I got hit by a half ton / basics of personal injury compensation

[Jpinkowish at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/11/03 10:21:15 PM EST, gselby4x4 at earthlink.net writes:

> Lastly, by not going to the hospital for the neck injuries, you have cost
>  yourself a major portion of whatever pain/suffering damages you can
>  recover.  The basic computation is they compensate you an amount equal to
>  your medical expenses in pain/suffering.  So the more medical expenses you
>  run up, the more pain/suffering you will get.  The biggest expense is the
>  ambulance ride and the emergency room care.  I screwed up on this matter
>  when my Audi 4kq was totalled in a rear ender (55 mph speed difference)
>  about 3.5 years ago and only got $1500 in p/s

George and others on the list:
Having just completed this ordeal after being hit by a car while riding a
bicycle........

If you sustain a personal injury(Audi accident or otherwise) that is or you
believe is the fault of another party, you need to buy/borrow a copy of the
following book:

"How To Win Your Personal Injury Lawsuit", by Joseph L. Matthews

Reading this book will arm you with the information you need to understand
how an insurance company operates, what you need to do immediately after the
accident, and the information you need to document to negotiate a claim.  You
may or may not decide to use an attorney.  The book helps you make that
decision.

If you are involved in a collision that causes significant vehicular damage,
always go to the hospital for a check.

Despite what George asserts, the "basic computation" for personal injury
pain/suffering(P/S) compensation is not equal to your medical expenses.  P/S
compensation is based not only on the amount of your medical expenses, but on
the time for total rehab, lost income, disruption to your dialy life,
residual disability, etc.  Generally, P/S compensation ranges from 1-4X your
medical expenses.  In severe instances, compensation can be more.

The key here is to keep a daily log and to photograph(if possible) your
injuries.  Don't expect a quick resolution.  Injuries take time to heal.  You
want to make sure you are fully healed before negotiating a settlement.  The
length of time to fully heal is a partial determinant of your P/S
compensation.

If you want more details or want to continue the discussion, please reply
privately.

HTH

Jan Pinkowish
Bristol, CT