Shoulder and upper arm injuries are very common in car accidents. That is because the shoulder is highly complex and comprised of tendons, ligaments, and cartilage that are susceptible to injury when exposed to unnatural forces, which occur in car accidents. For example, if you have your hands on the steering wheel and your arms extended, then are hit from behind, unnatural forces will be put on the shoulder that can cause serious injuries.
Also, airbag deployment can force the shoulder to move in an unnatural way, injuring these ligaments or tendons. Among the most common shoulder or upper arm injuries involve the rotator cuff.
In handling so many serious car accident cases, FVF Law Firm – Injury & Wrongful Death Lawyers has seen a lot of rotator cuff injuries. The rotator cuff is a complex series of ligaments and tendons that are responsible for making sure your upper arm bone stays put in the shoulder socket. The trauma of a serious car accident can cause serious damage to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your shoulder, leading to permanent injuries that might require surgery.
If you have suffered a shoulder or upper arm injury in a car accident, it’s crucial to seek legal advice from an experienced Austin car accident attorney who understands the complexities of personal injury claims. Contact FVF Law today for a free consultation to discuss your case and learn about your legal options.
How We Value a Rotator Cuff Auto Accident Settlement
As with virtually any personal injury case, the car accident lawyers at FVF Law understand that it’s necessary to arrive at a reasonable estimate of what a jury would award you if your lawsuit went to trial.
This is usually an estimated range that will vary depending on the type of jury that is ultimately selected. FVF Law has the experience to know which factors are most important in calculating this value, and they know how to use it to leverage the highest settlement from the insurance company and take the case to a jury trial if necessary.
There are four major factors to be taken into account when valuing any rotator cuff auto accident settlement. The first accounts for the severity of your injuries and damages, including the long-term financial consequences and impact on your quality of life. The second factor relates to your ability to prove the other driver, drivers, or other parties are legally responsible for causing the car accident and the rotator cuff injury you claim to have sustained in the car accident.
The third factor relates to the resources available to recover compensation from, including insurance proceeds and assets belonging to those responsible for causing the car accident. Finally, the fourth factor considers whether you have a history of prior injury to the shoulder that was hurt in the car accident. If you already had some impairment or medical costs because of a prior rotator cuff or shoulder injury, it can be more difficult to prove how this rotator cuff injury has impacted your life.
Some rotator cuff injury damages are relatively easy to predict, since those losses are the type you can demonstrate with medical bills and lost work, including how much you are likely to lose going forward. However, damages like pain and suffering are more subjective and are often determined based on your own lifestyle, how your rotator cuff injury is impairing your ability to engage in work or hobbies, or how much pain the rotator cuff injury is causing.
The personal injury lawyers at FVF Law understand how to maximize your settlement for a rotator cuff car accident injury. Most cases do not go to court, but one key to negotiating the best settlement comes with making sure the insurance company knows you are willing to do so, which we are.
How Long Do Rotator Cuff Car Accident Settlements Take in Austin?
Many car accident victims wonder how long it will take for their case to be resolved. Unfortunately, it is not easy to give an exact estimate of the length. A number of factors can influence how long it takes until your case is settled — read on to learn more.
- The severity of your injuries and their impact on your life. While painful, many rotator cuff injuries heal eventually. However, they can lead to additional complications, including shoulder, neck, and back injuries and conditions. These complications can extend the length of your case. Your doctor will need to help you estimate the likely outcome of your injuries, their impact on your life, and what, if any, procedures and care you may need in order to recover.
- The amount of compensation you require. A serious injury that requires a great deal of medical care will typically accrue more lifetime expenses. This may allow you to claim a greater deal of compensation, but it will also extend the timeline of your case. This is because it will usually take more work to prove future damages and negotiate a fair settlement.
- The litigation process and jury trial. In the case that your lawyer is unable to obtain a fair settlement for you in the negotiation process, they may have to bring your case before a jury. Taking a case to trial will almost always add to its length.
Shoulder Injuries Are Common in Car Accidents
Because of the speeds and the impact of a car crash, virtually all body parts are vulnerable in a car accident, but the shoulder is at particular risk because the balls of our upper arms are actually larger than the shoulder socket that holds the ball. The function of the rotator cuff is to hold the shoulder joint together and hold the ball of the humerus snug in the socket while large muscles move the arm around in space. The supraspinatus tendon is the tendon that is most commonly torn when people suffer a rotator cuff tear.
The value of rotator cuff auto accident settlements often varies significantly, although there are five important factors that drive the value of these types of settlements. They are:
- The diagnostic severity of the injury and whether it was a complete or partial tear;
- How well you recover from the rotator cuff injury, and whether surgical intervention is required;
- Your age and medical history;
- How severely the rotator cuff injury impact your quality of life; and
- Whether the rotator cuff injury impairs your ability to work.
If not treated surgically, rotator cuff tears will not heal the same way some other bodily tissue tears will repair themselves. Without proper treatment, a rotator cuff tear will remain a tear for the rest of your life, and often worsen with use and time. The car accident injury lawyers at FVF Law know how to prove the long-term impact a rotator cuff injury will have on your future finances (such as medical bills) and overall quality of life, which allows us to make sure your rotator cuff auto accident settlement is maximized.
Treating You as an Individual: FVF Law Firm – Injury & Wrongful Death Lawyers
The Austin personal injury lawyers at FVF Law understand that every person and every case is different. Evaluating your rotator cuff car accident injury is not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Rather, we will take the time to fully understand the financial and other consequences of your rotator cuff injury, and help you take the steps necessary to prove what those harms and losses are. For example, if you lead an active lifestyle, and are sidelined because of your rotator cuff injury, we will fully explore how that change in your lifestyle is impacting your quality of life. This could be anything from changing your ability to swim, golf, play a musical instrument, make art or pottery, or any other type of hobby that your rotator cuff injury is impairing.
We want to make sure that how we handle your rotator cuff injury case takes into consideration your needs and expectations. We will do that by listening to you and ensuring you understand all your options, so you can make educated decisions on the steps to take to get what you want and need out of your settlement.
You Need a Skilled Car Wreck Lawyer in Austin On Your Side
Insurance companies have adjusters whose primary concern is their bottom line, which means paying you as little as possible. Insurance companies profit by paying you less money for your rotator cuff injury settlement. The lawyers at FVF Law have more than 100 years of combined experience and know how insurance companies work.
They will try to lowball your rotator cuff auto accident settlement and to get you to accept an amount of money that might seem reasonable at first, but which is far lower than you deserve and often does not take into account the full range of long-term losses that can flow from a rotator cuff injury. At a minimum, it makes sense to talk to an expert who can help you understand what you should expect from a rotator cuff injury settlement, and what steps you can take to make sure you maximize your recovery.
The experienced auto accident lawyers at FVF Law will explain your options for getting the medical care you need, and complete an investigation to make sure all details about the accident are known, including the level of liability of any and all responsible parties. They will also find out everything they need to know about how your rotator cuff injury is impacting your life, and help you understand what you should expect for a fair rotator cuff injury settlement.
The process starts when you contact FVF Law to schedule a no-cost, no-pressure consultation and case evaluation. If you choose to hire us, you will not pay us unless and until we win. We know calling a lawyer can seem scary or intimidating, but we will make the process as easy as we can so you can make informed decisions moving forward.
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