Auto Insurance Claims: settlement amounts, measurement tool, knowledgeable attorney

Question
my daughter was in a head on collision deemed  not her fault. i heard settlements should be 3 times doctors bills . is this true  we live in pa and auto insurance pays  bills here. is it 3times what they pay or the actual total of the bills thank you

Answer
Millie,

I think that 3X medical expenses tool for measuring value is really weak.  It all depends on the injury and the circumstances of each case.  I've had cases settle for 50X the medical bills and for less than the total of medical bills.

So the long and the short of it is that I don't like that measurement tool but many people accept it as reasonable.

Let me give you some real world advice, if you think the value of your daughter's injury's exceed $7,000-$8,000 I would almost certainly seek an attorney.  You'll get a better number from the insurance company (sometimes 2 and 3 times the original offer) and you won't run the risk of them low-balling you and you never knowing it.  In my experience, the value you get from a knowledgeable attorney far exceeds the portion of the settlement that you must pay in attorneys fees.

Best regards,

Ernest Ferraro