Serious vs Minor Injuries
If you have been injured at the fault of someone else, and you want to file a personal injury claim, it is important for you to keep in mind that no two personal injury cases are the same. One major factor that will affect your personal injury case is the severity of your injuries. Cases in which there are severe injuries can differ drastically from cases where there are minor injuries. While each case is personalized, I want to discuss some of the general differences between personal injury cases with minor injuries and those with severe injuries. Hopefully, this will help you better understand your situation.
Intricacies of a Case
One major difference between cases with major injuries and those with minor injuries is the intricacies of the cases. Cases in which major injuries are involved tend to be more complicated than cases in which the victim only sustained minor injuries. This means that in general, cases with minor injuries tend to be resolved quicker than those with serious injuries. This is because it takes less time to gather evidence, determine compensation, and have a judge determine if the personal injury claim is justified. Major personal injury cases can drag on for months or even years due to the complicated nature of these types of cases.
Settling vs. Going to Court
Many cases involving small injuries will oftentimes settle as opposed to going to court. This is because insurance companies do not mind compensating a person for small injuries and only paying a few thousand dollars. There is also generally not enough to these cases for them to warrant an entire trial. If you are offered a settlement and you have a minor injury, you should seriously consider taking it. On the other hand, many cases involving major injuries are taken to court and decided by a judge.
Compensation
Compensation for damages will depend on the injuries that were sustained in an accident. This means that if you sustained serious injuries in an accident, the compensation that you receive will be much more significant than the compensation that someone with a small injury would get. Sometimes, compensation is so small for people with minor injuries, that pursuing a personal injury claim is barely worth it considering lawyer fees, filing fees, etc.
Hiring a Lawyer
While it is always in your best interest to consult with a lawyer, and in my personal opinion, hiring a lawyer can help you with your case no matter what kind of injuries you have, many people feel that they do not need to hire a lawyer if they have minor injuries. As I stated earlier, these types of cases tend to be more straightforward than cases with major injuries involved, meaning that some people can handle these cases themselves. However, no matter what the circumstances of your case are, if you feel that you should consult a lawyer, do not hesitate to do so.