If you’ve been in a car accident, you’ll probably have to pay for car repairs and medical care. It’s possible that you won’t be able to work or go back to work for a while. So naturally, the first thing on your thoughts is how much money you may anticipate from a car accident compensation. Unfortunately, because so many factors can affect a car accident settlement, we cannot give you an exact dollar figure.
The settlement should reflect the victim’s legal damages. However, the anticipated quantity may also alter due to additional considerations. Read on to learn what to expect and what factors can affect the settlement’s value:
How Much Can I Expect from a Car Accident Settlement?
If you have been in a car accident, your insurance company or other driver’s insurance company may be liable for damages for personal injury and property damage. If the cost of vehicle repairs exceeds the value of your vehicle after a car accident, the insurance company might consider your car a total loss. If the insurance company considers your car a total loss, they will pay you a fixed amount based on the value.
If another driver’s negligence caused the accident, their insurance company might compensate you for all losses and damages. In the case of personal injury, the amount the insurer will pay can often be much lower than expected. However, it is usually easier to recover the amount paid for medical bills and other expenses related to car accidents.
If you’ve never submitted an insurance claim, contacted a legal firm, or hired a lawyer, you might not know what to anticipate or how much money you’re owed. For example, you might receive a settlement offer from the insurance company, but where did that figure come from? They don’t just conjure it up in their minds!
The insurance company tries to set you up for a low amount, but you need to know how much to expect from a car accident settlement that covers the car damage and your injuries.
What Is a Car Accident Settlement?
A vehicle accident settlement is an agreement outside of court between the at-fault driver, their attorney, and the insurance company to provide you money in exchange for the losses, discomfort, and suffering resulting from the collision. What you receive in the settlement or monetary award should be comparable to what you would have won in court. Your case is concluded if you accept the proposed settlement.
A court trial is not necessary to resolve an automobile accident settlement. Instead, an automobile accident settlement has two objectives:
- Allow the court to handle more difficult matters.
- You, the victim, must receive compensation for any damages incurred due to harm to your body, wallet, mind, or emotions.
Factors That Impact the Car Accident Settlement’s Value
Your vehicle accident settlement could differ depending on several things, such as
- The extent of your injuries
- Damage to the car alone, or if you also suffered physical harm
- If you continued to experience pain and suffering after the initial incident
You might be awarded a lower payout because of serious injuries and compensation for the time you were unable to work while recovering. Or, you might receive a settlement that merely pays for the damage to your car.
Determining an average agreement is not easy, but it can be said that juries consider at least the following questions:
Who Caused the Accident?
While it may seem obvious that the other party’s actions caused the accident, remember that Florida is a state of pure relative negligence. This means that the jury can reduce your payment by the percentage of blame they assign to you for your contribution to the accident.
If another person is at fault for the accident, you will likely be entitled to financial compensation for all costs associated with your damages. However, if you share the blame for the accident, your chances of financial compensation would be less. So, never share the blame for the accident. Instead, talk to a car accident attorney to help you settle the matter.
What Is the Damage to Your Vehicle?
This is the cost of repairing or replacing your car and personal items, such as car seats or laptops. The cost includes damage to the car’s body, external and interior parts, and the belongings inside.
What Are Your Medical Costs?
Finding a physician who correctly diagnoses and treats your injuries can be difficult. In addition, you might find it difficult to pay for the necessary medical care when the costs from the ambulance, emergency department, primary care physician, and copayments mount. In the event of a collision, the at-fault driver’s insurance provider may also cover the cost of your medical care.
How Serious Are Your Injuries?
You will likely get a hefty compensation if you have suffered permanent injuries such as paraplegia, quadriplegia, or significant brain damage. Minor wounds usually receive a smaller amount.
How much medical attention do you need? Some car accident victims only need a few doctor visits, while others need ongoing care for the rest of their lives. Letting a medical expert speak for you can influence how the jury views this topic.
Lost Wages
You may be entitled to lose pay if your injuries prevent you from working or working in the same capacity as you did before the accident. Additionally, you may be eligible for compensation for loss of earning capacity if you have a permanent injury that restricts you from returning to your job or earning as much as you did before the accident. This is another aspect of the damages the insurance provider will cover for the motorist who was at fault.
What Type Of Treatment Did You Receive?
Insurance companies are famous for deciding what they consider medically necessary and what is not. This may be harder for you if you prefer alternative medical practices and have received more help, such as those from a chiropractor.
Have You Ever Had Complaints?
Having a reputation for frequently filing personal injury lawsuits could hurt your chances of getting a fair settlement. However, you can contact a personal injury lawyer to help get the compensation you deserve.
How Are Pain and Suffering Calculated?
Pain and suffering encompass the emotional pain that occurs after being injured in an accident. Several aspects of suffering are covered under pain and suffering:
- Physical pain, temporary and permanent.
- Physical disability
- Emotional and mental disorders
Pain and suffering can be calculated in many ways. Easiest way: Add your bills, including medical expenses, lost wages, and damage to your car. But this is not the only method you can use as these bills are separate from your pain and suffering, which is a common evil.
To accurately calculate your aches and pains, you must determine which category your aches and pains fall into, current and future aches and pains. The first covers your aches and pains until the end of your medical treatment. The second extends to the near future. So, unsurprisingly, your authority will be greater for present and future pain and suffering.
Should You Negotiate Your Car Accident Settlement with a Lawyer?
When calculating your losses after a car accident in Tampa, there are numerous things you could overlook because of the complexity of the harm they can cause. A Tampa car accident lawyer will understand how to assess the entire extent of your present and future damages. Also, they can exert pressure on the insurance provider to look into your claim and properly compensate you. Studies regularly demonstrate that claimants assisted by counsel receive much higher awards.
How Can I Increase My Settlement from a Car Accident?
Build your case’s evidentiary base and prepare your legal strategy aggressively if you want to increase the compensation in the car accident case. Building a solid case by speaking with witnesses, collecting verifiable evidence, and leveraging the legal system can strengthen your case and give you maximum compensation.
Negotiating successfully with the other party is crucial to maximizing a settlement.
Contact the Coleman Law Group
Compensation for injuries can damage a car accident and be challenging for any victim. Consulting a law firm like the Coleman Law Group can help you through this process.
The Coleman Law Group has over ten years of experience offering legal services in Tampa. Our car accident lawyer in Tampa can help you collect the necessary evidence and negotiate with the insurance company for your case.
