I had 2 fingers torn off on my father-in-laws boat because of his negligence. 1 finger was reattached but I will probably have random pain for the rest of my life. It was my dominant hand. There is scarring and disfigurment as well. I was in the hospital for 4 days, and have been going in for follow ups for the last 6 months, as well as physical therapy. I was able to return to work after a month but I have some pain in my hand after typing for a while and it's embarrasing when clients see my hand. Medical bills have totalled $70,000 so far. My father-in-law admits full fault of the accident, and I know his insurance policy has a liability limit of $300,000. His insurance company has already said they will pay all medical bills, and we are meeting them soon to settle.
From the LawyerCentral forum archive. Originally posted 1 February 2011 on a legal forum that has closed. Names and contact details were removed. See the original (Internet Archive).
Do you have a lawyer? Because there are arguments to be
made for past and future pain and suffering, not to
mention one needs to know what an insurance company is or
is not likely to pay out.
Get an attorney if you don't have one, he or she can
advise you concerning the specifics of your case. I'm
sorry I can't be of more help, but it's really not
possible to know what is reasonable unless one has access
to all the facts. Nor am I an attorney.
This is a very substantial claim. A lot of the value may depend on long-term medical care projections and the effect on employment an employability.
Sometimes jury research may be helpful. Value is subjective in most cases, so you have to try to find an objective standard of some sort, and studying jury verdicts can offer guidance. Sorry to hear of your injury.
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