How Much Is the Average Settlement for a Car Accident?

If you’re looking for the average settlement for a car accident, it’s about $21,000. For the vast majority of cases, the settlement will be somewhere in the range of $14,000 to $28,000. However, every case is different, and some cases are worth much, much more than these numbers. This article will give you a few pointers for estimating the value of your case.

How to Estimate the Settlement Value of Your Car Accident Case

When it comes to estimating the value of your potential car accident settlement, there’s only so much that an average can tell you. Every case is different, and you need to be able to estimate your own numbers. If you add up the costs from the following factors, you can come up with a fair estimate of what your case could be worth.

Medical Treatment Costs

If you’ve been injured, you’re going to have medical costs. Damages for medical treatment should cover the amount you’ve had to spend on treatment so far, as well as the amount you can expect to have to pay in the future. These numbers are fairly easy to estimate.

Lost Income

Any injury is likely to lead to reduced productivity—even a minor injury will often lead to a couple of days away from work. Serious injuries may even lead to a permanent inability to work for a living. Damages for lost income are meant to cover these losses.

Property Loss

In the case of most accidents, this will cover the costs involved in repairing or replacing your vehicle. However, property loss can also cover whatever other property was damaged or destroyed in the accident. The cost of any valuables or other items damaged in a personal injury case fall under property loss.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering is meant to compensate you for the physical and emotional pain of the accident. In many cases, this is proven with things like prescriptions for painkillers. Because it’s hard to put a dollar figure on pain and suffering, this is usually applied as a multiplier. For example: moderate pain and suffering might lead to total damages being doubled, while severe pain and suffering might multiply damages by five.

Emotional Distress, Loss of Enjoyment, Loss of Consortium

Emotional distress is sometimes treated as a separate factor, apart from pain and suffering. Loss of enjoyment can apply to people whose injuries render them unable to enjoy their old habits—for example, a dedicated cyclist who becomes paralyzed might have grounds for loss of enjoyment. Loss of consortium is meant to compensate people for a lost ability to maintain an intimate physical relationship due to an injury. Similar to pain and suffering, these factors are hard to put a dollar value on. It’s a good idea to talk to a trusted attorney about these topics.

Questions About the Average Settlement for a Car Accident?

Let us help you determine whether an injury you or a loved one suffered in an accident may qualify for compensation under an auto accident claim. Talk to our car accident attorneys about our clients’ average settlements for accidents to better understand what your case might be worth. The Khalidi Law Firm has more than 20 years of experience helping injured persons in the Tucson area get the closure they deserve. If you have suffered injury or lost a loved one as a result of an accident, we can help.