Are Injury Calculators Accurate?
So, your life was upended by a freak car accident. It’s been a rough few months, to say the least. You might have medical expenses. You may have missed work. The point is, you have bills, and you need money. That’s when someone finds themselves on an injury calculator website to see how much money their case might be worth.
But, as Slater & Zurz Car Accident Lawyer Robert Horton says, you’ve done little more than giving your personal information to a marketing company.
“Online calculators make my job harder,” Horton says. “For a personal injury attorney, they’re the worst thing on the internet.”
Every case is different, but calculators assume they’re all the same. The injury, treatment, and nature of the car accident are all different. Users are prompted to punch numbers in the calculator and select from lists of presets. It spits out an amount and you’ve just been given a hunk of false hope.
When you visit an online injury settlement calculator, chances are you’ve experienced recent trauma and your emotional state is already in peril. Mounting bills caused by a car accident has you searching for answers. Once you’re there, you’ll be asked for valuable personal information and be forced to feast on a smorgasbord of advertisements.
“They’re clickbait for advertisers to gather your data,” Horton said. “They’re designed to solicit you.”
Why Are Settlement Calculators Often Wrong?
While your calculator from Mrs. Smith’s 11th-grade math class was expected to be 100% accurate, people using online personal injury settlement calculators are expected to take their results with a grain of salt.
“What that person should have done first is call us, an attorney,” Horton said. “After someone goes to one of these injury calculator websites, they meet with an attorney thinking they are guaranteed whatever amount the calculator gave them.”
But what the calculator has failed to do is:
- Factor the type of injury, treatment, or nature of the car accident;
- Take into account aggravating factors or preexisting conditions;
- Apply jurisdictional, county, and state data or geographic location;
As Horton said, all accidents and people are different. Injury settlements vary by state, county, and, in some cases, even by neighborhood. The time of year even plays a part in how insurance adjusters handle claims.
“There are so many factors to consider that a calculator could never get it right,” Horton said. “There are so many variables, so many disparities, that get evaluated by attorneys and insurance adjusters.”
Get The Real Deal From A Real Lawyer
When an accident victim finally gets to the stage of discussing their case with an attorney, Horton says they often come up with an estimate from the online calculator.
“Personal injury calculators are anything but personal,” Horton says. “Please just call a car accident lawyer first. It’s going to save you a lot of time and misinformation.”
Slater & Zurz has built a legacy on factual, accurate, and personal representation. Advocating for people also means informing them ahead of time about potential pitfalls in the legal process. Injury calculators fit that description, and nothing substitutes the advice of a good old-fashioned attorney.
“When I take a case, I want to get to know you and get all the facts so I can give you the best representation,” Horton says. “Calculators aren’t looking for those specific facts.
“We are going to give you true, accurate legal advice to make sure you get the appropriate recovery.”
Slater & Zurz Should Be The Only Firm Calculating For You
We know the roulette some clients undergo with many attorneys. You call and struggle to get your rep to give you a timely callback. Not at Slater & Zurz. Customer service and client communications are drilled into every associate. It’s a point of pride. Our job is to help you worry less, not more, by keeping you in the dark about your case.
Determining a victim’s pain and suffering should never be left to an impersonal algorithm. For one of the most personal moments in your life, you need the personal touch of an experienced personal injury lawyer in Columbus, Ohio.
We make it easy to reach us. We’re available day or night, 24/7, by calling 888.534.4850. You can also reach us online at slaterzurz.com. We want the call because we know our experience is your best option.
We advocate strongly on behalf of injured victims across Ohio, with convenient locations in Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo.
