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What Is the Average Car Accident Settlement?

What Is the Average Car Accident Settlement?Photo from Unsplash

 

Originally Posted On: https://www.injuredcalltoday.com/what-is-the-average-car-accident-settlement/

 

After being involved in a car accident, it’s only natural to ask, ‘What is the average car accident settlement?’ With this information, you can make informed decisions about how you care for yourself and reenter the workforce.

Despite many car accident cases moving through the court system yearly, determining an ‘average’ can be challenging. Many of the factors below can impact how much you can expect to receive from the party responsible for your accident.

  • Your Chosen Lawyer
  • The Extent Of Your Injuries
  • How Your Life Is Impacted
  • The Strength of Your Evidence
  • Fault
  • Your Pain and Suffering
  • Your Lawyer’s Fees
Your Chosen Lawyer

As unusual as it might seem, your auto accident attorney might greatly impact your car accident settlement. If they are trusted and reputable, your settlement figure might be higher than if that wasn’t the case. Visit hildasibrian.com to learn more about what a highly-regarded law firm looks like.

Not all accident lawyers will fight for your right to the compensation you deserve. Some fight for a fast and easy settlement. This can enable them to receive their share of your payment faster. While reputable lawyers won’t intentionally extend a case’s length, they can be far more thorough and determined for you to get the money the guilty party owes.

The Extent Of Your Injuries

Many auto accidents result in devastating and life-changing injuries. These injuries might take weeks or months to heal. Some people are left to deal with the consequences of their injuries for the rest of their lives.

The extent of your injuries can undoubtedly affect the average car accident settlement figure. The more life-changing they are, the more the guilty party’s insurance company might be required to pay. Personal injury lawyers often calculate the value of their client’s medical bills and multiply them by a figure of 1.5 to five. The more severe those injuries are, the higher the multiplier. They often add this figure to a demand letter and send it to the responsible party’s insurance company.

How Your Life Is Impacted

Some accident injuries can be so severe that medical bills are just the beginning of the victim’s troubles. Alongside having expensive bills to pay, they also have painful injuries that limit life enjoyment.

You might be unable to participate in the same hobbies you used to enjoy. You might also be unable to work. Being unable to work can have crippling financial implications. Your chosen auto accident lawyer will consider all these challenges when requesting a settlement figure on your behalf.

The Strength of Your Evidence

If you’re an innocent victim in a car accident, you likely have much evidence to prove that. Medical records, police reports, and photos can be a few of the most common. Your lawyer can also help you gather as much supporting evidence as possible to strengthen your claim. If you have little evidence to support your side of the story, proving fault can be much harder. In that case, you may not receive the settlement figure you were hoping for.

Fault

Not all automotive accidents are straightforward. While one person might be mostly to blame, another driver might share some of the fault. As a result, how the accident played out can determine a likely settlement figure.

How damages are recovered and the likely amount can also depend on where you live. In at-fault states, a percentage of fault can be attributed to both drivers. Only the less at-fault party can recover damages if one driver is more than 50% at fault. This is known as modified comparative negligence. In some states, both parties can recover damages. The amount for all involved can depend on the at-fault percentage.

Your Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering are non-economic losses that can be challenging for the average lawyer to calculate. They refer to an accident’s mental toll on a person, such as a loss of life enjoyment, mental anguish and trauma, and emotional distress.

As there is no invoice or bill to measure pain and suffering, lawyers typically rely on the multiplier method, as mentioned earlier, to determine pain and suffering. Insurance companies and juries also often use this multiplier when determining an appropriate settlement figure.

Your Lawyer’s Fees

Many lawyers are genuinely passionate about ensuring you receive the damages you deserve. However, they also need to be paid for their time. How much your lawyer charges for their services can impact your final settlement.

Most auto accident lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis. This means you don’t need to pay for their services unless they bring your case to a successful conclusion. When they do, they take a percentage of your damages. Typically, this is one-third or 40% of your settlement.

There is normally no ‘average’ car accident settlement. All accidents are different, with various factors to take into consideration. As a general rule, your injuries, costs, evidence strength, and chosen lawyer can all greatly impact what you can expect when your case settles.

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