Factors that Affect Your Claim Value: Permanent Scars and Impairment.

The permanent results of your injury (i.e. permanent impairment or disfigurement) are a major factor in determining the value of your case. If you can prove you will be permanently affected by your injury, the value of your claim will be increased substantially. Most states allow counsel to give the jury special instruction regarding permanent impairment. In many cases, claimants can expect a moderate increase in your claim’s value even if the permanent aspect of the injury is minimal.

Permanent disfigurement, in particular, can increase the value of small personal injury claims even if your medical bills and lost income are low, and your injuries minimal. Permanent scars (e.g. from burns, dog bites, etc.) are constant reminders of your injuries, especially if they’re on your face. Jurors are naturally sympathetic to such visible injuries and are more likely to award higher damages than they would without such visible evidence of pain and suffering. If you have disfigurements that are likely to be permanent, you should have them evaluated by a plastic surgeon or specialist. You should also have a professional photographer take pictures of the scar or disfigurement. In personal injury cases, pictures are not just be worth a thousand words, they may also be worth thousands of dollars. Call Orange County personal injury attorney Samer Habbas for a free evaluation of your case.