michael723 said:
I suffered a servere sprained neck,back and a contusion of my knee.For the past ten months I have had pain daily in my neck and back.I have had physical therapy it has helped some.My final diagnosis is chronic pain/disc bulges in my neck and back.My knee feels better but cant bend as much as I use to.My medical bills since may2002 has exceeded as much as 5000 dollars.I will have to suffer with chronic pain for the rest of my life.How much money should I be seeking for futher medical and pain and suffering.My wife also seeking damages even though she was not in the accident.thank you for your input.
Sorry to hear about the accident and resulting injuries. I am not trying to cop out but it's impossible to say what would be a reasonable amount. A lot more would need to be know about the injuries, their impact on you and your wife and potential other damages such as loss of earning capacity and future medical bills. In addition, although no one wants to sue anyone, what is a reasonable demand is based in part on what a reasonable jury would award in your area for such a claim.
The problems you are having are significant and the medical bills are substantial. It's in you and your wife's interests to at least talk with a good local caring plaintiff's trial lawyer. It costs nothing to see the best and you will be under no obligation to hire the lawyer. By doing so, you'll get some helpful information and can then proceed in an informed fashion. If it were me, I would strongly consider hiring a lawyer too. Though your injuries are serious, insurance companies will label your injuries as soft tissue in nature and use that as a basis to try and get you to accept an offer that is far less than fair.
Look for lawyers who are members of your state's trial lawyers association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Also make certain they specialize in representing people like you and have the reputation of taking a case to trial if need be. If you need more info on screening a good lawyer on this type of case, drop me an email.
Best of luck & take care of yourself.
- Kevin
