How To Tell The Settlement Value Of Your Medical Malpractice Case

Question: What is the settlement value of your case?

Answer: The settlement value is the rock bottom monetary value that you will accept to settle your case.

You should ask your lawyer, “What is the rock bottom number (money) that you will recommend to settle my case?” You want to make sure you and your lawyer are thinking on the same page. Your lawyer may say $300k while you’re thinking $3 million. But at least you’re getting a clearer understanding of the value that your lawyer puts on your case.

Do not accept vague answers from your lawyer. If your lawyer responds, “Oh, I don’t know, we’ll see how it goes…you could hit the jackpot with this one.” These are the words of an amateur attorney. Your lawyer should have a specific settlement value for your case and be willing to share that value with you. It’s crucial that you and your lawyer agree on the value of your case or your lawyer can’t negotiate a settlement that is acceptable to you.

You should ask your lawyer to put the settlement value of your case in a letter that he signs. And don’t let your attorney give a range for the settlement–$500k to $750k. That is just way to broad and doesn’t give you a clear idea of the actual value of your case. You want your lawyer to give you a specific dollar figure, “I will not settle your case for a penny less than $625k”.

Now, you have a much better understanding of what you can get from a settlement.

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