Once the initial shock of an accident passes and injuries are stabilized, car crash victims may begin thinking about filing a claim for compensation. This is the point where many injured victims may wonder how much their claim could be worth.

Some accident victims may ask an attorney this question, while others may try their luck with an online car crash calculator. However, can you get an accurate estimate of your claim’s value this way?

Goldberg Finnegan explains more about car crash calculators, how they work and how accurate you can expect their estimates to be.

Our car crash lawyers in Silver Spring have extensive experience and a proven track record helping injured victims throughout Maryland. Call our law offices today to schedule your free initial case review to learn more.

More than $130 million recovered for our clients. (888) 213-8140

How Online Car Crash Calculators Work

One of the first things online car crash calculators attempt to calculate is your economic damages. These are easily calculated amounts and supported by tangible evidence, such as medical bills, lost wages, property damages, etc.

Some calculators may also try to add in your pain and suffering and other noneconomic damages. These damages are harder to calculate. Most calculators apply a programmed mathematical formula to assign a value. Some calculators may also ask you to rate your pain and include that in the calculations.

Why Online Car Crash Calculator Results Are Unreliable

For starters, the details you can enter in an online car crash calculator vary from site to site. Additionally, the software algorithm – which is what the calculator uses to give you a value – is unique to the site. Therefore, the estimates you get will also vary.

  • One site may ask for your total medical costs, lost wages and property damages. However, this calculator may not consider loss of future earnings if your injury prevents you from going back to work. It also does not add any pain and suffering damages to the value of your claim.
  • Another site asks for all medical bills, property damage costs, and pain and suffering damages. Again, your future lost earnings are not considered, but neither are your lost wages. Also, what if you need surgery in the future or your injuries are expected to get worse, such as if arthritis develops? None of this can be entered into an online calculator.

Another aspect that car crash calculators do not consider is how you respond to treatment and how your recovery may differ from the way others recover from similar injuries. For example, online calculators may not consider:

  • How quickly or slowly the injured person may respond to treatment due to genetics or general state of health
  • How a preexisting medical condition or injury may hinder an injured victim’s ability to recover, or fully recover
  • Some accident victims may suffer more severe emotional trauma or anxiety after a crash
  • Injuries may also affect when a patient can go back to work, or whether he or she can work again or in the same career

These factors and many more cannot be punched into a calculator. The best result you can hope for is a very rough guess. This figure is also not something you can take to the insurance company and expect to see it reflected in a settlement offer. They will probably come back with an offer much lower than what you got from a calculator.

Why Attorneys Provide More Accurate Calculations

While there is no exact formula to get a precise answer, attorneys handle auto accident claims every day. They have extensive experience calculating claims and understand the many factors that impact the outcome. Information they may use to help them determine your claim’s value may include:

  • Your tangible evidence, such as bills for medical care and property damages, lost wages and more
  • Input from medical experts to determine your specific medical needs, ability to earn wages and future care needs
  • Comparing compensation and rulings of other cases that are similar to yours

Even after determining your claim’s value, an attorney will still need to negotiate with the other side. You want an attorney who is ready to work hard to build a strong claim that is supported by solid evidence.

Our Law Firm is Experienced and Ready to Help

At Goldberg Finnegan, we understand that each car crash claim is different, and your experience as an injured victim is also unique. That is why we do not treat our clients as a number. We fight hard to obtain the maximum possible amount of compensation for each injured victim we represent.

Call our law offices if you were injured because of another’s negligence. We are ready to help, and we offer a free initial consultation to determine if you have a case. There is no obligation to hire our services after this meeting.