An average settlement amount is hard to calculate because each car accident and the consequences that come with them are so different. The totals on all medical bills would contribute to the settlement amount. Each and every paycheck the victim lost while being in too much pain to go to work must also be factored in.
These and other damages help determine the size of a car accident settlement check. An experienced attorney can also help you gauge what you may earn. Your lawyer will likely have seen similar cases and injuries in the past. Your lawyer would listen to your account of what happened, fully investigate the crash, and then be able to deliver a more accurate idea of the value of your case.
To get started without any cost to you, you can take advantage of a free case consultation with Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers. There’s no obligation, and it’s a great way to determine what you should demand for your injuries and suffering.
What Is Looked at When Calculating The Size of a Traffic Accident Settlement Check?
When talking about what you should expect in a car accident settlement, the financial losses are easiest to figure out. The totals on hospital invoices and surgeons’ fees can be added up with a calculator.
A series of recent pay stubs can easily show what you used to earn and the loss of income while you’ve had to miss shifts with an injury.
But the overall effect of an injury on your life must also be discussed and estimated. That can include victims who can no longer take care of their children. It may be the time a victim can’t return to the daily runs they loved to take, or the bike rides.
Every hardship the victim experiences, both economic and non-economic, must be looked at when coming up with a fair settlement total.
These are just a few of the damages that your lawyer would consider when estimating what you’ll need to rebuild your life:
- The Length of Your Recovery. The longer you must be in the hospital or complete physical therapy, the more medical bills your settlement check will need to cover.
- The Pain You Endure. This is a harder damage to put into economic terms. Your lawyer would be a helpful advocate to make sure you received everything you should for the pain you’ve experienced. That should include the pain that may linger for months or years. In some cases, the settlement you receive for every other factor is multiplied by a factor of 1.5 to 5 to determine the additional support you should receive for pain. The multiplier might start at 1.5 when pain isn’t as intense or lasts as long. That means if you were awarded $10,000 for your medical bills and lost income, it would be multiplied by 1.5 to add $15,000 to your settlement check.
- The Emotional Trauma You Must Cope With. This might consider the anxiety and depression you experience during a long, difficult recovery journey. It might include the PTSD symptoms that return you to the moment of impact in a major accident. The multiplier method might also be used to figure up your emotional damages.
- The Effect of the Injury on Your Normal Life. How much does your injury affect your ability to work, enjoy family time, and engage in the hobbies you love? The loss of enjoyment of life should be considered in any settlement negotiation.
- The Travel Costs While You Make Your Recovery. This might be a considerable bill when you are in a wheelchair or on crutches. Trying to get to daily doctor appointments and therapy sessions will be a challenge. Travel expenses to go out of the area to see specialists would also need to be added to an award.
These can be complex factors to pull together while you determine what you should expect from a car insurance company. It’s a good idea to at least have a skilled Bakersfield car accident lawyer look over your case.
Insurers can tell you your injury is worth very little, but a lawyer will be able to fill you in on the true value of your case. It’s the best way to figure out what you’ll need for a full recovery.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Kern County Accident?
If your accident is property-damage only, you can probably handle the case yourself and secure what’s needed to repair your vehicle.
But if the crash leaves you or a loved one with a serious injury, and a careless driver was to blame, a lawyer may be a necessary protection for your case. No matter what the average settlement for your injury is, insurance companies will try to get you out the door, paying you the low end of the average. Or they may find a way to blame you for an accident you didn’t cause and reject your case completely.
Our car accident attorneys offer a free case consultation to all Bakersfield area car accident victims. There’s no obligation to you. We want to show you what your case is worth and, if necessary, help you fight to get everything you need to get your life back to normal.
Keep in mind, if you do need the help of Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, you don’t have to worry about how you’ll pay a lawyer. We don’t earn anything unless we win your case. Then our fee comes out of the settlement check that an insurer is forced to write.