Abstract:
The present invention is a method for calculating a current monetary value of a personal injury claim wherein computers are utilized to store, process, manipulate and analyze information collected from finalized personal injury claims including data representative of the cause of the personal injury, the type of injury sustained, the location where the injury occurred, the amounts paid for medical services and the amounts claimed for medical services to calculate an average settlement multiple which, when multiplied by the current amount claimed as medical damages, yields a current average settlement value.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is a computer implemented method for establishing a current monetary value of a personal injury claim wherein computers are utilized to process, manipulate and to analyze objective data associated with the factors that are critical to establishing a value for a personal injury claim including but not limited to: the cause of the personal injury; the location where the injury occurred; the nature of the injury suffered; the medical cost incurred by the victim; and the settlement multiple 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A personal injury is any physical, psychological or emotional injury suffered by a human being as a result of negligent or intentional conduct by another or an accidental injury sustained in the course of ones employment (worker compensation claims). Physical injuries can arise from involvement in an automobile accident, a common carrier accident (railroad, airline, and bus), a construction or other workplace accident, a dangerous or otherwise unsafe product (product liability) and other injury-causing situations. Personal injuries are not, however, limited to physical injuries. Claimants can recover for psychological harm as well. Psychological personal injuries are typically caused by psychological trauma associated with life-threatening or disfiguring physical injuries, a result of witnessing others suffer trauma, or the result of one&#39;s escape from serious injury following a traumatic event. The types of damages the injured party may recover include lost wages, loss of earnings capacity, pain and suffering, and reasonable medical expenses. Damages can include both present and future expected losses. Depending upon the type of conduct that caused the injury, the injured person may sue for an injunction to prevent the continuation of the tortuous conduct or for monetary damages. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury morbidity and mortality in the United States, accounting for more than 40,000 deaths and 6 million injuries every year. 
         [0003]    The current personal injury claims resolution mechanism consists of an injured party, a tort-feasor and, in some cases, the tort feasor&#39;s employer. The tort-feasor is the person or entity whose negligence caused the injury and who is the potential defendant in a civil action initiated by the injured party. Typically, the tort-feasor is represented by an insurance liability carrier before and during trial. Initially, the parties will attempt to settle the claim out of court. Liability insurance companies initially use claims adjusters. Adjusters have no specific training regarding the valuation of claims and no specific, reliable, consistent and measurable standards by which to value a claim. Each claim is treated as a separate entity and factors are weighed according to the experience of the individual adjuster. 
         [0004]    The injured party, or claimant, may represent himself/herself or hire an attorney to represent him before and during trial. Lawyers who represent injured parties have no specific training regarding the valuation of claims and no specific, reliable, consistent and measurable standards by which to value a claim. Lawyers also treat each claim as a separate entity and factors are weighed according to the experience of the individual attorney or, at most, experience within the law firm. 
         [0005]    The only somewhat objective standard used by insurance companies and lawyers in their claims valuation mechanism is jury verdict information. Each party uses the threat of a trial to force the other to settle the claim and neither party, at least initially, will agree to a settlement that it considers less favorable than its expectation of the outcome at trial, including the uncertainty and costs of the litigation. Because juries apply uniquely local standards when awarding compensation, awards for the same type of injury vary widely from one location to another and perhaps even in the same geographic region. Nevertheless, the location of the potential trial is an objective factor in the settlement of most personal injury claims without regard to the nature of the claim or the injuries suffered. 
         [0006]    In practice, the settlement value of the claim is determined in most cases by multiplying the claimant&#39;s medical costs, often referred to as “specials”, by a factor that is negotiated by the parties. Specials are the incurred cost of medical treatment including physicians, institutional care, prescriptions and disability compensation. The insurance adjuster typically offers to settle the case for an amount that is 1.5 to 5 times the total monetary value of the specials. The usual claim is settled for an amount that is 1.5 to 5 times the monetary value of the claimant&#39;s specials. Lost wages and property damages are added to create a total settlement. The number by which the claimant&#39;s special damages are multiplied to reach the settlement amount is the settlement multiple. Therefore, the critical factor in valuation of claims is determining the appropriate settlement multiple for the specific case. Currently, the settlement multiple agreed upon depends on the relative negotiation skills, experience and reputations of the claims adjuster and the lawyer. Consequently, while the fact of having a lawyer will likely increase the settlement amount, the lawyer selected may have a greater bearing on the amount paid. Likewise, the skill and experience of the opposing insurance adjuster or defendant&#39;s attorney may negate the relative value of an attorney. The settlement values may be expressed as monetary currency, non-monetary currency or a combination of both monetary and non-monetary currency. 
         [0007]    The current personal injury claims settlement mechanism has no reliable, consistent and measurable standards by which any actor in the process can accurately estimate the monetary value of a claim for personal injuries. The absence of reliable, consistent and measurable standards means that the end result is based more on the relative advocacy skills or experience of the competing parties than any objective analysis. These effects are particularly dangerous for the average claimant who is a layman and who has little idea of the value of his claim or how any value will be determined. The typical claimant does not have sufficient reliable and accurate information about the claims settlement mechanism to make even basic decisions about the best way to protect himself and his family against less than honorable insurance adjusters, health care providers or lawyers. His ignorance of the potential monetary value of his claim makes him unable to know when to accept a reasonable settlement offer or when to reject an unreasonable offer. He is totally dependent upon information and opinions provided by people whose motives are suspect and whose information is also limited. 
         [0008]    The current claims valuation mechanism also causes insurance carriers to contribute to the rise in litigation and cost of claims. Often carriers will make initial settlement offers that offend the honest claimant and that drive him to seek advice from an attorney. Often carriers pay fraudulent, false or exaggerated claims, especially when the claimant simply accepts the initial offer. Carriers are then required to maintain and to increase the amounts maintained for loss adjustment expenses, thus driving up the cost of insurance premiums. 
         [0009]    The existing claims valuation mechanism invites fraud. The case by case approach to resolution prevents lawyers and insurance carriers from seeing the bigger picture of phony claims, contrived injuries and inflated or false medical charges. Case by case resolution precludes or delays detection of fraudulent collusion between claimants, lawyers, tort feasors and health care entities. Case by case resolution also fails to detect fraud related to inflated or fraudulent medical charges. The current claims valuation mechanisms do not take advantage of or utilize historical data taken from settled case files to ensure that similarly situated claimants are treated similarly. 
         [0010]    Previous inventions have focused only on administrative management of insurance forms or law firm claim forms, case files or customer files or on automating a dispute resolution process to facilitate the claims settlement process. Previous practice and previous inventions have not focused on development of an objective method of establishing the settlement multiple for a new claim using data from previously settled cases. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    Consistent with embodiments of the present invention, a method implemented by a system whereby the value of a claim for personal injuries is determined. The system comprises at least memory storage and an analysis module. The system memory storage is configured for maintaining a database including data representative of historical personal injury claims. The analysis module is coupled to the memory storage and operatively configured to receive an input of data representative of a new personal injury claim. In response to the input of data representative of a new personal injury claim, the analysis module identifies and retrieves from the system memory storage historical claim data representative of subset pools of claims wherein each of the claims within the subset pools is comprised of claims wherein at least the causation of the injury, the injury suffered, and the location where the injury occurred are similar to the causation of the injury, injuries suffered, and location where the injury occurred for the new personal injury claim. The historical claims data retrieved from the system memory storage for inclusion in the subset pools consists of claims data that occurred within a relevant time before the date of the injury reported for the new personal injury claim. The system and method determine a settlement multiple associated with the historical claims retrieved from data storage. The system and method then use the settlement multiple and the damages indentified in the new personal injury claim to generate a settlement value for the new personal injury claim. 
         [0012]    Various aspects of the invention are novel, non-obvious and provide various advantages. While the actual nature of the invention covered herein can be determined only with reference to the claims appended hereto, certain features which are characteristic of the preferred embodiment can be described briefly. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate various embodiments of the present invention. While the actual nature of the invention covered herein can be determined only with reference to the claims appended hereto, certain features which are characteristic of the preferred embodiment can be described briefly. In the drawings: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a depiction of the minimal computer functions required to support the invention; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  are flow charts that show the steps of the first embodiment in which an average settlement value for a new personal injury claim is—generated; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  are flow charts that depict the second embodiment in which an average settlement range for a new personal injury claim is generated; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  are flow charts that depict the process flow of a third embodiment of the invention which determines the effect of punitive damages on the potential value of a new personal injury claim; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  are flow charts that depict a fourth embodiment of the present invention which determines the effects of a jury verdict on the potential value of a new personal injury claim; and 
           [0019]      FIGS. 6   a    6   b    6   c  and  6   d  are process flow charts that depict the three procedures the inventive system executes to determine and to warn of the potential for fraudulent activity regarding a new claim for personal injuries. 
       
    
    
     GENERAL DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    The present invention is a system and method for establishing a current monetary value of a personal injury claim using computer enabled modules to perform data processing operations using personal injury claim objective data to determine the monetary value of a personal injury claim. The invention considers all factors that are critical to establishing a value for a personal injury claim including but not limited to: the type or cause of the personal injury (causation); the nature of the injury suffered by the victim; the cost of medical services; the location where the injury occurred; and, the relevant time when the injury occurred. The invention uses computers to store, analyze and retrieve information from a database of personal injury cases that have been terminated by way of litigation or settlement. The information in each case is stored in distinct data fields. The invention generates a settlement multiple and then generates the monetary value of the claim. 
         [0021]    In one embodiment of the invention, an average settlement value for a new personal injury claim is generated. The system and method requires input of specific data about a new claim. The person providing the data may be an insurance adjuster, a personal injury attorney or a consumer (hereinafter referred to as the “subscriber”).The data fields into which the subscriber inputs information correlate to data fields of the stored case files. The system and method of the present invention searches the database to compare data from a new claim against data in the stored case files. The process yields search records of settled case files that have the same causation as the new claim, cases that occurred in the same (or nearby) geographic area as the new claim, and, cases that produced the same or similar injuries. To be relevant to the mechanism for establishing a value for the new claim, only cases that occurred within a specific time frame relative to the date of occurrence of the new claim will be considered. Usually, the period defined by the state statute of limitations for filing suit is a relevant time frame. While it is understood that this time frame may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, that time is usually three years from the date of occurrence of the new claim. 
         [0022]    Using the data from the cases in the search record, the system and methods implementing embodiments of the invention determines the average amount claimed as medical damages, determines the average amount actually paid to claimants and generates the average settlement multiple for those cases. Using the information provided by the subscriber, the system and method implementing the present embodiment generates the subscriber&#39;s medical costs and multiplies that amount by the average settlement multiple. The result is the average settlement value of the claim. The system and method implementing the present embodiment then adds the claimant&#39;s lost wages. The result is the average total settlement value of the subscriber&#39;s claim. 
         [0023]    In another embodiment, the system generates an average settlement range for a new personal injury claim. The system implementing the present embodiment first generates the average settlement value of the new claim following the processes described in the first embodiment. The processes of the system implementing the first embodiment are incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0024]    Next, the system and method generate a high settlement value of the new claim. The system and method then identifies all cases in which the amount paid to settle exceeds the average settlement value by a predetermined percentage variable greater than 100% of the average settlement value. The system and method implementing the present embodiment uses 125% as the predetermined percentage variable. Reference to a specific variable is illustrative, however and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiment but as merely providing illustrations of the operation of the embodiment. Thus, the scope of the embodiment should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given. The cases identified as exceeding the average by 125% or more are considered high value cases. The system and method then determines the average amount claimed as medical costs in the high value cases and determines the average amount actually paid to the claimants in the high value cases. The system and method determines the average settlement multiple for the high value cases. Using the information provided by the subscriber, the system and method determines the subscriber&#39;s medical costs and multiplies the subscriber&#39;s medical costs by the high average high value settlement multiple. The result is the average high settlement value of the claim. 
         [0025]    The system and method implementing the present embodiment then determines the low settlement value of the claim. The system identifies all cases in which the amount paid to settle a claim is less than the average settlement value for all cases. The system and method use a predetermined percentage variable which is less than 100% of the average settlement value. The system and method implementing the present embodiment uses 75% as the predetermined percentage variable. The use of a specific variable is illustrative only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiment but as merely providing illustrations of the operation of the embodiment. Thus, the scope of the embodiment should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given. Consequently, all claims in which the amount paid is 75% or less than the average amount actually paid claimants fall into the low value category. Next, the system and method determines the average amount claimed as medical costs in the low value cases and determines the average amount actually paid to the claimants in the low value cases. The system and method then determines the average settlement multiple for the low value cases. Using the information provided by the subscriber, the system determines the subscriber&#39;s medical costs and multiplies the subscriber&#39;s medical costs by the low average high value settlement multiple. The result is the average low settlement value of the claim. Determining the high, average and low settlement values creates an optimum settlement range for the subscriber&#39;s new claim. 
         [0026]    Another embodiment of the invention objectively determines the impact of jury verdicts on the value of a new claim. The system and method identifies all cases from the database that have the same causation as the new case; that occurred in the same geographic region as the new case; that occurred within a relevant time to the new case; and that have the same injuries as described for the new case. The system and method then identifies all cases within the search results that were tried by jury and creates a database of those cases. The system and method also identifies all cases that were resolved by settlement and creates a separate database for those cases. The system and method determines the average amount awarded as damages in the cases tried by juries and the average amount awarded as damages in non jury cases. The system and method also determines the average settlement multiple for jury cases and the average settlement multiple for non jury cases. The system and method implementing the present embodiment then reports, among other things, the findings and demonstrates the average awards and the average settlement multiples for jury and non jury cases from the database cases. 
         [0027]    In another embodiment of the invention the system and method determines the effect of punitive damages on the value of a claim for personal injuries. In this embodiment, the system and method identifies all cases from the database that have the same causation as the new case; that occurred in the same geographic region as the new case; that occurred within a relevant time to the new case; and that have the same injuries as described for the new case. The system and method identifies and counts all cases within the search results in which punitive damages were awarded. The system and method also identifies and counts all cases within the search results in which punitive damages were not awarded. The system and method determines the average amount awarded as damages in the cases in which punitive damages were awarded and the average amount awarded as damages in non-punitive damage cases. The system and method also determines the average settlement multiple for the punitive damage cases and the average settlement multiple for non-punitive damage cases. The system and method also generates reports that illustrate, among other things, the findings and demonstrates the average amounts awarded as damages in the punitive and non-punitive damage cases, and the average settlement multiple for each. 
         [0028]    In another embodiment of the invention, the system and method detects the potential for fraud by verifying the treatment protocol and medical cost information demanded in a new personal injury claim against costs for medical care and treatment protocol for finalized cases. The premise is that similar injuries occurring in the same geographic region should be treated with similar medical procedures and the costs should be similar within a reasonable variation. A case in which the treatment protocol described by a subscriber does not match the treatment protocol for cases in the database that involve the same kind(s) of injury, the same diagnosis, and the same prognosis should be examined to eliminate any issues of fraud. Likewise, a substantial variation in the cost claimed for specific treatments or procedures can be an indicator of fraud that warrants additional investigation. 
         [0029]    The system and method implementing the present embodiment requires a subscriber to input information about the new claim using the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems or similar medical billing and coding system to identify the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment protocol and other factors about the old and new cases. The use of or reference to a specific standard is illustrative only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiment but as merely providing illustrations of the operation of the embodiment. Thus, the scope of the embodiment should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given. The system and method compares the new claim data to data from the finalized case database from cases that involved the same kind of causation as the claim reported by the subscriber, that occurred in the same geographic region, and in which the victim suffered the same kinds of injuries. The system and method reports any discrepancies as the potential for fraud. 
         [0030]    If triggered, the system and method implementing the present embodiment conducts a systematic evaluation and comparison of each item of damages claimed by the subscriber and compares each to the amount paid for the corresponding item of damages in the database cases. The product generated by the system implementing the present embodiment is a report which identifies each element of damages provided by the subscriber that exceeds 115% of the average amount of the corresponding element of damages from the database cases. While not dispositive of the issue of fraud, a disparity of 115% or more gives the reasonably prudent negotiator reason to question the validity of the charges. While the system and method used to implement the embodiment use a variable of 115%, it is anticipated that the system can be adjusted to use another predetermined percentage variable. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0031]      FIG. 1  is a depiction of the system functionality and the manner in which the modules operating on the system communicate in order to support the invention. Each embodiment of the system and method implemented thereby relies upon computerized data processing of data within data fields in order to generate data representative of personal injury claim values. The preferred configuration consists of commercial, off the shelf computer hardware and software systems. The configuration includes a robust relational database function that allows the input of data in fields from multiple data feeds; retrieval of data; data processing operations; calculation operations; and, mapping operations. The preferred system uses Microsoft SQL Server™ with the following SQL Server technologies: Database Engine; Data Warehousing; Analysis Services—Multidimensional Data; Analysis Services—Data Mining; Integration Services; Replication; Reporting Services; and, Service Broker. While a robust database program operates as a seamless whole, for purposes of illustration and explanation, the description of each embodiment of the present invention assumes that the system  100  implementing embodiments of the present invention consists of a Structured Query Language database program and supporting hardware capable of providing at least: a memory storage module  102 , a query interface module  104 , an analysis module  106 , a report module  108 , and a map module  110 . The memory storage module  102  stores, processes, and secures data. It provides controlled access and rapid transaction processing to meet the requirements of the data consuming applications. The query interface module  104  allows access to the system. The analysis module  106 , which is coupled to the memory storage module and configured to receive an input of data representative of new personal injury claims. The analysis module  106  supports rapid analysis of data, analytical processing and data mining functionality. The analysis module  106  allows the design, creation, and management of multidimensional structures that contain detail and aggregated data from multiple data sources in a single unified logical model supported by built-in calculations. The report module  108  provides comprehensive data reporting. It allows for the creation of interactive, tabular, or free-form reports, can retrieve data at scheduled intervals or on-demand when the user opens a report, and enables users to create ad hoc reports based on predefined models, and to interactively explore data within the model. The map module  110  identifies Postal Zip Code data including identification of contiguous zip codes. 
         [0032]    The memory storage module  102  contains databases of information about finalized personal injury cases. The sources of data include finalized case files maintained by liability insurance carriers, court files, the internet, hospital or health care provider information or directly from claimants. 
         [0033]    Table 1 describes the data that is relevant to the valuation of personal injury claims. Each data record is referred to as a “case” and each case is assigned a unique case number as an identifier. The data fields include factors relevant to valuation of a claim under the current state of civil law practice. The relevance, description or name of the factors may change as the law or rules of practice change. Consequently, it is contemplated that the preferred list of fields may be modified to meet specific jurisdictional requirements. Although the descriptions that follow contain much specificity, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiment but as merely providing illustrations of the kind of information required and the operation of some of the embodiments. Thus, the scope of the embodiment should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Database/Repository Information 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Field 
                   
               
               
                 Number 
                 Field Content 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Claimant Information 
               
               
                 1 
                 Claimant&#39;s Full name 
               
               
                 2 
                 Address at the time of the incident that caused the injury, 
               
               
                   
                 including Zip Code 
               
               
                 3 
                 Address at time of settlement if different from above 
               
               
                 4 
                 Date of Birth 
               
               
                 5 
                 Race or Ethnic origin (If available) 
               
               
                 6 
                 Date of the incident on which the claim is based 
               
               
                 7 
                 Zip Code of locality where incident that caused the injury 
               
               
                   
                 occurred 
               
               
                 8 
                 Location of trial or settlement (name of city and zip code) 
               
               
                   
                 Type of Personal Injury Claim (one will be identified) 
               
               
                 9 
                 Automobile Collision/Negligence 
               
               
                 10 
                 Medical Malpractice 
               
               
                 11 
                 Worker Compensation 
               
               
                 12 
                 Premises Liability 
               
               
                 13 
                 Slip and Fall 
               
               
                 14 
                 Intentional Tort (Slander, Defamation, Assault etc.) 
               
               
                 15 
                 Dog or Other Animal Bite 
               
               
                 16 
                 Product Liability 
               
               
                 17 
                 Toxic Materials 
               
               
                 18 
                 Pharmaceutical 
               
               
                 19 
                 (Narrative key word description of the incident that caused 
               
               
                   
                 the injury) 
               
               
                   
                 Claimant Injury information 
               
               
                 20 
                 Diagnosis using standardized medical diagnostic and billing 
               
               
                   
                 code system entries 
               
               
                 21 
                 Secondary diagnosis using standardized medical diagnostic 
               
               
                   
                 and billing code system entries 
               
               
                 22 
                 Type or description of injury using descriptive words 
               
               
                 23 
                 Treatment Protocol: Procedures, services or supplies using 
               
               
                   
                 standardized medical diagnostic and billing code system 
               
               
                   
                 entries 
               
               
                 24 
                 Length of Treatment (in weeks) 
               
               
                 25 
                 Prognosis using standardized medical diagnostic and billing 
               
               
                   
                 code system entries 
               
               
                 26 
                 Disability rating using standardized medical diagnostic and 
               
               
                   
                 billing code system entries 
               
               
                 27 
                 Narrative, key word description of the disability 
               
               
                   
                 Healthcare Provider Information 
               
               
                 28 
                 Provider identification code for each procedure, service 
               
               
                   
                 or supply 
               
               
                 29 
                 Name and address of treating physician/healthcare provider 
               
               
                 30 
                 Specialty of physician (Chiropractor, Neurosurgeon, etc.) 
               
               
                   
                 Damage Characteristics 
               
               
                   
                 Claim for Lost wages 
               
               
                 31 
                 Claimant&#39;s type of work or profession before the injury 
               
               
                 32 
                 Claimant&#39;s employer at time of injury 
               
               
                 33 
                 Claimant&#39;s average hourly income before the injury 
               
               
                 34 
                 Type of work or profession after the injury 
               
               
                 35 
                 Number of hours claimant was unable to work 
               
               
                 36 
                 Amount claimed as anticipated future disability compensation 
               
               
                 37 
                 Total amount claimed for lost wages (excluding claim for 
               
               
                   
                 anticipated future disability compensation) 
               
               
                   
                 Claim for Medical Expenses (using standardized medical 
               
               
                   
                 diagnostic and billing system codes) 
               
               
                 38 
                 Claim for payments to physicians, healthcare providers or 
               
               
                   
                 healthcare institutions/facilities 
               
               
                 39 
                 Claim for cost of medical appliances, accessories, 
               
               
                   
                 healthcare etc. included in payments to physicians, 
               
               
                   
                 healthcare providers or healthcare institutions/facilities 
               
               
                 40 
                 Claim for x-rays 
               
               
                 41 
                 Claim for laboratory work 
               
               
                 42 
                 Claim for diagnostic procedures (e.g., CT scans, 
               
               
                   
                 MRI&#39;s, etc.) 
               
               
                 43 
                 Claim for medical monitoring if reasonably necessary due 
               
               
                   
                 to the injuries which have been sustained 
               
               
                 44 
                 Claim for cost of institutional services 
               
               
                 45 
                 Expenses claimed for nursing expenses 
               
               
                 46 
                 Expenses claimed for physical therapy expenses 
               
               
                 47 
                 Expenses claimed for psychological or psychiatric treatment 
               
               
                 48 
                 Expenses claimed for rehabilitation expenses 
               
               
                 49 
                 Expenses claimed as retraining expenses (e.g., speech therapy 
               
               
                   
                 and vocational rehabilitation) 
               
               
                 50 
                 Expenses claimed for prostheses 
               
               
                 51 
                 Expenses claimed for physical aid and equipment, such as 
               
               
                   
                 crutches, canes, wheelchairs, collars and braces 
               
               
                 52 
                 Expenses claimed for medical appliances, accessories, 
               
               
                   
                 healthcare etc. not included in payments to physicians, 
               
               
                   
                 healthcare providers or healthcare institutions/facilities 
               
               
                 53 
                 Total amount claimed for Medical Expenses 
               
               
                   
                 (sum of fields 38 to 52) 
               
               
                   
                 Prescriptions and other Medications (using standardized 
               
               
                   
                 medical diagnostic and billing system codes) 
               
               
                 54 
                 Name(s) of prescription medication(s) required as result 
               
               
                   
                 of or treatment for injuries sustained 
               
               
                 55 
                 How long prescription medication was taken (as claimed) 
               
               
                 56 
                 Amount claimed as total cost of prescription medicines 
               
               
                 57 
                 Amount claimed as total anticipated cost of prescription 
               
               
                   
                 medicines (per year) 
               
               
                 58 
                 Name(s) of non-prescription medicine(s) required as result 
               
               
                   
                 of or treatment for injuries sustained 
               
               
                 59 
                 Amount claimed as total cost of non-prescription medicines 
               
               
                 60 
                 Amount claimed as anticipated future cost of non-prescription 
               
               
                   
                 medicine(s) 
               
               
                 61 
                 Total amount claimed for Prescription and other Medication 
               
               
                   
                 (sum of fields 57, 58 and 60 ) 
               
               
                 62 
                 Total Medical Costs (Sum of fields 36, 53 and 61) 
               
               
                   
                 Property Damage Claim 
               
               
                 63 
                 Narrative description of property damaged 
               
               
                 64 
                 Amount claimed for damage to property 
               
               
                   
                 Tort Feasor Information. (The person or entity determined 
               
               
                   
                 to be at fault.) 
               
               
                 65 
                 Full name 
               
               
                 66 
                 Any known aliases 
               
               
                 67 
                 Address at the time of the incident causing the injury, 
               
               
                   
                 including Zip Code 
               
               
                 68 
                 Date of birth 
               
               
                 69 
                 Race or ethnic origin (if available) 
               
               
                 70 
                 Occupation at the time of the incident causing the injury 
               
               
                   
                 Attorney Information 
               
               
                 71 
                 Name of counsel if represented 
               
               
                 72 
                 Address of Counsel 
               
               
                   
                 Claim Settlement Information 
               
               
                 73 
                 Amount paid as disability compensation 
               
               
                 74 
                 Amount paid for medical expenses 
               
               
                 75 
                 Amount paid as or for anticipated future medical costs 
               
               
                 76 
                 Amount paid for Prescription and other Medication 
               
               
                 77 
                 Amount paid for lost wages 
               
               
                 78 
                 Amount paid for property damage 
               
               
                 79 
                 Amount Paid for Punitive Damages 
               
               
                 80 
                 Total amount paid for claim - excluding property damage, 
               
               
                   
                 lost wages and punitive damages 
               
               
                 81 
                 Total amount paid for claim - including property damage 
               
               
                   
                 and lost wages 
               
               
                 82 
                 Was the claim resolved by settlement or by verdict? 
               
               
                   
                 _ yes _ no (Choose one) 
               
               
                   
                 (Jury verdict” includes cases decided by judge alone) 
               
               
                 83 
                 If by verdict - name of presiding judge 
               
               
                 84 
                 Was the claim against the employer of the person who actually 
               
               
                   
                 caused the injury? (Choose “yes” or “no”) 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0034]      FIGS. 2(   a ) and  2 ( b ) are flowcharts depicting the processes (identified as “steps”) in the first embodiment of the invention. In the first embodiment, the system  100  and method implemented thereby determines an average value for the personal injury claim. In Step one  202  the subscriber connects to or accesses the system through the query interface module  104 . In Step two  204 , the subscriber enters data about the new claim by entering information into predefined tables in the memory storage module  102 . The information provided by the subscriber mirrors the data fields in the historical cases in the memory storage module  102 . Table 2 describes the data provided by the subscriber that is relevant to the valuation of personal injury claims and the preferred data field designations for subscriber data. Although the descriptions that follow contain much specificity, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiment but as merely providing illustrations of the kind of information required and the operation of some of the embodiments. Thus, the scope of the embodiment should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Data Entered By Subscriber 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Field 
                   
               
               
                 Number 
                 Field Content 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 85 
                 Claimant&#39;s Full name 
               
               
                 86 
                 Address at the time of the incident that caused the injury, 
               
               
                   
                 including Zip Code 
               
               
                 87 
                 Current Address 
               
               
                 88 
                 Date of Birth 
               
               
                 89 
                 Race or Ethnic origin (optional) 
               
               
                 90 
                 Date of the incident on which the claim is based 
               
               
                 91 
                 Zip Code of site where incident that caused the 
               
               
                   
                 injury occurred 
               
               
                 92 
                 Location (name of city and zip code) of the state court of 
               
               
                   
                 general jurisdiction nearest the site where the injury occurred 
               
               
                   
                 Type of Personal Injury Claim (one will be identified) 
               
               
                 93 
                 Automobile Collision/Negligence 
               
               
                 94 
                 Medical Malpractice 
               
               
                 95 
                 Worker Compensation 
               
               
                 96 
                 Premises Liability 
               
               
                 97 
                 Slip and Fall 
               
               
                 98 
                 Intentional Tort (Slander, Defamation, Assault etc.) 
               
               
                 99 
                 Dog or Other Animal Bite 
               
               
                 100 
                 Product Liability 
               
               
                 101 
                 Toxic Materials 
               
               
                 102 
                 Pharmaceutical 
               
               
                 103 
                 Other (Narrative key word description of the incident that 
               
               
                   
                 caused the injury) 
               
               
                   
                 Claimant Injury Information 
               
               
                 104 
                 Diagnosis using standardized medical diagnostic and billing 
               
               
                   
                 system codes 
               
               
                 105 
                 Secondary diagnosis if any (using standardized medical 
               
               
                   
                 diagnostic and billing system codes) 
               
               
                 106 
                 Type or description of injury using descriptive words 
               
               
                 107 
                 Treatment Protocol: Procedures, services or supplies using 
               
               
                   
                 standardized medical diagnostic and billing code system entries 
               
               
                 108 
                 Length of Treatment (in weeks) 
               
               
                 109 
                 Prognosis (using standardized medical diagnostic and billing 
               
               
                   
                 system codes) 
               
               
                 110 
                 Disability rating if any (using standardized medical diagnostic 
               
               
                   
                 and billing system codes) 
               
               
                 111 
                 Narrative key word description of the disability including 
               
               
                   
                 the part of body affected. 
               
               
                   
                 Healthcare Provider Information 
               
               
                 112 
                 Provider identification code for each procedure, service 
               
               
                   
                 or supply 
               
               
                 113 
                 Name and address of treating physician/healthcare provider 
               
               
                 114 
                 Specialty of physician (Chiropractor, Neurosurgeon, etc.) 
               
               
                   
                 Damage Characteristics 
               
               
                   
                 Claim for Lost Wages 
               
               
                 115 
                 Claimant&#39;s type of work or profession before the injury 
               
               
                 116 
                 Claimant&#39;s employer at time of injury 
               
               
                 117 
                 Claimant&#39;s average weekly income before the injury 
               
               
                 118 
                 Type of work or profession after the injury 
               
               
                 119 
                 Number of hours (days or weeks) claimant unable to work 
               
               
                 120 
                 Amount claimed disability compensation 
               
               
                 121 
                 Total amount claimed for lost wages (excluding claim for 
               
               
                   
                 anticipated future disability compensation) 
               
               
                   
                 Itemized Claim for Medical Costs 
               
               
                 122 
                 Cost for physicians, healthcare providers or healthcare 
               
               
                   
                 institutions/facilities 
               
               
                 123 
                 Cost of medical appliances, accessories, healthcare etc. 
               
               
                   
                 included in payments to physicians, healthcare providers 
               
               
                   
                 or healthcare institutions/facilities 
               
               
                 124 
                 Cost for x-rays 
               
               
                 125 
                 Cost for laboratory work 
               
               
                 126 
                 Cost for diagnostic procedures (e.g., CT scans, 
               
               
                   
                 MRI&#39;s, etc.) 
               
               
                 127 
                 Cost for medical monitoring if reasonably necessary due to 
               
               
                   
                 the injuries which have been sustained 
               
               
                 128 
                 Cost of institutional services 
               
               
                 129 
                 Cost for nursing expenses 
               
               
                 130 
                 Cost for physical therapy expenses 
               
               
                 131 
                 Cost for psychological or psychiatric treatment 
               
               
                 132 
                 Cost for rehabilitation expenses 
               
               
                 133 
                 Cost for retraining expenses (e.g., speech therapy and 
               
               
                   
                 vocational rehabilitation) 
               
               
                 134 
                 Cost for prostheses 
               
               
                 135 
                 Cost for physical aid and equipment, such as crutches, canes, 
               
               
                   
                 wheelchairs, collars and braces 
               
               
                 136 
                 Cost for medical appliances, accessories, healthcare etc. 
               
               
                   
                 not included in payments to physicians, healthcare 
               
               
                   
                 providers or healthcare institutions/facilities 
               
               
                 137 
                 Total Amount Claimed for Medical Costs 
               
               
                   
                 (Sum of fields 122 to 136) 
               
               
                   
                 Prescription and other Medication (using standardized medical 
               
               
                   
                 diagnostic and billing system codes) 
               
               
                 138 
                 Name(s) of prescription medication(s) required as result of or 
               
               
                   
                 treatment for injuries sustained 
               
               
                 139 
                 How long prescription medication was taken 
               
               
                 140 
                 Cost for prescription medicines 
               
               
                 141 
                 Anticipated cost of prescription medicines (per year) 
               
               
                 142 
                 Name(s) of non-prescription medicine(s) required as result 
               
               
                   
                 of or treatment for injuries sustained 
               
               
                 143 
                 Cost of non-prescription medicines 
               
               
                 144 
                 Anticipated future cost of non-prescription medicine(s) 
               
               
                 145 
                 Total amount claimed for prescription and non prescription 
               
               
                   
                 medication (sum of fields 140, 141, and 143). 
               
               
                 146 
                 Total Amount Claimed for Medical Expenses (Sum of fields 
               
               
                   
                 120, 137 and 145) 
               
               
                   
                 Property Damage Claim 
               
               
                 147 
                 Narrative description of property damaged 
               
               
                 148 
                 The amount claimed for damage to property 
               
               
                   
                 Tort Feasor Information. (The person or entity determined 
               
               
                   
                 to be at fault.) 
               
               
                 149 
                 Full name (Indicate whether an entity or an individual) 
               
               
                 150 
                 Any known aliases 
               
               
                 151 
                 Address at the time of the incident causing the injury, 
               
               
                   
                 including Zip Code 
               
               
                 152 
                 Date of Birth 
               
               
                 153 
                 Race or ethnic origin (if known) 
               
               
                 154 
                 Occupation at the time of the incident causing the injury 
               
               
                 155 
                 Is the Claim Asserted Against the Tort Feasor&#39;s 
               
               
                   
                 Employer? 
               
               
                   
                 a. If so, Name of the Employer 
               
               
                   
                 Attorney Information 
               
               
                 156 
                 Name of counsel if represented 
               
               
                 157 
                 Address of Counsel 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0035]    In Step three  208 , the system searches the historic case database  206  and identifies cases that have the same causation as the subscriber&#39;s case. Causation is referred to as the “type of personal injury” in both the database and the subscriber input tables. The subscriber can select only one “type of personal injury.” The process identifies all cases in the database that have the same “type of personal injury” identified by the subscriber by comparing the data fields identified in Table 3. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 3 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Fields Used to Determine Causation of Injury 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Type of Personal 
                 Subscriber 
                 Type of Personal 
               
               
                   
                 Injury Claim (one 
                 Input 
                 Injury Claim (one 
               
               
                 Field # 
                 will be identified) 
                 Field # 
                 will be identified) 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 9 
                 Automobile 
                 93 
                 Automobile 
               
               
                   
                 Collision/Negligence 
                   
                 Collision/Negligence 
               
               
                 10 
                 Medical Malpractice 
                 94 
                 Medical Malpractice 
               
               
                 11 
                 Worker Compensation 
                 95 
                 Worker Compensation 
               
               
                 12 
                 Premises Liability 
                 96 
                 Premises Liability 
               
               
                 13 
                 Slip and Fall 
                 97 
                 Slip and Fall 
               
               
                 14 
                 Intentional Tort 
                 98 
                 Intentional Tort (Slander, 
               
               
                   
                 (Slander, Defamation, 
                   
                 Defamation, Assault etc.) 
               
               
                   
                 Assault etc.) 
               
               
                 15 
                 Dog or Other Animal 
                 99 
                 Dog or Other Animal Bite 
               
               
                   
                 Bite 
               
               
                 16 
                 Product Liability 
                 100 
                 Product Liability 
               
               
                 17 
                 Toxic Materials 
                 101 
                 Toxic Materials 
               
               
                 18 
                 Pharmaceutical Other 
                 102 
                 Pharmaceutical 
               
               
                 19 
                 (Narrative key word 
                 103 
                 Other (Narrative key word 
               
               
                   
                 description of the 
                   
                 description of the incident 
               
               
                   
                 incident that caused 
                   
                 that caused the injury) 
               
               
                   
                 the injury) 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0036]    For example, if the subscriber selects “Automobile Collision/Negligence” as the type of personal injury, the process identifies all cases in the data storage module  102  in which Data Field  9  (Automobile Collision/Negligence) is identified as the type of personal injury. The process creates search results “A”  212  and provides a count of the total number of cases identified. 
         [0037]    In Step four  210  the Map Module  110  identifies all cases in search results “A”  212  that occurred in the same geographic region as the subscriber&#39;s case. Step four ties the results of the causation analysis to the geographic area where the subscriber&#39;s injury occurred. The process compares the data in fields  8  and  92 . If, for example, the subscriber identifies “30302” as the zip code in field  92  as the place where the injury causing incident occurred, the system will identify all cases in search results “A” that identified zip code “30302” in field  8  as the place of occurrence in those cases. If no cases are reported or if the number of cases identified for the specific zip code is small the system implementing the present embodiment identifies contiguous zip codes and searches for cases from those contiguous zip codes. The system records all zip codes searched and the number of cases in each. It also creates search results “B”  218 . 
         [0038]    In Step five  216  the analysis module  106  identifies all cases from search results “B”  218  that have the same injuries as those described by the subscriber. The system implementing the present embodiment compares data provided by the subscriber in fields  104 ,  105  and  106  and data in fields  20 ,  21  and  22  of the cases in search results “B”  218 . Because a modern database program is capable of multiple simultaneous comparisons, Table 4 illustrates a sequence of the comparison of data fields. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 4 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Injury Data Comparison 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Step 
                 Database 
                 Database Field 
                 Subscriber 
                 Subscriber Input 
               
               
                 # 
                 Field 
                 Content 
                 Input Field 
                 Field Content 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 5 (a) 
                 20 
                 Diagnosis using 
                 104 
                 Diagnosis using 
               
               
                   
                   
                 standardized medical 
                   
                 standardized medical 
               
               
                   
                   
                 diagnostic and billing 
                   
                 diagnostic and billing 
               
               
                   
                   
                 code system entries 
                   
                 system codes 
               
               
                 5 (b) 
                 21 
                 Secondary diagnosis 
                 105 
                 Secondary diagnosis 
               
               
                   
                   
                 using standardized 
                   
                 (using standardized 
               
               
                   
                   
                 medical diagnostic 
                   
                 medical diagnostic and 
               
               
                   
                   
                 and billing code 
                   
                 billing system codes) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 system entries 
               
               
                 5(c) 
                 22 
                 Type or description 
                 106 
                 Type or description 
               
               
                   
                   
                 of injury using 
                   
                 of injury using 
               
               
                   
                   
                 descriptive words 
                   
                 descriptive words 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0039]    Step five (a) compares Data Field  20  (diagnosis using standardized medical diagnostic and billing code system entries) to Data Field  104  (diagnosis using standardized medical diagnostic and billing system codes). If the contents of the data fields match, the case is moved to search results “C”  220 . Step five (b) compares Field  21  (secondary diagnosis codes, if any) to Field  105  (secondary diagnosis if any). If the contents of the data fields match, the case is moved to search results “C”  220 . Step five (c) compares Field  22  (type or description of injury using descriptive words) to Field  106  (type or description of injury using descriptive words). If the contents of the data fields match, the case is moved to search results “C”  220 . 
         [0040]    In Step six  222 , the system identifies the cases in search results “C”  220  in which the date of occurrence is relevant to the determination of settlement value. The system and method implementing the present embodiment uses three years as the relevant time. Nevertheless, it is assumed that the search parameters can be modified to select a different period of time. Using the data from data field  6 , Step six  222  identifies all cases in search results “C”  220  that occurred within three years of the date of occurrence entered by the subscriber in data field  90 . All cases that do not meet the relevant time criteria are removed from search results “C”  220 . 
         [0041]    Next, the system and method implementing the present embodiment determines the average settlement multiple for cases in search results “C”  220 . Step seven  230  determines the average amount claimed as medical costs (AAC) for all cases in search results “C”  220  by adding the amounts from data field  62  (total medical costs) to achieve a total amount claimed as medical costs for all cases in search results “C”  220 . The total is then divided by the number of cases included in search results “C”  220 . The result is the average amount claimed as medical cost for cases in search results “C”  220 . 
         [0042]    In Step eight  232  the system and method implementing the present embodiment determines the average amount paid (AAP) to resolve the cases in search results “C”  220  by adding the amounts from data field  80  (total amount paid for claim less amount for property damage and punitive damages) to achieve a total amount paid to resolve the cases in search results “C”  220 . The total is then divided by the number of cases included in search results “C”  220 . The result is the average amount paid to resolve cases in search results “C”  220 . 
         [0043]    In Step nine  236  the system and method implementing the present embodiment determines the average settlement multiple for cases in search results “C”  220  applying the following formula: AAP÷AAC=ASM where “AAP” is the average amount paid; “AAC” is the average amount claimed as medical costs; and, “ASM” is the average settlement multiple. 
         [0044]    In Step ten  238 , the system and method implementing the present embodiment determines the average settlement value of the subscriber&#39;s claim applying the formula: MC×ASM=ASV where “MC” is the amount claimed as medical cost by the subscriber in data field  146 ; “ASM” is the average settlement multiple determined in Step six (c); and, “ASV” is the average settlement value. 
         [0045]    In Step eleven  240 , the system and method implementing the present embodiment determines the total average settlement value (TASV) of the claim by adding the Average Settlement Value (ASV) to the amount claimed for lost wages (LW) from field  121 . 
         [0046]    Step twelve  242  generates a valuation report through the Report Module  108  that shows pertinent information about the claim valuation decision. Table 5 depicts the list of items that are included in a basic report. The list of items shown is not intended to be exhaustive, exclusive or unalterable. The report is delivered to the subscriber  112  through the query interface  104 . At Step thirteen  244 , delivery of the report ends the process. 
         [0047]      FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  illustrate a second embodiment of the invention. In the second embodiment of the invention the system and method implementing this embodiment determines an average settlement range for a personal injury claim by determining a high settlement value, an average settlement value and a low settlement value for the subscriber&#39;s claim. The second embodiment is executed in three procedures that incorporate steps from the first embodiment. The first procedure of the second embodiment of the invention determines the average settlement value for the subscriber&#39;s claim. Step one  246  incorporates Steps one, two, three, four, five, six seven, eight, nine and ten of the first embodiment thereby generating an average settlement value of the new claim. The description of each step of the first embodiment is incorporated herein and adopted as the first procedure. For purposes of this embodiment, the process creates search results “C”  254 . The average settlement value generated is stored as a partial valuation report  262 . 
         [0048]    In the second procedure of the second embodiment of the invention, the system and method implementing the present embodiment determines the average high settlement value of the new claim. To identify the high value cases for inclusion in the determination of the average high value settlement multiple, the system uses a predetermined percentage variable that is greater than 100% of the average amount paid (AAP) to resolve the cases in search results “C”  254  (generated in Step eight of the first embodiment). The system and method implementing the present embodiment uses 125% as the predetermined percentage. The use of a specific variable is illustrative only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiment but as merely providing illustrations of the operation of the embodiment. 
         [0049]    Step two  248  multiplies the AAP determined in Step eight of the first procedure by 125% resulting in the high value average amount paid (HVAAP). Step three  250  identifies each case in search results “C”  254  in which the total amount paid for claims (Data Field  80 ) exceeds the HVAAP. The system creates search results “C- 1 ”  258  a new search record for those cases. Search results “C- 1 ” contains the high value cases from the database. 
         [0050]    The system next determines the average settlement multiple for the cases in search results “C- 1 ”  258 . In Step four  252  the system determines the average amount paid (AAP) to settle all cases in search results “C- 1 ”  258  using amounts from Data Field  80 . The system adds the amounts from data field  80  from each case to achieve a total amount paid to resolve all cases in search results “C- 1 ”  258  and then divides the total amount by the number of cases included in search results “C- 1 ”  258 . The result is the average amount paid to settle cases in search results “C- 1 ”  258 . 
         [0051]    In Step five  256  the system determines the average amount claimed (AAC) as medical costs for all cases in search results “C- 1 ”  258 . The system adds the amounts from data field  62  (amount claimed as medical costs) from each case to achieve a total amount claimed as medical costs for all cases in search results “C- 1 ”  258  and then divides the total amount by the number of cases included in search results “C- 1 ”  258 . The result is the average amount claimed as medical cost for cases in search results “C- 1 ”  258 . 
         [0052]    In Step six  260  the system determines the average high settlement multiple using the formula: AAP÷AAC=AHSM—where APP is the average actual high settlement amount paid; AAC is the average high medical cost claim; and AHSM is the average high settlement multiple. 
         [0053]    In Step seven  264  the system determines the average high settlement value of the subscriber&#39;s claim using the formula: MC×AHSM=AHSV where “MC” is the amount claimed as medical cost by the subscriber in data field  146 ; “AHSM” is the average high settlement multiple determined in Step six; and, “AHSV” is the average high settlement value. The average high settlement value generated is stored as a partial valuation report  262 . 
         [0054]    In the third procedure of the second embodiment, the system determines the low settlement value for the subscriber&#39;s claim. To identify the low value cases for inclusion in the determination of the average high value settlement multiple the system and method implementing the present embodiment uses a predetermined percentage variable that is less than 100% of the average amount paid (AAP) to resolve the cases in search results “C”  254  generated in Step eight of the first procedure. The system and method implementing the present embodiment uses 75% as the predetermined percentage variable. The use of a specific variable is illustrative only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiment but as merely providing illustrations of the operation of the embodiment. 
         [0055]    Step eight  266  multiples the amount generated in Step eight of the first procedure by 75% resulting in the low average AAP (LAAAP). Step nine  268  identifies each case in search results “C”  254  in which the amount paid in Data Field  80  is less than the LAAAP. The system creates search results “C- 2 ”  280  a new search record for these cases. Search results “C- 2 ” contains the lower value cases from the database. 
         [0056]    Next, the system determines the average settlement multiple for the cases in search results “C- 2 ”  280 . Step ten  270  generates the average amount paid (AAP) to settle all cases in search results “C- 2 ” using amounts from Data Field  80 . The system adds the amounts from data field  80  from each case to achieve a total amount for all cases in search results “C- 2 ”  280 . The system and method then divides the total amount by the number of cases included in search results “C- 2 ”  280 . The result is the average amount paid to settle cases in search results “C- 2 ”  280 . 
         [0057]    In Step eleven  272  the system determines the average amount claimed as medical costs for all cases in search results “C- 2 ”  280 . The system adds the amounts from data field  62  from each case to achieve a total amount claimed as medical costs for all cases in search results “C- 2 .” The system then divides the total amount by the number of cases included in search results “C- 2 .” The result is the average amount claimed as medical cost for cases in search results “C- 2 .” 
         [0058]    In Step twelve  274 , the system determines the average low settlement multiple using the following formula: AAP÷AAC=LSM—where AAP is the average actual low settlement amount paid; AAC is the average actual low amount claimed as medical cost ; and LSM is the average low settlement multiple. 
         [0059]    In Step thirteen  276 , the system and method implementing the embodiment determines the average low settlement value of the subscriber&#39;s claim using the formula: MC×LSM=LSV where “MC” is the amount claimed as medical cost by the subscriber in data field  146 ; “LSM” is the average low settlement multiple determined in Step ten; and, “LSV” is the average low settlement value. 
         [0060]    In Step fourteen  278 , the report module generates a valuation report that shows the average settlement value, the high average settlement value and the low average settlement value. The process then ends. 
         [0061]    Although the description above contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiment but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments. Thus, the scope of the embodiment should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given. 
         [0062]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  illustrate a third embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the system and method implementing the embodiment determines the effect of punitive damages on the average settlement value of the new claim. In Step one  290  of the third embodiment, the system performs the steps described as Steps one, two, three, four, five and six of the first embodiment and creates search results “C”  292 . The description of each step of the first embodiment is incorporated herein. 
         [0063]    In Step two  294 , the system identifies all cases in search results “C”  292  in which an entry is made in data field  79  (indicating that an amount was paid as punitive damages in that case). The system creates search results “CP”  296  in the storage module for those cases. The cases in which no entry is made in data field  79  are moved to search results “CN”  306  in the storage module. 
         [0064]    In Step three  298 , the system determines the average amount paid (AAP) to resolve the cases in search results “CP”  296  by adding the amounts from data field  80  (total amount paid for claim less amount for property damage and punitive damages) to achieve a total amount paid to resolve the cases in search results “CP”  296 . The total is then divided by the number of cases included in search results “CP”  296 . The result is the average amount paid to resolve cases in search results “CP”  296 . 
         [0065]    In Step four  300 , the system determines an average amount awarded as punitive damages (APD) for the cases in search results “CP”  296  by adding the amounts from data field  79  to achieve a total amount and then dividing that amount by the number of cases included in search results “CP”  296 . The result is the average amount awarded as punitive damages in cases in search results “CP”  296 . In Step five  302 , the system determines the total average amount paid (TAP) to resolve cases in search results “CP”  296  by adding the APD to the AAP. 
         [0066]    Step six  304  determines the average amount claimed as medical costs (AAC) for all cases in search results “CP”  296  by adding the amounts from data field  62  to achieve a total amount claimed as medical costs for all cases in search results “CP”  296 . The total is then divided by the number of cases included in search results “CP”  296 . The result is the average amount claimed as medical cost for cases in search results “CP”  296 . 
         [0067]    In Step seven  310 , the system determines the total average settlement multiple for cases in search results “CP”  296  using the formula: TAP÷AAC=TASM where “TAP” is the total average amount paid (including punitive damages); “AAC” is the average amount claimed as medical costs; and, “TASM” is the total average settlement multiple. 
         [0068]    In Step eight  312 , the system determines the total average settlement value of the subscriber&#39;s claim using the formula: MC×TASM=TASV where “MC” is the amount claimed as medical cost by the subscriber; “TASM” is the total average settlement multiple; and, “TASV” is the total average settlement value including punitive damages. 
         [0069]    The system next determines the value of the cases in search results “CN”  298  for comparative purposes. In Step nine  314 , the system determines the average amount paid (AAP) to resolve the cases in search results “CN”  298  by adding the amounts from data field  80  (total amount paid for claim less amount for property damage and punitive damages) to achieve a total amount paid to resolve the cases in search results “CN”  298 . The total is then divided by the number of cases included in search results “CN”  298 . The result is the average amount paid to resolve cases in search results “CN”  298 . 
         [0070]    In Step ten  316 , the system determines the average amount claimed (AAC) as medical costs for all cases in search results “CN”  298  by adding the amounts from data field  62  to achieve a total amount claimed as medical costs for all cases in search results “CN”  298 . The total is then divided by the number of cases included in search results “CN”  298 . The result is the average amount claimed as medical cost for cases in search results “CN”  298 . 
         [0071]    In Step eleven  318 , the system determines the total average settlement multiple for cases in search results “CN”  298  using the formula: AAP÷AAC=ASM where “AAP” is the average amount paid (excluding punitive damages); “AAC” is the average amount claimed as medical costs; and, “ASM” is the average settlement multiple. 
         [0072]    In Step twelve  320 , the system determines the total average settlement value of the subscriber&#39;s claim using the formula: MC×ASM=ASV where “MC” is the amount claimed as medical cost by the subscriber; “ASM” is the average settlement multiple; and, “ASV” is the average settlement value. 
         [0073]    Step thirteen  322  generates a valuation report through the report module  108  that shows pertinent information about the claim valuation decision including a comparison of the claim values with and without punitive damages. Table five depicts the list of items that are included in a basic report. The list of items shown is not intended to be exhaustive, exclusive or unalterable. 
         [0074]    Property damages are typically settled separately from the medical injuries claim and are usually not added to the total settlement value. Therefore, the preferred state of the invention treats property damages as separate from the personal injury claim valuation. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 5 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 PIVS Valuation Report 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Type of Cases Searched 
               
               
                   
                 ZIP Code(s) Searched 
               
               
                   
                 Total Number of Cases with Matching HCPCS or ICD Codes 
               
               
                   
                 Total Number of Cases with Matching Narrative Diagnosis 
               
               
                   
                 Average Amount Claimed as Medical Damages 
               
               
                   
                 Average Amount Paid (less Property Damage and Lost Wages ) 
               
               
                   
                 Average Settlement Multiple 
               
               
                   
                 Average High Settlement Multiple 
               
               
                   
                 Average Low Settlement Multiple 
               
               
                   
                 Subscriber&#39;s Claimed Medical Damages 
               
               
                   
                 Subscriber&#39;s Lost Wages 
               
               
                   
                 Subscriber&#39;s Property Damage 
               
               
                   
                 Average Settlement Value 
               
               
                   
                 High Settlement Value 
               
               
                   
                 Low Settlement Value 
               
               
                   
                 Average Total Settlement Value (with lost wages) 
               
               
                   
                 Average Total High Settlement Value (with lost wages) 
               
               
                   
                 Average Total Low Settlement Value (with lost wages) 
               
               
                   
                 Average Punitive Damages Award 
               
               
                   
                 Average Settlement Value with Punitive Damages 
               
               
                   
                 Average Settlement Multiple with Punitive Damages 
               
               
                   
                 Average Amount Awarded by Jury 
               
               
                   
                 Average Settlement Multiple in Jury Cases 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0075]    A fourth embodiment of the invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b . The fourth embodiment allows an objective determination of the influence of jury verdicts on the average settlement value of the claim. In Step one  330  of the fourth embodiment, the system and method implementing the embodiment perform the steps described as Steps one, two, three, four, five and six of the first embodiment and creates search results “C”  340 . The description of each step of the first embodiment is incorporated herein. 
         [0076]    In Step two  332  the system identifies all cases in search results “C”  340  in which data field  82  indicates that the case was resolved by jury trial. The process creates search results “CJ”  346  for those cases. The process creates search results “CS”  348  for the cases that were settled or closed in any manner other than by jury. 
         [0077]    The system then determines the average settlement multiple for cases in search results “CJ”  346 . In Step three  334 , the system determines the average damage award for the cases in search results “CJ”  334  by adding the amounts from data field  80  (total amount paid for claim less amount for property damage and punitive damages) to achieve a total amount and then dividing that amount by the number of cases included in search results “CJ”  346 . The result is the average amount paid (the amount awarded by juries) to resolve cases in search results “CJ”  346 . 
         [0078]    Step four  336  determines the average amount claimed (AAC) as medical cost in the cases in search results “CJ”  346  by adding the amounts from data field  62  to achieve a total amount. The total is then divided by the number of cases included in search results “CJ”  346 . The result is the average amount claimed as medical costs in the cases in search results “CJ”  346 . 
         [0079]    In Step five  338  the system determines the average settlement multiple for cases in search results “CJ”  346  using the formula: ADA÷AAC=JASM where “ADA” is the average damage award; “AAC” is the average amount claimed as medical costs; and, “JASM” is the average settlement multiple for cases in search results “CJ”  346 . 
         [0080]    Step six  342  determines the average potential value of the new claim if tried by jury using the formula: MC×JASM=JAV where “MC” is the amount claimed as medical cost by the subscriber; “JASM” is the total average settlement multiple determined in Step five; and, “JAV” is the potential average jury award value. 
         [0081]    Next, the system determines the average value of the cases in search results “CS”  348 —the cases that were settled or closed in any manner other than by jury. In Step seven  350  the system determines the average amount paid (AAP) to settle cases in search results “CS”  348  by adding the amounts from data field  80  (total amount paid for claim less amount for property damage and punitive damages) to achieve a total amount and then dividing that amount by the number of cases included in search results “CS”  348 . The result is the average amount paid to resolve cases in search results “CS”  348 . 
         [0082]    In Step eight  352  the system determines the average amount claimed (AAC) as medical cost in the cases in search results “CS”  348  by adding the amounts from data field  62  to achieve a total amount. The total is then divided by the number of cases included in search results “CS”  348 . The result is the average amount claimed as medical costs in the cases in search results “CS”  348 . 
         [0083]    In Step nine  354  the system determines the average settlement multiple for cases in search results “CS”  348  using the formula: AAP÷AAC=SASM where “AAP” is the average amount paid; “AAC” is the average amount claimed as medical costs; and, “SASM” is the average settlement multiple for cases in search results “CS”  348 . 
         [0084]    In Step ten  356  the system determines the average potential value of the case using the formula: MC×SASM=SASV where “MC” is the amount claimed as medical cost by the subscriber; “SASM” is the total average settlement multiple determined in Step eight (c); and, “SASV” is the total average settlement value. 
         [0085]    Step eleven  358  generates a settlement report which shows pertinent information about the claim valuation decision. Specifically, the report will identify the potential award if the case is tried before a jury and the potential settlement value if the case is not tried by jury. Table 5 depicts a list of items that may be included in a claims valuation report. The list of items shown is not intended to be exhaustive, exclusive or unalterable. 
         [0086]      FIGS. 6   a ,  6   b ,  6   c  and  6   d  depict the fifth embodiment of the invention. The system and method which implement this embodiment allows an objective determination (1) whether medical costs demanded in a new personal injury claim are exaggerated and possibly fraudulent and (2) whether the medical treatment protocol described in the new case is consistent with the standard treatment protocol for the same type of injuries in a particular geographic region. 
         [0087]    The fifth embodiment is executed in three related procedures each of which incorporates steps from the first embodiment. The first procedure of the fifth embodiment determines whether the treatment protocol described by the subscriber is consistent with the treatment protocol for cases with the same injuries from the finalized case database. Step one  370  of the first procedure performs the processes described as Steps one, two, three, four, five, and six of the first embodiment. The description of each step of the first embodiment is incorporated herein. The system generates search results “C”  368 . 
         [0088]    In Step two  372 , the system creates a list of all of the standardized medical diagnostic and billing code system entries contained in data field  23  (Treatment Protocol: Procedures, services or supplies using standardized medical diagnostic and billing code system entries) from each case in the injury subset of cases from search results “C”  368 . In Step three  374  the system compares the data provided by the subscriber in data field  107  (Treatment Protocol: Procedures, services or supplies using standardized medical diagnostic and billing code system entries) to each entry from the data field  23  list. Step three (a)  376  initiates if none of the entries match. The system generates a report  392  of the potential for fraud through the report module  108 . Step three (b)  378  initiates if any of the entries match. The system moves to Step four  382  and initiates the second procedure. 
         [0089]    In the second procedure, the system determines whether the total amount claimed by the new personal injury case exceeds the average amount paid for the injury subset of cases from search results “C”  368 . In Step four  382 , the system determines the average amount paid (AAP) to resolve the cases in search results “C”  368  by adding the amounts from data field  80  (total amount paid for claim less amount for property damage and punitive damages) to achieve a total amount paid to resolve the cases in search results “C”  368 . The total is then divided by the number of cases included in search results “C”  368 . The result is the average amount paid to resolve cases in search results “C”  368 . 
         [0090]    Step five  384  multiples the AAP generated in Step four by a predetermined percentage variable greater than 100% of the AAP. The system and method implementing this embodiment of the invention uses 115% as the predetermined percentage variable. Nevertheless, it is assumed that the variable may be changed to another number. The use of a specific variable is illustrative only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiment but as merely providing illustrations of the operation of the system and method implementing the embodiment. The result is the determination of the high medical cost value (HM). Step six  386  compares the high medical cost value (HM) to the amount claimed as medical cost (MC) by the subscriber in data field  146 . If the amount reported by the subscriber in data field  146  does not exceed the high medical cost value (HM), the system initiates Step six (a)  388 , generates a report  392  for the subscriber and the process ends. If the amount reported in data field  146  exceeds the high medical cost value the system initiates Step six (b)  390  and warns the subscriber that further investigation of the claimed amounts is warranted by generating a report  392  through the report module  108 . The system then initiates the third procedure (Step seven  394 ) in which a detailed analysis of specific items of damages claimed by the subscriber are compared to the average amounts paid or the average amount claimed for the corresponding items of damages in the database cases. 
         [0091]    The first determination is whether the length of treatment claimed by the subscriber exceeds the average claimed by the database cases. In Step eight  396 , the system determines the average length of treatment (ALT) by adding the amounts from data field  24  (length of treatment in weeks) to achieve a total number for all cases in search results “C”  368 . The total is then divided by the number of cases included in search results “C”  368 . The result is the average length of treatment for cases in search results “C”  368 . 
         [0092]    Step nine  398  multiplies the average length of treatment determined in Step eight by 115% resulting in the extended average length of treatment (EALT). 
         [0093]    Step ten  400  compares the EALT generated in Step nine  398  to the amount claimed by the subscriber in data field  108 . The results are held in storage  412  for inclusion in the subscriber report. 
         [0094]    The next determination is whether the amount claimed by the subscriber for disability exceeds the average amount paid for disability in the database cases. In Step eleven  402  the system determines the average amount paid for disability (ADP) in the cases in search results C  368  by adding the amounts from data field  73  (amount paid as disability compensation) to achieve a total number for all cases in search results “C”  368 . The total is then divided by the number of cases included in search results “C”  368 . The result is the average amount paid as disability compensation for cases in search results “C”  368 . 
         [0095]    Step twelve  404  multiplies the average determined in Step eleven (ADP) by 115% resulting in the extended amount for disability payment (EADP). 
         [0096]    Step thirteen  406  compares the EADP determined in Step twelve to the amount claimed by the subscriber in data field  120  (amount claimed for disability compensation). The results are held in storage  412  for inclusion in the subscriber report. 
         [0097]    The next determination is whether the amount claimed by the subscriber for medical expenses exceeds the average paid in the database cases. In Step fourteen  408  the system determines the average amount paid for medical expenses (APM) by adding the amounts from data field  74  (amount paid for medical expenses) to achieve a total number for all cases in search results “C”  368 . The total is then divided by the number of cases included in search results “C”  368 . The result is the average amount paid for medical expenses for cases in search results “C”  368 . 
         [0098]    Step fifteen  410  multiplies the APM determined in Step fourteen  408  by 115% resulting in the extended payment for medical expenses (EPME). Step sixteen  414  compares the EPME to the amount claimed by the subscriber in data field  137  (total amount claimed for medical expenses). The results are held in storage  412  for inclusion in the subscriber report. 
         [0099]    The next determination is whether the amount claimed by the subscriber for physicians, healthcare providers or healthcare institutions/facilities exceeds the average amount claimed for physicians, healthcare providers or healthcare institutions/facilities in the database cases. 
         [0100]    In Step seventeen  416  the system determines the average amount paid for physicians, healthcare providers or healthcare institutions/facilities (APH) by adding the amounts from data field  38  (claim for payments to physicians, healthcare providers or healthcare institutions/facilities) to achieve a total number for all cases in search results “C”  368 . The total is then divided by the number of cases included in search results “C”  368 . The result is the average amount paid for physicians, healthcare providers or healthcare institutions/facilities for cases in search results “C”  368 . 
         [0101]    Step eighteen  418  multiplies the average determined in Step seventeen  416  (APH) by 115% resulting in the extended average paid for physicians, healthcare providers or healthcare institutions/facilities (EAPH). 
         [0102]    Step nineteen  420  compares the EAPH to the amount claimed by the subscriber in data field  122  (cost for payments to physicians, healthcare providers or healthcare institutions/facilities). The results are held in storage  412  for inclusion in the subscriber report. 
         [0103]    The system next determines whether the amount claimed by the subscriber for psychological or psychiatric treatment (PPT) exceeds the average amount claimed in the database cases. In Step twenty  422  the system determines the average amount claimed for psychological or psychiatric treatment by adding the amounts from data field  47  (expenses claimed for psychological or psychiatric treatment) to achieve a total number for all cases in search results “C”  368 . The total is then divided by the number of cases included in search results “C”  368 . The result is the average amount paid for medical expenses for cases in search results “C”  368 . 
         [0104]    Step twenty-one  424  multiplies the PPT by 115% resulting in the extended amount for psychological or psychiatric treatment (EPPT). Step twenty-two  426  compares the EPPT to the amount claimed by the subscriber in data field  131  (cost for psychological or psychiatric treatment). The results are held in storage  412  for inclusion in the subscriber report. 
         [0105]    Step twenty-three  428  collects and complies the comparison data held in storage  412  and generates a comprehensive report through the report module which identifies each element of damages provided by the subscriber that equals or exceeds by 115% the average determined for the corresponding element of damages from the database cases. While not dispositive of the issue of fraud, a disparity of 115% or more gives the reasonably prudent negotiator reason to question the validity of the charges. The process ends upon distribution of the report to the subscriber. 
         [0106]    The system described in the present invention determines an average settlement multiple which, when multiplied by the cost of medical expenses from the new claim, yields the current average monetary value of that claim. The determination of the settlement multiple is no longer based on the advocacy skills of the parties or the threat of court action. The method by which the value of the claim is determined is completely objective, consistent, reliable and fair to all parties. Objectively determining the settlement value shifts the emphasis from the 2% of cases that go to trial to the 98% of cases that are settled out of court. Instead of focusing on the potential outcome and cost of a trial, the participants focus on whether there is objective proof of conditions, factors or costs beyond the standards generated by the invention that can justify deviation from the invention&#39;s calculations. Fairness results because similarly situated individuals are treated similarly and objectively. 
         [0107]    The invention collects data from multiple sources, including insurance company records and court case files, and generates reports from a huge database. Consistent with the law of larger numbers, these larger quantities of statistics provide more meaningful or credible results than any single source can achieve. Consequently, the results generated by the invention are more meaningful than the results achieved by the case by case approach of the current valuation process. The results achieved by the invention are also more meaningful than the results achieved by examination of data from a single insurance company or law firm. The potential size of the database allows the invention to generate specialized information products for law firms, insurance companies, state regulators and rating bureaus which have more statistical value than information available by other means. The potential size and data content of the invention permit the detection of fraud earlier and at lower cost than the current process. The database allows the invention to cross reference common features regarding participants, diagnoses, treatment protocols, and charges to demonstrate patterns or trends that suggest fraud. 
         [0108]    The invention is the most effective educational tool ever created for the average personal injury claimant/consumer. The invention gives the claimant/consumer concrete data and information that he can use to decide whether to seek any compensation, whether to employ counsel, and whether the advice of counsel meets his immediate and long term needs. By requiring the claimant to gather detailed information about his claim, the invention teaches the lay claimant to understand more accurately what his demand for payment includes. That process leads some consumers to seek assistance of counsel and some to simply settle or abandon the claim. Either is a more informed decision than exists now. 
         [0109]    Once widely adopted, the invention will become the standard on which all personal injury settlements are based and will substantially alter the day to day operation of the personal injury industry. The invention will reduce the roles of lawyers and insurance adjusters; standardize the mechanism by which consumers obtain and use data and information that affect the validity and value of a claim; and, reduce the influence of jury trials on the settlement process. Insurers are likely to generate tremendous savings and thereby increase profits by 
         [0110]    Predicting more accurately the risk and the cost of that risk from various kinds of personal injury claims in various regions of the country. 
         [0111]    Reducing loss adjustment expenses 
         [0112]    Reducing the number of claims that are litigated 
         [0113]    Reducing the amounts actually paid to settle PI claims 
         [0114]    Reducing the time required to settle the average claim, and 
         [0115]    Reducing the number of support personnel required to dispose of current cases. 
         [0116]    Eliminating the use of questionable or illegal conduct. 
         [0117]    Because the invention collects and centralizes personal injury claims data from multiple sources it is uniquely positioned to serve the different interests of all participants in the personal injury process. From the perspective of all participants, the invention creates a standard and reliable claim valuation process that generates more objective, more uniform and fairer settlements than the previous process. 
         [0118]    Generally, consistent with embodiments of the invention, program modules may include routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of structures that may perform particular tasks or that may implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, embodiments of the invention may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Embodiments of the invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices. 
         [0119]    Furthermore, embodiments of the invention may be practiced in an electrical circuit comprising discrete electronic elements, packaged or integrated electronic chips containing logic gates, a circuit utilizing a microprocessor, or on a single chip containing electronic elements or microprocessors. Embodiments of the invention may also be practiced using other technologies capable of performing logical operations such as, for example, AND, OR, and NOT, including but not limited to mechanical, optical, fluidic, and quantum technologies. In addition, embodiments of the invention may be practiced within a general purpose computer or in any other circuits or systems. 
         [0120]    Embodiments of the invention, for example, may be implemented as a computer process (method), a computing system, or as an article of manufacture, such as a computer program product or computer readable media. The computer program product may be a computer storage media readable by a computer system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process. The computer program product may also be a propagated signal on a carrier readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process. Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied in hardware and or in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.). In other words, embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium having computer-usable or computer-readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system. A computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. 
         [0121]    The computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific computer-readable medium examples (a non-exhaustive list), the computer-readable medium may include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM). Note that the computer-usable or computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via, for instance, optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, or otherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory. 
         [0122]    Embodiments of the present invention, for example, are described above with reference to block diagrams and or operational illustrations of methods, systems and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. The functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order as shown in any flowchart. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved. 
         [0123]    While certain embodiments of the invention have been described, other embodiments may exist. Furthermore, although embodiments of the present invention have been described as being associated with data stored in memory and other storage mediums, data can also be stored on or read from other types of computer-readable media, such as secondary storage devices, like hard disks, floppy disks, or a CD-ROM, a carrier wave from the Internet, or other forms of RAM or ROM. Further, the disclosed methods&#39; stages may be modified in any manner, including by reordering stages and or inserting or deleting stages, without departing from the invention. 
         [0124]    All rights including copyrights in the code included herein are vested in and the property of the Applicant. The Applicant retains and reserves all rights in the code included herein, and grants permission to reproduce the material only in connection with reproduction of the granted patent and for no other purpose. 
         [0125]    While the specification includes examples, the invention&#39;s scope is indicated by the following claims. Furthermore, while the specification has been described in language specific to structural features and or methodological acts, the claims are not limited to the features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example for embodiments of the invention.