There are dozens of factors that can affect the value of your damages, so there is no average settlement for a car accident. Because the circumstances of your accident and injuries are unique, it is impossible to put a price on your accident-related expenses and losses without first investigating what you endured and how much it cost you.
Once an attorney examines your case’s evidence, they can give you a better sense of how much you could seek in a car accident settlement. Then, they can seek the best possible financial recovery available to them.
Recoverable Damages After Suffering Serious Injuries in a Florida Car Accident
Florida’s no-fault car accident law, Florida Statutes § 627.7407, prevents you from holding the at-fault driver liable for your losses unless you meet certain criteria, such as suffering a serious, permanent injury. When we review your case, we can help you understand if you meet this threshold.
Holding the at-fault driver liable by filing an insurance claim based on their liability automobile insurance policy generally nets a much larger payout than you could recover based on your personal injury protection (PIP) claim.
The damages recoverable in a third-party claim against the at-fault driver may include:
- Medical care costs and related expenses
- Future care costs
- Ongoing care costs such as in-home support or long-term care facility placement
- Lost wages and benefits
- Diminished earning capacity
- Repair or replacement of your vehicle
- Other property damages
- Out-of-pocket expenses related to your accident or injuries
- Pain and suffering damages
- Wrongful death damages if the accident victim passed away because of their injuries
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We Will Gather Evidence to Put a Fair Value on Your Car Accident Case
Determining the fair settlement value of a car accident case requires a lawyer from our team to identify and document a wide range of expenses and losses the victims of the accident endured. This includes medical bills, estimates for the repairs to your vehicle, and receipts for the cost of building a ramp at your home.
Because we handle this type of case regularly, we know many of the common types of damages accident victims suffer. This makes it easier for us than it would be if you tried to manage this task on your own.
Some damages are more difficult to document than others. A car accident attorney in Florida will need to consider:
- The cost of future or ongoing care
- The losses you will suffer if you cannot return to your previous job
- The monetary value of your pain and suffering
Proving the value of these losses often requires us to rely on expert witnesses, including:
- Medical experts
- Care planning experts
- Economists
These experts can help us understand what a just settlement that covers all your compensatory damages might look like.
Factors That Can Determine the Value of Your Car Accident Settlement
Because so many variables can influence the value of a car accident settlement, it is impossible to declare with any sort of accuracy what an “average” settlement would be in Florida. Among the factors that can make your settlement higher or lower are:
The Severity of Your Injuries
Because medical bills comprise a huge component of most car accident settlements, it stands to reason that the more severe your injuries are, the higher the value of your car accident settlement. This includes money you already spent on medical care, as well as the money you estimate you will have to spend in the future.
In addition, more serious injuries can cause you more physical and emotional pain over a longer period of time. Therefore, you can seek greater compensation for categories like pain and suffering, disability, and reduced quality of life.
The Amount of Damage to Your Car
We can pursue the responsible party and the insurance company for compensation to pay for the damage to your car. The more severe the damage, the more money we can demand. In many cases, we can recover not just the lost value of your car but the value of a comparable replacement vehicle.
Damage to Other Personal Property
If you were carrying valuable personal property in your vehicle at the time of the accident, we may be able to help you recover compensation. These funds could pay for the loss of electronic equipment, jewelry, and more.
The Circumstances of the Accident
Under Florida’s comparative liability law (Florida Statutes § 768.81), you can recover car accident damages even if you were partly at fault for the crash. However, the amount you can recover in this scenario will be proportionally lower based on your share of the fault. An attorney can fight to minimize your share of liability and maximize your compensation.
The Loss of Wages and Work Benefits
No matter what kind of work you do, a serious injury can keep you home for a long while. Even if you can work, you may have to go on light duty or restrict yourself to part-time hours, greatly reducing the paycheck you bring home every week. In extreme cases, you may no longer be able to work at all.
You could seek damages for your lost wages, reduced ability to earn income in the long-term, and more.
Which Parties Are Involved
The party or parties who are legally responsible for paying you could include:
- A personal vehicle driver
- A commercial trucking company
- A local government entity
- A construction company or other business
You could pursue compensation based on these parties’ liability insurance policies—and if the liable party is a commercial entity, they may have a higher policy limit.
Therefore, your compensation could vary depending on who is paying for your damages.
Let Us Pursue a Just Settlement in Your Florida Car Accident Case
Before we can begin settlement negotiations or file a civil lawsuit, we need to understand how much your settlement might be worth based on the value of your damages. We will also need to consider any allegations that you contributed to causing the accident and work to limit the impact of any evidence showing comparative negligence.
We will provide strong representation and responsive legal care required to aggressively pursue a fair settlement or court award based on your accident-related damages. There is no such thing as an “average settlement,” and we do not believe you should settle for it if there is.
We will negotiate with the insurer and reach a just settlement on your behalf, or we will take legal action and take your case to trial. The best part is that we handle the entire process every step of the way. You worry about getting better. We take care of everything else. Your lawyer may:
- Speak with medical professionals to determine the nature and extent of your injuries
- Help you calculate the amount of income you have lost because of your injuries, as well as income you are likely to lose in the future
- Examine the facts of your accident to identify any and all contributing forms of negligence
- Speak with you to understand all of the negative ways in which your accident affected your life, as you may be able to collect compensation for non-financial losses
If you and your lawyer agree that a personal injury lawsuit is a route you would like to pursue, then your lawyer may:
- Draft and file your lawsuit in the proper Florida court
- Speak with defense lawyers to negotiate a settlement
- Take your lawsuit to trial, if necessary
- Defend your rights throughout the legal process
We have a clear mission: to prove negligence and obtain any compensation to which you are entitled.
Work With a Florida Car Accident Lawyer’s Team About Your Case Today
If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a Florida car accident, an attorney from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help you understand your rights and legal options today. You may be eligible to hold the at-fault driver liable for their negligence and recover a larger payout than is available through your PIP policy.
Let a member of our car accident team review your case for free today. There is no real average settlement for a car accident lawyer, but we can still evaluate your injuries to help you understand what damages you can pursue.
