Huge Settlements In Personal Injury Cases Actually Small Compared To What Is Lost

    PHOENIX, AZ, September 25, 2008 /24-7PressRelease/ -- What is your ability to think worth? What is the use of your arms and legs worth? How about your life?

Insurance companies attempt to assign a dollar amount to your health, freedom and life after an accident. They use impersonal statistical tables to assign value to something which to you is invaluable. On the other hand, experienced personal injury attorneys fight for your right to receive fair compensation for your injuries and your ordeal.

Lifelong pain and living assistance
When million-dollar settlements or judgments hit the news, it may sound like a lot for a victim to receive. But when your life stops after an accident, you begin to understand how difficult the aftermath of a severe injury can be. A large sum of money cannot erase the physical and emotional pain a person goes through. While a settlement can ease the financial strain, it can't console a family who is dealing with a loved one's severe brain or spinal cord injury. For many accident victims, recovery is a lifelong process. Years of therapy and a lifetime of challenges may result. Even seemingly huge settlements may still seem minor compared to the day-to-day difficulties a victim and their family face.

A life lost
Take, for instance, the case of the Cape Cod man who was killed in a bizarre defective gate accident. A beloved coach and family man, 64-year-old Thomas Kelly was trapped by a gate that swung loose and drove a metal pole through the windshield of the team bus where he was sitting. His left leg was mangled and his right leg broken. Kelly died one month after being airlifted to a hospital and undergoing several surgeries.

After his death, Kelly's family filed a wrongful death suit and received $4.4 million dollars plus interest.

Permanent brain damage
In the case of Barry Bowman, a 62-year-old security guard in Los Angeles was riding a motorcycle when he was struck by a dump truck. Bowman was awarded $11 million for pain and suffering, and an additional $4.7 million for medical expenses and lost income. Bowman suffered brain damage which now requires round-the-clock care.

Paralysis
Michigan couple John and Mary Reutter received $5.5 million after a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer left Mrs. Reuter with breaks in every bone in her body and paralysis in her arms; Mr. Reutter suffered severe lower back injuries. The semi truck driver who hit them only received a class C misdemeanor and is still on the road.

A personal injury attorney can help
After an accident, you want an attorney who will fight for justice and get you a dollar amount you deserve. With medical bills, lost income, and other expenses, you can't afford to accept an insurance company's lowball offer. Money can't erase the pain of an accident, but it can help you get the best medical care available and help families cope with financial challenges after the death of a loved one.

If you would like to learn more about personal injury, your rights and the claims process, please visit the web site of Phoenix-based personal injury firm Snyder & Wenner, P.C.

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