Here, I’m going to talk about settlements for a broken jaw. You’ll learn how insurance companies estimate the value of broken jaw cases.
An accident may result in a fractured jaw. I’ve seen car and bike accidents cause jaw fractures. Of course, a broken jaw can be caused by many other types of accidents.
What Arguments Should You make to the Insurance Company if you Have a Dislocated Jaw?
Ask your doctor to explain in your medical records that a dislocated jaw can cause problems even if your jaw pops back into place. This may entitle you to future pain and suffering compensation.
How Much is a Fractured Jaw Worth?
A person’s jaw may break in one or two or more places. In order for the jaw to properly heal, the doctor may need to wire the victim’s mouth shut.
How much is a fractured jaw worth if it is wired shut?
I haven’t done the jury verdict research on this particular injury. However, I would estimate that the full settlement value of pain and suffering is between $25,000 to $50,000. This range is for Florida personal injury cases. It doesn’t apply to workers compensation cases unless the worker has a claim against someone other than his employer.
How do I come up with the $25,000 to $50,000 pain and suffering range?
Because I’ve estimated the full settlement value of hundreds of cases. I can’t imagine that the full value is above the $25,000 to $50,000 range if the jaw heals in a few weeks. If the healing takes much longer, the full value increases.
If the victim also broke a tooth in the accident, that adds additional value. Generally speaking, a broken tooth isn’t worth as much as a broken jaw. However, dental implants aren’t cheap. The more teeth that are broken, the higher the full value of the case.
To calculate the value of the case, you need to add the full values of all of the combined injuries. Let’s say that the injured person has a broken jaw, and has a herniated disc.
Each of those injuries usually has a full values of $25,000 to $50,000. (I’m not talking about a spinal fusion surgery. Spinal fusion surgeries have a much higher full settlement value.)
Thus, the full value range for a broken jaw and herniated disc may be between $50,000 and $100,000.
But the calculation doesn’t end there.
Liability Issues Can Quickly Cut Down The Value of a Broken Jaw Case
As in any case, the injured person needs to reduce the full value of the case by any issues. I’m talking about liability issues or possible fault on the injured person.
Sometimes the injured person won’t need to discount the full value of the case. For example, if the injured person was a passenger in a car accident, she likely won’t need to lower the full value of her broken jaw case.
Why not?
Because in most car accident cases the passenger isn’t at fault. That is one of the great things about a passenger’s personal injury case.
However, if the passenger wasn’t wearing a seat belt, that can change things. For settlement purposes, the passenger may need to cut the full value of his case accordingly.
But even an unbelted occupant may have a good injury case.
Likewise, if a car hits a pedestrian while she is in the crosswalk, the pedestrian likely won’t have to discount the full value of her case. This will result in the pedestrian’s accident settlement keeping its full value.
On the other hand, some issues can quickly crush the full value of a broken jaw case.
For example, let’s say that an injured person is riding a bike where he shouldn’t be. Or perhaps a driver can’t see the bike rider at night (and hits her) because the bike doesn’t have lights.
In both of those cases, the injured person may need to cut the value of the case accordingly.
Issues proving fault can possibly cut the full value of a case by 80% or so. This, would result in the injured person likely just getting an offer for 20% of the full value of a fractured jaw.
Does Having a Plate and Screws Put Into Your Jaw Increase Settlement Value?
Plate and screws put into the jaw to fix the fracture add big value.
I’ve said it before. Surgery increases the full value of a personal injury case. Having a plate and screws put in the jaw is no exception.
Let’s assume that another driver was at fault, and the injured person had jaw surgery (plates and screws) inserted.
In this scenario, what is the biggest issue with the case?
The biggest issue may be finding enough insurance to pay for the fair value of the case. Lack of insurance is one of the many factors that may affect a personal injury settlement.
When Will There Be Enough Insurance to Pay for a Broken Jaw (With Surgery) Case?
If the injured person was a passenger in an Uber car, insurance shouldn’t be an issue. At least not for now. There should be at least $1 million of available insurance. The worst part about that case is dealing with Uber’s insurance company, Progressive.
Simply put, Progressive is cheap when it comes to offering the fair value of an injury case. The same is true with State Farm. State Farm is only slightly better.
If the injured person was a passenger in a Lyft car in Florida, there should be between $250,000 and $1 million in available insurance.
Insurance also likely won’t be an issue if a tractor trailer hits you. Tractor trailers are often covered with loads of insurance. In fact, the odds are that the 18 wheeler’s bodily injury insurance limits will be bigger than the value of a jaw fracture case. This assumes that the claimant’s main injury is a broken jaw.
Insurance companies for 18 wheelers usually offer more to settle a broken jaw case. This is due to a few reasons.
For one, truck accident adjusters are used to paying out bigger claims.
Also, in a trucking case, the trucking company may be on the hook for punitive damages if they’ve neglected safety.
Did you break your jaw in an accident in Florida?
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