How Much is a Settlement for a Car Accident?

How much a settlement is for a car accident depends on several factors. Property damage, medical treatment, money for future care, and pain and suffering all impact the amount. For serious accidents, settlement amounts of hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars are possible. 

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident, you deserve the best car accident attorney in Arizona–Gage Mathers. Our clients have won more than $275 million in settlement money. Below, we’ll break down how settlements are calculated and what goes into each estimated award amount. 

Property Damage

Property damage settlement amounts are derived from damage to your vehicle and any personal property destroyed in the accident. This amount is often one of the smaller awards an accident victim can receive, because while these items can be valuable, they have little impact on one’s future ability to live a happy and healthy life. 

Medical Expenses

When wondering what to do after a car accident, too many people skip visiting the hospital. Injuries may not be obvious when a victim is full of adrenaline and in shock. Days or weeks later, pain can set in. By that point, proving these injuries were related to the accident can be difficult. Visiting a doctor for a full examination after an accident is crucial.

Depending on how severe the injuries are, an accident victim may require multiple surgeries to recover. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Ongoing physical therapy, medications, and additional doctor visits can all increase the costs. Settlements can easily reach $100,000 or more for these expenses. 

Once the case reaches trial or goes to the settlement phase, medical costs can still be accruing. This is why it’s important to calculate the need for medical expenses well into the future. 

Future Medical Expenses

No one can truly predict what future medical expenses will be. Award amounts in this category can be substantial if further surgeries are planned as the patient continues to improve. 

Lost Wages

Time spent in the hospital is time that can’t be spent working. Depending on one’s salary, this can mean a staggering loss of income. For serious accidents with months of recovery time, this number can be even higher. 

Lastly, for those permanently disabled, a future lifetime of lost salary must be paid to the victim. These settlements are the type that reach into the millions of dollars. This is doubly true if the disabled victim was the primary wage earner for a family–everyone in the family must have their future needs met due to the loss of income. 

Non-Economic Damages

These are damages that can’t truly have a value put on them. Pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment in life, and emotional distress fall into this category. It isn’t uncommon for accident victims to suffer from PTSD, depression, and nightmares for years to come. 

Putting a dollar figure on this is difficult, but victims must be compensated. How much is a lifetime of lost sleep worth? In the past, juries have awarded large amounts of money for these categories. 

Punitive Damages

Cases involving extreme neglect or disregard for human life, such as drunk driving, reckless driving, or those who intended to cause harm can involve punitive damages. Punitive damages are intended as a punishment to prevent others from doing the same thing in the future.

These can also be awarded in single-car accidents if the car manufacturer was knowingly at fault. When faulty parts that weren’t recalled cause a serious accident, the car manufacturer is the one that pays. 

Seek Medical and Legal Help Right Away

If you’ve been involved in an accident, don’t wait to find out how long after a car accident injuries can appear. Get a thorough examination right away and contact Gage Mathers so we can advise you on the next steps. 

Our decades of experience with Arizona car accidents has made us one of the most knowledgeable firms in the state. Trust us with your case, and let us help fight for the money you deserve!

About the Author

Joseph D'Aguanno

Guided by the belief that being a highly skilled specialist in a narrow field is better than being ordinary in everything, Joseph “JD” D’Aguanno leads Arizona’s best personal injury law firm in Phoenix, AZ. Having extensive cross-training in pre-litigation negotiations and trial lawyer skills, with decades of experience, JD strives to provide clients with the most valuable legal services a personal injury lawyer can provide. Under his direction, Gage Mathers Law Group is an award-winning personal injury law firm providing aggressive representation to victims of a car accident, medical malpractice, dog bite, motorcycle accident, and other injurious events. Gage Mathers is trusted by thousands of lawyers and clients throughout the country because of their reputation for getting clients the maximum compensation they deserve.

Years of experience: Over 23 years
Bar number: 020421
Location: Phoenix, AZ
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