represented clients who told us that the insurance company was encouraging them not to seek additional treatment and/or attempting to get them to settle more quickly than they should.

Put simply, insurance companies are big business and they make billions of dollars by issuing the lowest amount of compensation possible.

By contrast, your attorney will be acting in your best interests to achieve the exact opposite: They will help to ensure you receive the HIGHEST amount of compensation possible from the insurance company.

Ask attorney Boulton how much your personal injury case is worth

If you are unsure what your case is worth, we encourage you to give attorney Matt Boulton a call for advice that is free, honest, and friendly. Matt will draw on his experience in handling and consulting with countless victims to help you arrive at a value that properly compensates you for your injuries.

And to help ensure you have a good understanding of what your case is worth, Boulton Law Group offers every injured Hoosier a Zero Fee Guarantee. This promise allows everyone, no matter their financial situation, to hire an award-winning injury attorney at no cost. This guarantee is part of our aim to make sure you Get Treated Like Family.

To speak to attorney Boulton today, call 317-350-2680. Or if you prefer to write to us, use our confidential contact form. Matt personally reviews each website submission.

We look forward to hearing your story and helping you determine the value of your Indiana personal injury claim!