A car accident settlement can be quite large. If you have been in a car accident, the other driver’s insurance company may be willing to pay you fairly for your injury or property damage. However, they may try to deny or undervalue your claim. If the accident was not your fault, an Athens auto accident attorney will ensure you are paid the compensation you deserve.
You may be wondering how much you can expect from a car accident settlement? We explain what factors determine the value of your settlement in this article.
What Is the Average Settlement for a Car Accident?
It’s hard to predict how much money you will collect for your monetary damages because it will differ from case to case. The average settlement for an automobile accident is $15,443. However, if the damage sustained in the vehicle accident is severe, the typical settlement will be significantly greater.
Depending on the number of your injuries, the established fault, and the evidence presented in the case, your car accident compensation could be more or less than $15,000. In Georgia, you are eligible for compensation if you were less than 50% at fault for the accident. If your car collision resulted in the following, you must call law enforcement:
- Injuries to a person
- Death
- Destruction of property that is greater than $500
Even if a car crash does not satisfy the above requirements, it is always best to notify law enforcement. This is because even a slight injury may qualify you for compensation.
An Athens Auto Accident Attorney’s Estimated Settlement Amounts:
Depending on the facts and circumstances of your case specifically, an Athens auto accident attorney will be able to estimate the amount of money you may get in a car accident settlement. An auto accident can vary in severity from a minor collision to a major collision with catastrophic casualties and destruction of property. As each case is different, determining typical settlements is challenging.
However, depending on the circumstances, this is a general guideline to expect.
- For small injuries, the range is $10,000 to $25,000 (soft tissue damage or whiplash)
- Long-term injuries requiring surgery or physical rehabilitation might cost anywhere between $50,000 and $75,000.
- Spinal injuries can cost somewhere from $75,000 to $100,000. (not resulting in paralysis)
- For brain damage, the compensation is between $100,000 and $250,000. (loss of mental abilities, needing surgical intervention)
- Settlements for disabling disabilities such as paralysis or serious neurological impairments that necessitate daily care can cost hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.
Some insurance policies, however, have limitations. Even if the other person has insurance, their firm may not be able to compensate you for the full amount you are owed due to their policy limit. They will give you as much as they can up to a point.
If your settlement should be worth $20,000 but they only want to offer you $10,000, it is possible that’s all you will obtain. For the remaining half of your due compensation, you’d have to sue the opposing party directly.
The Amount of Your Car Accident Settlement Can Be Affected by Several Factors:
The amount of your car accident settlement may vary depending on a number of factors. It is dependent on:
- Who was hurt as a result of the accident
- If you were only injured physically
- If you suffered additional suffering and pain after the initial incident.
You may be offered a larger settlement owing to long-term injuries and compensation for the time you were unable to work due to your recovery.
Car Accident Injuries and Compensation You Might Be Entitled to:
Many different forms of injuries might result from a car accident. Some of the most common injuries experienced in car accidents include:
- Injuries to the joints, muscles, back, neck, and bones.
- Knee injury
- Whiplash
- Loss of limbs
- Scars and wounds
- Paralysis
- Injuries to the spinal cord
- Injuries to the skull
- Irreversible disabilities
An Athens auto accident attorney will communicate with the at-fault driver’s insurance firm in order to ensure that you get the best compensation deal possible. Feel sure that we will not let any of your injuries go unpaid, and we will battle any insurance company that attempts to decrease your settlement. Make sure to give your personal injury attorney every piece of information and detail regarding your car accident so that they can build a solid case.
How Do You Determine The Value of Your Pain and Suffering?
After you have been hurt in an accident, pain and suffering refer to the emotional discomfort you have felt. The term “pain and suffering” encompasses several types of distress:
- Physical discomfort; both short-term and long-term
- Disorders of the emotions and psychological (depression, anxiety, insomnia, etc.)
- Physical restraints (disabilities)
There are various methods for calculating pain and suffering. The most straightforward way is to add up all of your bills, including medical bills, treatment bills, loss of wages, and damage to vehicles. These are referred to as Special Damages. This isn’t the only option, since these expenditures are distinct from your own grief and suffering, which are covered by General Damages.
To calculate your pain and suffering effectively, you must first establish which group your pain and suffering belong to. The first group covers your pain and suffering until your medical therapy is completed. The second group is for the foreseeable future. As you may guess, your claim for current and future pain and suffering will be higher.
Multiple approaches are used by lawyers and insurance adjusters to calculate your pain and suffering. In this situation, they multiply your Special Damages by a factor of one to five, depending on the severity of your case. In a whiplash case, your multiplier might be anywhere from 1 to 3. The multiplier for shattered bones would be 3 to 5. Serious injuries, such as brain damage, require a multiplier of 5 or greater.
Our Attorneys Can Help You:
If you are wondering what the typical compensation for a car accident is, contact us immediately, and we will gladly answer any of your questions.
Our Athens personal injury attorneys will assess the value of your case and ensure that all of your medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering are completely compensated – regardless of the circumstances. Contact us right away to schedule a free consultation.