After a car accident, you might wonder how much money you can receive from a settlement. It's normal to feel confused about what to expect. Settlement amounts vary greatly from case to case, with some reaching a few hundred dollars while others can be worth much more.
At Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers in Queens, we help victims understand what factors affect their claims. We collaborate with you to pursue compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, and emotional distress. Our team manages a wide range of personal injury cases, ensuring you receive the highest possible compensation.
Table of Contents
Our Experienced Car Accident Attorney Defends Your Rights
As car accident victims, you deserve to know what's the average settlement for car accident injuries. The average car accident settlement can range from a few hundred dollars to millions for severe injury cases. We help accident victims get the maximum settlement for their car accident damages. Our personal injury attorneys fight for your car accident injury settlement to cover all injuries sustained, even serious injuries like back injuries or wrongful death claims.
We've helped countless clients with their personal injury claims and know what leads to successful car accident lawsuits. Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers has secured impressive car accident settlement amounts that get paid quickly. We can provide real-life car accident settlement examples from past cases to illustrate potential outcomes. We look at your health insurance and how much insurance the at-fault driver has to build your case.
Your personal injury settlement should cover all your needs as accident victims. We push for the highest injury settlement possible based on your specific situation. The compensation received from car accident settlements can significantly vary according to the particulars of your case. Our objective is to ensure you receive the maximum settlement while you prioritize your recovery.
Davidoff Law Personal
Injury Lawyers
Consultation With Us Today!
Understanding Car Accident Settlements
What are the average settlement amounts for car accident cases? This is the first question many victims ask us. We know you're facing medical bills, pain and suffering, and stress from dealing with insurance companies. Our job is to help you get the full car accident settlement you deserve.
We explain what factors affect your car accident claim and what to expect. Your car accident injury settlement should cover all your medical expenses and losses. We make the process simple and fight for your rights.
Typical Car Accident Settlement Amounts
The amount you might receive from a car accident settlement usually falls between $10,000 and over $100,000. However, the exact value of your case will depend on the nature and severity of your injuries. Your car accident case value depends on your specific injuries.
Back injuries often result in higher settlements than minor sprains. Permanent disability cases can reach several hundred thousand dollars. Insurance companies try to pay less for your car accident settlement. We've handled many car accident claims and know what fair compensation is for your situation.
Typical Settlement Ranges by Injury Type
Car accident settlement amounts vary by injury type. Soft tissue injuries might settle for $10,000 to $25,000. Broken bones typically bring higher settlements due to longer recovery and more medical bills.
Serious injuries, such as brain trauma or spinal damage, often result in the largest settlements for car accident claims. These often include money for long-term care, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Auto accident cases involving wrongful death have different factors and typically result in higher settlements.
Why There's No "One-Size-Fits-All" Settlement Amount
Every car accident is unique. Your typical car accident settlement depends on many factors: injury severity, fault, and insurance coverage. Your settlement amount depends on the strength of your claim and supporting evidence.
We look at all aspects of your car accident case, from immediate medical expenses to long-term effects. Some injuries might seem minor but lead to permanent disability later. We ensure your car accident settlement covers both current and future needs.
Factors That Determine Settlement Value
Several factors influence how much compensation you might receive after an auto accident. Understanding these elements helps you recognize the true value of your personal injury settlement. From the severity of your injuries to the repercussions on your daily life, each aspect plays a crucial role in calculating your settlement amount.
Severity of Injuries
The kind and seriousness of your injuries greatly affect your settlement amount. Minor injuries, such as bruises, typically result in smaller settlements. Moderate injuries, such as broken bones or whiplash, can lead to higher compensation.
Severe injuries have the biggest influence on settlement amounts. Injuries like spinal cord damage, brain trauma, or other severe conditions that lead to permanent disability can greatly boost the value of your settlement. This is because these injuries affect your life in the long term.
Medical Treatment Costs
Your medical bills make up a big portion of your settlement. These bills cover things like emergency room visits, hospital stays, surgeries, doctor visits, physical therapy, and medications. After an injury, these costs can pile up fast. All these expenses add up quickly after an injury.
Future medical expenses are also included in your settlement calculation. If you need extensive medical treatment or additional surgeries, these expected costs should be part of your final settlement amount. This ensures you're not left paying for treatment out of pocket later.
Property Damage Considerations
Beyond your physical injuries, damage to your car and other property affects your settlement. Repair costs or the value of your vehicle, if it's totaled, will be part of your claim. The more extensive the property damage, the more you can claim in your settlement.
Lost Wages and Income
If your injuries prevent you from working, you may be able to include lost wages in your settlement claim. This covers the income you missed while recovering. We calculate this based on your salary and the time you were unable to work.
For serious injuries that affect your ability to work in the future, your settlement should include lost earning capacity. This compensates you for income you would have earned if the accident hadn't happened. This is especially important for victims with permanent injuries.
Pain and Suffering Compensation
Besides covering financial losses, you should be compensated for the pain and suffering you’ve endured. This includes both the physical discomfort and emotional distress from the accident and your injuries. While harder to calculate than medical bills, these non-economic damages are often a huge part of settlements.
Insurance Coverage and Its Impact
Insurance policies are critical in determining how much compensation you can receive for your bodily injury claim. The types and amounts of coverage available greatly influence your final settlement. Understanding these insurance factors helps explain why similar injuries can result in very different settlement amounts and why having proper legal representation is so important.
Minimum vs. Full Coverage Policies
The type of insurance coverage involved in your case greatly affects your potential settlement. Minimum liability policies may only cover up to $25,000 or $50,000 per person, limiting what you can recover from the at-fault driver's insurance company.
Full coverage policies offer much better protection and higher potential settlements. These policies typically include higher liability limits plus additional coverages. If you or the at-fault driver have full coverage, your settlement options improve.
How Policy Limits Affect Your Settlement
Insurance policy limits can cap your settlement amount. If the damages you incur surpass the limits of the at-fault driver's insurance policy, it becomes harder to recover the complete amount you are owed. For example, if your damages total $100,000 but the policy limit is $50,000, you may need to look for other sources of compensation.
Dealing with Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists
Accidents with uninsured or underinsured drivers create special challenges. Without adequate insurance to cover your damages, you might worry about getting a fair settlement. This is where your insurance coverage becomes crucial.
If you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, you can file a claim with your own insurance company. Davidoff Law helps you walk through these complex insurance claims to ensure you still receive compensation even when the at-fault driver lacks proper insurance.
Legal Considerations in Car Accident Settlements
The legal side of your personal injury case affects two main things: how much money you can get and how long it will take. From determining fault to meeting filing deadlines, these legal factors shape every aspect of your case.
Comparative and Contributory Negligence
New York follows comparative negligence rules, meaning your settlement may be reduced if you share some fault for the accident. If you are found to be 20% at fault, your compensation will be reduced by that same percentage.
Proving who was at fault is a key part of most car accident claims. We gather evidence like police reports, witness statements, and expert testimony to show the other driver was responsible. This helps maximize your settlement by minimizing your share of fault.
Statute of Limitations for Filing Claims
You need to start your lawsuit within a certain time limit. In New York, you generally have three years from the accident date to lodge a personal injury lawsuit. Missing this deadline could mean losing your chance to get compensation.
No-Fault vs. At-Fault State Differences
New York is a no-fault insurance state. Your insurance covers your medical bills and lost income up to your policy's limits, no matter who was at fault in the accident. These benefits come through Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage.
For severe injuries, you can leave the no-fault system and sue the at-fault driver to recover costs for pain, suffering, and damages that exceed your PIP limits.
Types of Car Accident Damages in Your Personal Injury Settlement
Understanding the different types of damages available in a car accident settlement is essential for evaluating how much compensation you should receive. From quantifiable economic losses to more subjective non-economic effects, each category of damages contributes to your total recovery.
We thoroughly document all your damages to build a comprehensive claim that accounts for both your current and future needs. This detailed approach ensures your settlement reflects the true cost of your accident and injuries.
Economic Damages Explained
Economic damages cover your financial losses from the accident. These include your medical expenses, both current and future. Emergency care, hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy, medications, and any other health care costs count toward your settlement.
Lost income is another key economic damage. This includes wages lost while you couldn't work due to your injuries. If your injuries burden your ability to make money in the future, your settlement should account for the loss of earning potential.
Non-Economic Damages Overview
Non-economic damages cover losses that aren't easily measured in money. Pain and suffering is the most common type. This covers physical pain from your injuries as well as emotional distress, anxiety, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Other non-economic damages cover the impact on your marriage, physical disfigurement, and lasting disabilities. These damages can form a large part of your settlement, especially for severe injury cases.
Punitive Damages in Serious Cases and Wrongful Death Claims
In rare cases where the at-fault driver's conduct was extremely reckless, you might receive punitive damages. These damages aren't to make up for your losses. Instead, they aim to punish the person who did wrong and discourage others from doing the same.
For instance, actions like drunk driving, street racing, or running from the police could lead to these types of penalties. These damages can significantly increase your total settlement amount, though they're not awarded in most cases.
Common Injuries and Their Settlement Values
Different types of injuries result in varying settlement amounts based on their severity, treatment needs, and long-term ramifications. These payments aren't to make up for your losses but to penalize the person at fault and discourage such actions in the future. Injuries like back damage, brain trauma, and other severe conditions usually get larger payouts because they require long-term treatment and considerably affect daily life.
We help document the full extent of your injuries and their implications on your life to ensure your settlement adequately covers all related expenses and suffering. This injury-specific approach allows us to value your claim accurately.
Whiplash and Soft Tissue Injuries
Car accidents often lead to whiplash and other soft tissue injuries, which impact muscles, ligaments, and tendons. While they don’t show up on X-rays, they cause real pain and restrict movement. Settlements for these injuries usually range from $10,000 to $25,000.
Broken Bones and Fractures
Broken bones often lead to higher settlements than soft tissue injuries. Simple fractures may settle for $20,000 to $40,000, while complex fractures requiring surgery can result in much larger payouts.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
TBIs are among the most severe injuries, often causing lasting cognitive issues and requiring ongoing care. Settlements for TBIs typically range from $100,000 to millions of dollars.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries are catastrophic, potentially causing paralysis and lifelong medical needs. Settlements for these injuries often start at several hundred thousand dollars and can reach millions depending on severity.
How to Maximize Your Settlement Amount
Taking smart actions can greatly boost the compensation you get for your car accident damages. From proper documentation to working with experts, these approaches strengthen your position during negotiations or litigation.
We employ these proven techniques to build compelling cases that insurance companies can't easily dismiss. Our goal is to secure the full amount you're entitled to receive, not just what the insurance company initially offers to pay for your claim.
Medical Records That Support Your Claim
Thorough documentation strengthens your claim and increases your potential settlement. Keep all medical records, including doctor notes, test results, and treatment plans. Take photos of your injuries as they heal and the accident scene, if possible.
Record all accident-related expenses, such as medical bills, medication, and travel to appointments. Also, maintain a journal noting your pain levels, physical limitations, and how your injuries impact your everyday activities.
Working with Medical Professionals
Follow your doctor's advice and attend all recommended treatments. Gaps in medical care can hurt your claim, as insurance companies may argue your injuries aren't serious or weren't caused by the accident. Consistent treatment shows you're genuinely injured and trying to recover.
The Value of Expert Witnesses
Expert witnesses can significantly strengthen your case and increase your settlement amount. Medical experts explain the extent of your injuries, necessary treatments, and long-term prognosis. This helps prove the full value of your claim.
Other experts may include accident reconstructionists who explain how the crash happened, economists who calculate your lost earnings, or life care planners who determine the cost of future care.
Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers Today!
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Case Consultation
If you've been injured in an accident, don't face the insurance companies alone. At Davidoff Law, we provide free consultations to Queens residents who have been injured. During this meeting, we’ll go over the specifics of your accident and provide a clear evaluation of your case.
Our skilled team understands how to secure fair settlements for our clients. We manage every part of your claim, including collecting evidence and dealing with insurance companies on your behalf. You focus on your recovery while we fight for the compensation you deserve. Call us today to learn how we can help with your claim.
