Maryland Injury Lawyer

There are many factors that must be taken into account to determine how much an injured person should be compensated for pain and suffering. There is no specific formula that insurance companies look to in order to figure out the amount for damages. In fact, every accident and injury is different. In theory, it is literally impossible for anyone to tell injured people how much their pain and suffering is worth. However, in order to resolve injury and tort cases, insurance companies have to come up with some value.

The most important factor that insurance companies use in order to calculate the value of one's pain and suffering is the injured person's medical treatment and total medical bills. Most insurance companies will give injured victims a multiple of the total cost of their medical bills for pain and suffering, however that rule is not set in stone. If the amount and type of treatment appear to be reasonable and necessary for the injury, the injured party comes across as much more honest to the jury. More or less treatment does not necessarily mean more or less money for pain and suffering, but it is a factor that is considered. Of course running up your medical bills unnecessarily is often met with a great degree of suspicion and likely will not be rewarded. Similarly, stretching out the length of treatment for a minor injury may look greedy to a jury and to an insurance adjuster and will not garner any more money for pain and suffering.

In addition to medical treatment and total medical bills, the following factors are considered when determining the amount to compensate a person for pain and suffering:

1. Pre-existing injuries;
2. A person's ability to do what they normally did in their everyday lives or if they were forced to stop or reduce some of their normal activities;
3. The type of work one does for a living;
4. How sympathetic of a witness the injured person would make;
5. A person's age;
6. A person's lifestyle; as well as
7. The experience and reputation of your attorney

All of these factors paint a picture for an insurance adjuster or the jury and will have an impact on the monetary compensation given for pain and suffering in one way or another. There are some tools that insurance companies and lawyers may use to help them arrive at a figure or at least at a range for the purpose of determining how much to "demand" as compensation for your injuries. Many attorneys will also use, as a general guideline, past jury verdicts in your particular jurisdiction and past claims that involve similar facts, injuries and total medical bills.

If you have been injured as a result of someone else's negligence, contact a Price Benowitz attorney today. Our experienced lawyers will work to get you the maximum amount of compensation for your pain and suffering.

This blog post was written by Washington DC Personal Injury Lawyer Chamille Kittles. For more information about Price Benowitz's Virginia practice, please visit the Virginia personal injury attorney website.

 Ever since I was a little child, my family tested our smoke detectors and changed the batteries when the time changed. Day Light Savings time was its own special tradition. It was by no means as great as Independence Day or Halloween, but it had a special place in my heart. As a parent, I want my son to appreciate the same traditions. I have my son help me test alarms and change batteries as I helped my mom. We go over escape routes, safe meeting places, and what to do if we have guests. When I tell people that last part they look at me with a confused expression, but I confidently tell them better safe than sorry. My son knows where we meet and whose house is a "Safe House" where he can go if he gets out alone. He also knows where to call for help. I take his safety very seriously and I prepare my son accordingly. He thinks of it as a part of our family time and enjoys the discussion.

The day I purchased my home, I had to purchase insurance. My father sent me to an insurance agent. I learned the intricacies of what could be covered under the policy. I also learned some helpful things to do to lower the risk that something tragic would happen at my home. I customized a policy that fit my needs and the risks associated with my home. My home is insured with a policy that covers fire, natural disasters, and some other major damage to my home. I carefully make sure to catalog valuables and notify my insurance agent if there are any changes so that my coverage is always up to date. I would hate to be underinsured and lose a valuable asset or worse be liable for a large bill due to damages.

My insurance policy also covers guests in my home if they are injured. I know that when I have guests, I owe them a certain duty of care. In regular English, that means I have to make sure everything about my home is safe and habitable. Common thoughts on this duty of care are to keep hazardous material and conditions away from guests. From my perspective, this includes having functioning fire alarms and a plan to make sure they all get out safely.

Maybe I do a little too much, but I take hosting very seriously. I also take the safety of my family and loved ones seriously. I can imagine that they would all do the same type of preparation for me when I visit their homes.

If you were injured in someone else's home, please contact an attorney. They can help make sure that you get the compensation you deserve.

Maryland personal injury attorney Rabihah Scott wrote this blog. For more information about the Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice Group at Price Benowitz LLP, please visit the firm's Washington DC Personal Injury Lawyer and Virginia Injury Lawyer websites.

When I first started my family, I worried about renting a place near the right daycare and in a good school district. I wanted my son to have a big room filled with toys and a backyard to run and play as he grew. I focused on having things in place to give him a great start in life. I did a visual inspection of each place I considered renting. I looked for cheap repair work and places where people cut corners. I budgeted and found what I thought was the best quality in my price range. I demanded that any potential new home be clean and sanitized. I wanted to make sure my home was safe. My son loved the place we made our first home home and all was well. I can only imagine that every parent preparing for a move or to start a family goes through some version of what I did during that first move. I know that every move after that seemed just as important and I went through the same process. I think my son has grown up enough to think that I am too demanding.

I cringe to think of how many parents did all the same things that I did with very different results. It seems horrible to know that the place they made a home hurt their children. I can only imagine the feeling of guilt that a parent would have knowing that their decision hurt the child they love so much. Many parents did not realize that the homes they lived in or rented were painted with hazardous lead paint. Having lead pain around children can be dangerous, especially if that paint chips, peels, cracks, or otherwise winds up ingested by the child. Lead has difficulty leaving the human body, so it builds up in the system. This build up is especially dangerous for children because their small size means that the concentration is higher in the body and can more easily become damaging.

High levels or concentrations of lead in a person's system can lead to lead poisoning and children are especially vulnerable to the symptoms and impacts of lead poisoning. Lead poisoning can cause many physical ailments. Some of the signs include: tiredness, headaches, short attention span, restlessness, constipation, hyperactivity, and vomiting. Worse than the physical ailments which can be treated immediately are the mental and behavioral ailments that are not as obvious. Lead poisoning has also been linked to behavioral and learning disabilities especially in young children.

No amount of money can every really compensate a family for the lifetime of care that they will have to provide the child that suffers from this sort of ailment. A skilled attorney can assist in gathering the proof you need to protect your child's interest. A skilled attorney can also explain the critical time lines and restrictions in these types of cases. A Price Benowitz attorney can help you understand Maryland's legal precedents and apply them to your specific situation.

This post was written by Washington DC and Maryland Accident Attorney Rabihah Scott. Price Benowitz LLP is a Washington DC based law firm with additional locations in Maryland, Virginia, and New York. If you have been injured and would like more information about the firm's Virginia Personal Injury attorney, please visit our website.