Recent Posts in Injury Law Category

One question we hear a lot is “how much do you think my case is worth?”  There are many fictitious formulas out there but when it comes down to making a settlement recommendation your Connecticut accident lawyer Frank McCoy, relies on some of the following factors:.

1. Economic Losses. This is things like past and future lost wages and medical expenses.

2. Non-economic

            This is the losses involving pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment, and physical impairment. This is up to the jury to award and sometimes is an unknown variable in a case. Some factors that enter in to the non-economic loss is how persuasive are you at proving your injury? Do you have any objective tests like MRI’s or the like that demonstrate an injury or is the injury one that cant be shown to the jury. Some of the most challenging cases involve very serious injuries, but they can not be objectively documented. When that happens, the defense will try to imply that you are faking or exaggerating your injuries. This is the defense tactic on almost all of these cases. If Mother Teresa was rear ended and her injury didn’t show up on an MRI, there is a good likelihood that the defense would be implying that she is exaggerating. In that case, we need to try to prove the case with other witnesses and indirect evidence. This is harder to do, so the value of the case goes down.

3. Parties involved. A very charismatic likeable injured person does better than one that is not as likeable. This is unfortunate but true. The same is true of the defendant and a business defendant will inmost cases do worse than an individual.

5. Intangibles. In addition there are innumerable intangibles that go into the value of a case that are determined on a case by case basis.

6. Discount for Probability of Defendant’s verdict and/or plaintiff’s fault. Once that is determined, we then discount from that and contributions the plaintiff may have had in causing the accident. If we think the plaintiff is 20% at fault, we then we deduct that off the total value.

All of the above factors and more go into determining a case value.

So, when Connecticut accident lawyer Frank McCoy is asked, “What is my case worth?” Frank uses his 20 years of personal injury litigation experience in addition to the above variables to place a value on your case.

If  we are not able to agree with the defense on the value, then the Jury is the ultimate decider of the value of your case.

When I was relatively new as a Hartford Connecticut Injury Lawyer, I received a call from an insurance adjuster stating that the company for which he worked, wanted  to wrap up the cases they had with my firm by the end of the calendar year.  This  “super adjuster”  would be coming in from Atlanta to settle accident cases they had with my personal injury firm.

What a great idea I thought!  The big day came and I had 6 car accident injury cases cases  for the adjuster to “wrap up.” The adjuster did not even bother to read the claims and assumed they were all false. 

It took me little time to realize that facts do not matter to the insurance adjuster, and documentation is everything.  Fortunatley, we are always ahead of the insurance companies.  At our Connecticut Paersonal Injury Firm, we  know that if the insurance adjusters  – we file suit.  As a board certified Trial Attorney I know the best way to settle a Connecticut personal injury case is to prepare for trial. 

Recently I ran a cross  an e-book which you can download for free - The Smart Consumers Guide to Hiring a Great Lawyer.  The book lists the criteria for choosing the best personal injury lawyer, or in our case, the best Connecticut personal injury lawyer. 

Let’s look at their top three criterion and see how Connecticut Personal Injury Lawyer Frank McCoy stacks up:

#1 Number Of Years Practicing Law
When it comes to practicing law and effectively negotiating cases, experience is a wise teacher.  Connecticut personal injury attorney Frank McCoy has practiced personal injury law in Connecticut for 20 years.  He has negotiated thousands of accident and injury cases and has tried hundreds more. After all of these years Attorney McCoy has helped numerous people with many types of injuries and legal issues.   With over 20 years of experience in personal injury law, Frank knows the insurance companies playbook and is always a step ahead of their tactics when fighting for his clients.

#2 Specializes In Personal Injury
Connecticut personal injury law is a very specific and specialized area of law.  Connecticut personal injury is far too complex for a “general practice.”   There are numerous deadlines, statutes, notices, filings, etc. mandated by the state that must be met.  If any of these are overlooked or missed the case can be dismissed.  Hiring a Connecticut personal injury lawyer who knows this information and is constantly current on any changes is imperative.   Attorney Frank McCoy has devoted his entire practice, 100%, to personal injury law.  Frank's practice includes cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, birth injuries, slip and falls, product liability, dangerous or defective drugs, and wrongful death. Attorney McCoy limits his practice representing those who have been seriously injured by the negligence of others. 

#3 Trial Experience
Frank's winning trial experience has established him as a leading Hartford Connecticut Trial Attorney.  Frank is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney, through the National Board of Trial Advocacy.  This prestigious certification sets high expectations amongst its recipients as they are required to adhere to the strict standards of  the NBTA.  Insurance companies in Connecticut know that Attorney McCoy is always ready for trial which gives them more incentive to settle his clients personal injury case.  We honestly would like to settle every case, and make it our primary focus to do just that. But, sometimes the insurance company is just not willing to pay fair compensation. When that happens, you have to be able to try your case in front of a jury and let them decide.

At McCoy and McCoy, we are dedicated to helping our clients protect their legal rights in the face of devastating losses such as illness, injuries, and harm to family members. We have been doing this work for over 20 years, combining compassionate service with tireless advocacy. Choosing an experienced Connecticut personal injury law firm can provide priceless peace of mind.