How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?

Personal injuries can occur because of many different events. These injuries have long-term, life-altering effects and, in some cases, may be life-threatening. Often, victims of such accidents will require lifelong medical care, which leads to high medical bills and can affect the victim’s quality of life. Before filing a personal injury lawsuit, you may want to know how much your case is worth. This will help you plan and ensure all bills are settled. However, each case is unique; your lawyer will consider several aspects when calculating the claim’s value.

How Much Is MY Personal Injury Case Worth?

There are different types of personal injuries. Considering their permanent nature, these injuries can be costly to treat. In addition, you may also suffer other types of losses. In the end, no two personal injury cases are alike. Therefore, the amount of compensation you get will depend on the circumstances of your case.

Who Is Liable for Personal Injuries?

When you suffer catastrophic injuries, not only do you want to seek compensation for those injuries, but you also want to make sure that you hold all liable parties accountable for their actions. To determine who bears liability for your injuries, your lawyers will need to discover who owned you a duty of care and how that duty of care was violated in a way that led to your injuries.

Non-Economic Damages in Texas Personal Injury Claims

If you were hurt in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you shouldn’t have to pay for it. Remember, the responsible party should cover the costs. Contact Baumgartner Law Firm at (281) 587-1111 for a free consultation with a top personal injury lawyer in Houston.

Most of the injury victims who come to us are familiar with the concept of economic damages. They understand that taking legal action is an effective way to recoup their accident-related financial losses. However, few clients are aware that they may also be able to collect non-economic damages through a lawsuit.

Economic damages include medical bills and lost wages. Non-economic damages compensate for losses that are harder to calculate, like pain and suffering. These types of damages often include compensation for intangible losses and can greatly increase a settlement amount. We call non-economic damages “human damages.”

If you’re seeking compensation for non-economic damages, the first step is hiring a trusted personal injury attorney. Luckily, you don’t have to look too far—Baumgartner Law Firm is here to help. We have more than 35 years of experience, offer a variety of legal resources, and have a caring staff. We are the top choice for personal injury cases in Greater Houston.

When you’re ready to explore your options for compensation for damages with a top-notch personal injury lawyer, contact Baumgartner Law Firm online to schedule a free case evaluation. In the meantime, keep reading to learn everything you need to know about suing for non-economic damages in Texas.

Understanding Non-Economic Damages in Texas

Non-economic damages refer to compensation awarded in civil lawsuits for intangible losses unrelated to economic factors. These damages are intended to assist the victim with the emotional and psychological impacts of an accident. They are not just monetary compensation for the harm suffered. The purpose is to address the emotional and psychological needs of the victim. The damages aim to provide support beyond financial compensation for the harm experienced.

Examples of Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages in Texas refer to losses that do not involve money. These losses can include emotional or physical harm resulting from injuries. Some common examples include:

Pain and suffering. This category includes the plaintiff’s physical and emotional pain and suffering from an accident.
Emotional distress. Damages for emotional distress address the psychological consequences of an incident, such as developing anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Loss of consortium. Loss of consortium refers to the harm suffered by a person’s spouse or family due to the injured individual’s inability to provide companionship, support, or intimacy.

Disfigurement, scarring, and disability. Compensation may be provided for scars or disfigurement resulting from an injury. This is particularly true if these injuries impact a person’s self-esteem and overall quality of life.
Loss of enjoyment of life and other nonpecuniary losses.

In Texas, a judge considers emotional distress and damage to reputation when determining non-monetary compensation. The judge takes into account the emotional pain experienced by the individual. The judge also evaluates any harm caused to the person’s reputation. These factors are considered when deciding on compensation that does not involve money. They might consider evidence showing that the plaintiff has experienced life-altering trauma due to the defendant’s actions.

How Much Is Awarded for Non-Economic Damages in Texas?

In Texas, the amount of money awarded for non-economic damages varies from case to case. This is based on the specific details of each individual situation. However, there are formulas to estimate how much you may be entitled to.

Some Lawyers Use a Multiplier Method

When figuring out how much money you should get for your pain and suffering, lawyers often add up your medical bills and lost wages. Lawyers calculate compensation for pain and suffering by adding medical bills and lost wages. They then multiply this total by a number between 1.5 and five. The multiplier depends on the extent of your suffering and how it has impacted your life. The resulting number would represent your pain and suffering settlement offer using the multiplier method.

For example, if you suffered temporary injuries in an accident that have little to no effect on your ability to socialize or work, an attorney may only ask that a multiplier of 2 be added to the economic damages you’ve incurred. However, if your injuries and trauma are significant and have had a profound effect on your quality of life, an expert injury attorney may argue for a much higher multiplier.

Baumgartner Law Firm Does Not Use a Multiplier Method

At Baumgartner Law Firm, we do not use a multiplier method to determine the non-economic damages for our cases. Instead, use our decades of expertise in evaluating personal injury cases to develop a settlement range.

Damage calculation formulas are no substitute for experience in detemining damagesPersonal Injury Lawyer -Greg Baumgartner

Economic damages are financial losses such as medical expenses or lost wages. Non-economic damages are subjective and determined by the court. In Texas, there are no set limits on non-economic damages in personal injury cases. Juries can take into account all the intangible harm experienced by the person filing the lawsuit.

However, it’s important to note that there are exceptions to this rule, particularly in medical malpractice cases. Texas law restricts the compensation for pain, suffering, and other non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases. The amount of money a victim can receive is limited by this law. These caps are subject to adjustment based on factors such as the number of defendants involved. Also, Texas has a cap on non-economic damages in punitive damage cases.

Personal Injury Experience is Required to Value a Case

Deciding how much money to give for non-economic damages in Texas is complicated. It requires carefully looking at the specific details of each case. An experienced personal injury attorney best calculates these and your economic damages.

Suing for Non-Economic Damages in Texas

Whether your injuries and suffering resulted from a car accident, an 18-wheeler crash, or something else, you have the right to sue for non-economic damages in Texas. The first (and most important) step is to discuss the case with a personal injury lawyer. The team at Baumgartner Law Firm is happy to review your case in a free consultation.

Our legal team will review your case details carefully. They will assess the evidence and determine who is responsible for the incident. To make a stronger case, we will talk to witnesses and gather more evidence to show the court everything we know.

We will also help calculate a potential settlement and present it to the defendant’s legal team. If they agree to a fair settlement, you can secure compensation without ever stepping foot inside of a courtroom. If not, we’ll build a robust, aggressive case and take it to trial. No matter what path we choose, we will support you every step of the way, keeping you updated and protecting your interests.

Baumgartner Law Firm: Leading Personal Injury Attorneys in Houston, Texas

If you want to file a personal injury claim, you typically only have two years from the injury to take action. It is important not to delay in filing your claim. Don’t wait! You must begin the filing process as soon as possible to ensure you are eligible to receive compensation.

Ready to get started? Contact Baumgartner Law Firm online to schedule a free consultation, or call our law office at (281) 587-1111 to speak with a compassionate legal representative today.

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About Our Law Firm

Baumgartner Law Firm is a Houston personal injury law firm headed by Greg Baumgartner.

Our firm was established in 1985 and has helped thousands of injury victims get maximum compensation for their cases. If you have been injured in an accident in Houston, TX, contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. (281) 587-1111.

Since 1985, Baumgartner Law Firm has limited our law practice to serious personal injury cases. Our legal team has won maximum compensation for thousands of accident victims and recovered millions of dollars for real people like you. The practice areas we focus on are the following: