Getting into a car accident is often a traumatic experience for everyone involved. In the event that the other driver was at fault, there’s a chance that you may be able to pursue compensation. However, not everyone understands what the average settlement is for a minor car accident. Let’s take a look at everything you need to know.
What Factors Contribute to a Car Accident Settlement?
There are numerous different factors that influence the amount you will end up settling for when seeking compensation for your accident. It’s important to understand these so that you can determine whether or not they apply to your situation.
Let’s explore a few of the most notable.
The Extent of Your Injuries
One of the primary contributors to the amount that you will receive is the extent of your injuries. As you might guess, you may not receive much if all you have are a few scrapes and bruises.
Someone who has multiple broken bones, however, can expect to receive much more in compensation.
Something else to consider regarding injury is whether or not the accident caused you to become disfigured or disabled. In these scenarios, the accident will have caused a long-term detriment that you will likely have to grapple with for the rest of your life.
In the context of a minor car accident, it’s unlikely that you will be severely injured. But even something categorized as a minor injury could still significantly impact your quality of life.
This is particularly true if your job or lifestyle requires you to be as physically functional as possible.
Loss of Income
Unfortunately, a car accident could easily put you in a situation where you are no longer able to make as much money as you previously did. In some cases, you may not have an income at all until you are fully healed. This is true even for those who have relatively low-impact jobs that mainly require the use of computers.
For instance, let’s assume that you severely sprained your wrist or broke your fingers during a car accident. You won’t be able to type efficiently, which could prevent you from working at a reasonable pace.
As a result, you may then find that this affects your overall income.
If you experience a loss of income at all as a result of the accident you were involved in, this will dramatically impact your total settlement. Keep this in mind when moving forward and be ready to provide documentation that details this information.
This will help the legal professional you work with handle your case as efficiently as possible.
Medical Bills
Victims of a car accident may end up with a large amount of medical bills. Even if they did not actively choose to receive treatment. This is fairly common during accidents that cause the victim to lose consciousness.
When emergency services arrive at the scene, they may transport the affected individual to the hospital in order to receive medical treatment. In some circumstances, the person involved in the accident may wake up in a medical facility after treatment has concluded.
This means they will be forced to accommodate the medical costs associated with the care they receive.
Depending on the situation, this could involve the victim paying thousands of dollars in expenses. So, it’s only logical that your medical bills play a role in the settlement that you pursue.
As previously mentioned, minor car accidents are unlikely to cause significant bodily harm. But, a head injury could be particularly costly due to all of the tests that doctors need to conduct during treatment.
Pain and Suffering
Many people who have been involved in a car accident claim that they suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This typically involves insomnia, flashbacks, and even anxiety while driving.
Depending on the extent of their injuries, they may also experience prolonged pain or suffering.
Put simply, this factor attempts to compensate the victim for the loss in quality of life they experienced as a direct result of the accident. For instance, let’s assume that a car accident victim experienced a head-on collision at a low speed.
Although they were not significantly injured, the overwhelming fear they felt as another vehicle drove directly toward them could have left them with severe PTSD.
In this circumstance, pain and suffering would be a valid factor to consider when calculating settlement since the victim would have had to deal with significant emotional distress.
Your Marital Status
If you are married or have children, you may be able to increase the amount of compensation that you receive.
This is because your partner and children likely rely on you as a partial or full provider. The accident may have prevented you from fulfilling these duties optimally.
Even something as simple as an inability to help with groceries, play with your younger kids, etc. can have a large impact on your settlement.
So, How Much Is a Settlement for a Minor Car Accident?
Depending on the above factors, you should expect to receive between $10,000 and $20,000 for a minor car accident.
However, this amount could easily be much more or less depending on circumstances outside of your control. By working with a qualified legal professional, you can help maximize the amount of money that you receive from your settlement.
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