Rhode Island Injury Lawyer Blog

It seems the most obvious and important question and one that I am asked in every personal injury case, namely, how much is my personal injury claim worth? Regardless if resulting from an auto accident, motorcycle accident, slip and fall, or medical malpractice, all clients are curious what their case is worth.

The only easy answer to that question is to say: Your case is worth the amount a jury of your peers says that it is worth. Unfortunately, juries are wildly unpredictable and can return with a shockingly high award or an embarrassingly low judgment. Furthermore, waiting for a jury verdict requires several years of waiting and a long and expensive litigation process.

That said, experienced personal injury attorneys such as myself, consider a number of variables in determining a fair settlement value of your case. Attorneys and insurance companies consider recent jury verdicts in the State, recent settlements in the State, along with other variables to determine a fair value for the injury suffered. Therefore, attorneys and insurance adjusters will assign a value to the neck or back injury, fractured arm, or concussion. For instance, if a jury recently awarded $160,000 to a man who broke his leg in a truck accident, this may be a starting point for negotiations if you suffer a similar broken leg in an auto accident.

What are the other variables to consider? Among other things:

• the strength of the liability case


• cost of litigation


• amount available through insurance


• nature and severity of the injury

Of course, you are also entitled to lost wages and medical bills, future medical bills and permanent disability, if applicable.

If the injury you sustained is soft tissue in nature (neck and back pain) then your settlement will depend largely on the length and severity of your disability and whether there is diagnostic evidence (i.e. an MRI report showing injury) to help substantiate the claim. An experienced personal injury attorney, will know how to negotiate with an insurance company to obtain the highest value possible.

This should be understood as a shorthand version of how the value of your personal injury claim is determined. There are literally hundreds of variables that have to be considered and only a skilled and experienced attorney can use all of these variables to obtain the highest amount possible in settlement. Furthermore, the negotiating skills of an attorney are important as well as the attorney's reputation for success.

The next time you ask your attorney: What is my case worth? do not be surprised if he or she is afraid to answer. It is because each personal injury case is so unique that it is hard to determine, especially early in the case, how much the injury is worth.

As a former insurance adjuster I have settled hundreds of personal injury cases of all levels of severity. I understand the full value of your case and how an insurance company will try to poke holes in your case to lower the final value. As a personal injury attorney, I have succeeded in obtaining excellent settlements for my clients often exceeding the amount they were hoping to receive.

Therefore, part of the answer to the question: How much is my case worth? depends on whether you hire the right attorney.

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Despite several weeks of litigation, the jury will not make a determination in the case of Michael Woods vs. Kent County Hospital. Prior to closing arguments, the two sides have agreed to settle the matter.

Actor James Woods and his family brought the lawsuit against Kent County Hospital alleging that their emergency room staff was medically negligent and ultimately caused the death of Michael Woods in 2006.

The full details of the settlement were not released to the public, however, the Providence Journal reports that the settlement will include the creation of the Michael J. Woods institute at Kent Hospital. Per the settlement agreement, the hospital has promised to invest 1.25 million dollars over the next five years in the institute with the intent of improving hospital care and procedure, particularly in the emergency room. In addition, the settlement provides financial support to Michael Woods surviving children, which according to James Woods, will leave them financially secure.

Following the settlement, a spokesperson for Kent admitted that mistakes were made. Michael Woods entered the emergency room shortly after 4pm with acute onset vomiting. An EKG showed an abnormal heartbeat and he was ordered to be placed on a heart monitor by the treating physician. The nursing staff, however, never followed through with this instruction. Instead of being placed in a room, Michael Woods remained on a gurney parked in the hallway. James Woods stated that no one in his family knew where his brother was for over an hour and a half. At 7:10pm, Michael Woods suffered a heart attack and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.