Closing in on 20 years of practicing law, with the past 15 dedicated almost solely to a personal injury practice, I have been asked some pretty strange things. Everything from "Can I sue Waffle House for having dirt in their coffee?" to "My neighbor put a tracer in my brain so aliens can track me. Can I sue him to get him to stop?" But although there are some outliers, the vast majority of folks are good, hard working people who have been wronged, need help, and only desire justice and fairness. Here are a few things that these folks tend to ask:
1. What is my case worth?
We could talk about this issue for hours or days. Every case is different. And it matters what county the case is filed in, who the defendant wrongdoer is, the extent of injuries, and a vast array of factors. But the garden variety personal injury case will be driven by medical bills and evidence, lost wages, missed work, and non-economic factors such as pain and suffering or scarring. Further, while not every case justifies it, if punitive damages are on the table, that could greatly affect case value. The key is to get all information to a skilled and experienced personal injury attorney. At the end of the day, the true value is what that attorney can convince a jury of 12 people of. To do that, you need an experienced advocate.
2. Is my case recovery taxable?
Great question. And the answer is . . . maybe. While speaking generally, personal injury recoveries are not taxable, certain types of recovery are indeed taxable. It depends on the type of case and the type of recovery obtained. It will depend on whether the recovery is for pain and suffering, medical bills, lost income, or another form of damages. Again, you need a skilled and experienced trial attorney to walk you through he ins and outs of this issue. You don't want to "win," in court and then ultimately "lose" to the IRS.
At Gibson Law Firm, we strive to give our clients top notch representation and skilled advocacy. We will always be there to fight for our clients and to answer any questions, no matter how frequently they are asked.