Car accidents have the potential to cost victims and their families significantly in terms of medical bills, lost income, property damage and other unforeseen expenses. When you are seriously injured in a car accident, you are looking at the possibility of losing income for weeks or months to come. At this juncture, you may be wondering how much the average settlement for a car accident in California might be.

Studies nationwide show that the average settlement amount for car accident cases is around $20,000 to $25,000. However, that hardly means anything for your case. Why? That's because there is no magic number in this regard, and every single case is unique with its particular set of circumstances. At the Vaziri Law Group, our car accident lawyers have dealt with a wide array of cases whose settlements have ranged from tens of thousands of dollars to several million dollars.

Factors That Could Affect the Value of the Settlement

Large Settlement Signs

Extensive Medical Bills

Not At Fault For Accident

Great Attorney

Small Settlement Signs

Few Medical Bills

Partially At Fault For Accident

Bad Attorney

There are a number of factors that could have an impact on your car accident settlement value including but not limited to:

• The value of your medical bills
• The nature and extent of your injuries
• Income you have lost as a result of missing work
• Anticipated value of future medical needs
• Loss of earning capacity and lost future wages
• Damages for pain and suffering (non-economic damages)
• Punitive damages depending on the case
• Pre-existing medical conditions before the accident
• List ItemDetermination of who was at fault for the accident

Some of the largest car accident settlements are offered to victims:

• Who were involved in a high-speed or violent collision
• Suffered extremely painful injuries
• Suffered catastrophic injuries, which means the victim may never recover fully and may not be able to work or earn a livelihood
• High degree of negligence on the part of the defendant
• Who were injured due to absolutely no fault of their own

Our accident lawyers have also seen some of the biggest car accident settlements come from cases where victims have suffered serious injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord trauma, severe whiplash, chronic pain, nerve damage, burn injuries, disfigurement and scarring.

One way to maximize your settlement in a car accident claim is to hire an experienced Los Angeles car accident lawyer who has experience standing up and fighting against insurance companies. When you secure quality legal representation, insurance adjusters are more likely to make fair settlement offers because they know who they're up against. While most personal injury claims culminate in settlements, you need a lawyer who is also a skilled litigator so they can take your case before a jury, if that becomes necessary.

Will the Insurance Company Pay for the Car Accident Claim?

If the driver who caused your car accident has liability insurance coverage, then the driver's insurance company will be able to pay the car accident settlement amount. Typically, these payments are capped by the policy limit. Any remaining amount must come directly from the defendant. This is not a problem if the defendant's liability insurance has a policy limit that is higher than what is seeking in damages.

If the policy limit won't cover your damages, you may need to explore other sources of compensation such as:

• Your own insurance company if you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
• Another party who was responsible for the crash such as the manufacturer of a defective car part or a governmental entity that designed a dangerous roadway or intersection

If the at-fault party was uninsured, the struggle to recover compensation may be even more. In such cases, you may be able to recover compensation from the driver's personal assets or some other responsible party.

What Should I Know About Securing a Car Accident Settlement?

If you have been involved in a car accident, an insurance adjuster or insurance company might attempt to quickly contact you and try to settle the matter so they can make your claim go away. However, this is not a good situation to put yourself in because once you take their deal you cannot claim any more compensation even if you find yourself incurring additional expenses in the future. This is why it is critical to get an experienced Los Angeles car accident lawyer involved early on in the process so they will be able to accurately evaluate your case and help you understand the full scope of your injuries and needs.

Our legal team will diligently document your injuries and damages by reviewing your medical records, bills, property damage estimates, police reports and employment records. This will help us rest our case evaluation on facts and numbers that are beyond dispute.