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In over 30 years of practicing personal injury law, we have learned that one of the first questions many potential clients ask is, “What is the average settlement for a car accident?” The mathematical formula for this number is easy to determine. It is roughly two to three times the sum of the client’s medical bills and lost wages.
However, such a simple answer is rarely useful. Typical car accident settlement amounts with injury cases seldom result in an average settlement. Differing circumstances often result in auto accident settlements being much higher or lower than the median.
More importantly, if you are asking how much a car settlement in Texas is likely to be, you don’t care about the statistical average. What you really want to know is what the average settlement for car accidents is in cases similar to yours.
This is why it is much more accurate to say that the average settlement is based on the circumstances surrounding the accident and the decisions the claimant makes after the accident (including whether they consult with an experienced Texas car accident attorney).
Getting injured in a car accident isn’t just physically painful. For most people, it is also financially devastating. Even if you only require a single emergency room visit and a single follow-up visit, the cost of that medical treatment is quite high. Any lost work time adds to your financial stress.
These are just some of the factors that will help determine how much money you get after a car accident. By understanding every factor involved, you are more likely to get average compensation or better.
Car accident settlements often include a variety of compensatory elements designed to help victims recover financially and emotionally. Below are some of the most common categories:
Each of these categories aims to address the different ways an accident can disrupt your life, ensuring victims have the resources needed to rebuild and recover fully.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident and are unsure about the types of compensation you may be entitled to, contact the Law Offices of Michael J. Gopin, PLLC, today. Our experienced attorneys are ready to help you understand your options and fight for the settlement you deserve. Schedule your free consultation now to take the first step toward recovery.
One of the most important factors in getting compensation for a car accident is how quickly you consult with a personal injury lawyer. Even when legal fees are deducted, accident victims typically get higher compensation when they are represented by a lawyer than when they are not.
This is because lawyers understand the system better than the average person. An experienced attorney knows what type of evidence is needed to support your claim and will help you gather and preserve that evidence as soon as you hire them.
Even when an insurance company is legally required to pay you for your expenses, it isn’t required to independently identify those expenses. If you don’t accurately report your expenses with appropriate evidence, you won’t get compensated.
Furthermore, knowledgeable car accident attorneys have the experience to accurately calculate the value of a claim. This means they know when a traffic accident settlement offer from an insurance company is inadequate to cover your needs.
Determining this amount is harder than it may seem. Insurance companies are skilled at making offers that look good but actually significantly undervalue what the claimant needs to recover.
If you want to avoid getting a settlement under the average, you should schedule a free consultation with the Law Offices of Michael J. Gopin, PLLC, as soon as possible after getting hurt in a car accident in Texas.
The more seriously you are hurt, the more your medical treatment is likely to cost. Surgery and months of rehabilitation cost a lot more than setting a broken arm and removing the cast a few months later.
But even these examples are relatively simple because they describe situations where medical treatment is completed within the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit. Determining how much it costs to treat an injury that requires years or decades of treatment is much more challenging.
Typically, insurance companies underestimate this value, potentially by millions of dollars in some circumstances. You need the right doctors and lawyers to calculate these costs based on your unique injuries.
With over 30 years of personal injury experience, the team at the Law Offices of Michael J. Gopin, PLLC has the familiarity with these types of injuries and the connections in the medical field to make an accurate estimate.
Similarly, you must get evaluated and treated by the right doctors. If a doctor fails to properly diagnose an injury, you could receive compensation well under what you need to recover.
Finally, the extent of your injuries also affects how much work time you are likely to miss. Similar to how you need to carefully document injuries and medical bills, you need to document all missed work time.
You can receive compensation for every dollar of pay you don’t receive, but only if you provide the insurance company with a complete accounting of that lost time.
Whether you or the other driver was at fault in the accident is a big factor in determining how likely you are to get more or less than the average car accident settlement in Texas. When you are at fault, your compensation is limited by your car accident policy.
For example, if your policy only covers $50,000 for injuries, that is all the compensation you would receive, even if you needed $75,000 in medical treatment.
Conversely, when the other party is responsible, there is no meaningful limit to how much compensation you can receive for medical bills and lost wages. This means that if the other party is responsible for an accident, you need to provide the insurance companies involved with as much evidence as possible to prove this.
An experienced car accident attorney from the Law Offices of Michael J. Gopin, PLLC, can help. Our legal team will interview witnesses, collect accident reports, and uncover physical evidence that supports your claim.
The more evidence we gather, the more likely that the insurance company for the other driver will agree to a fair and appropriate settlement. This evidence will prove equally important if the insurance company refuses to negotiate. When that happens, that evidence can be used in the courtroom during a lawsuit.
Most insurance companies will agree to a higher-than-average settlement before stepping into a courtroom because legal costs are significant. But when your case goes to trial, the better you can convince a jury that the other party was liable, the more money you will typically get awarded.
What you do immediately following an accident can significantly impact your settlement. Here are some crucial steps to follow:
By following these steps, you can build a strong foundation for your claim and improve the likelihood of a favorable settlement. Taking prompt action also ensures evidence is preserved, witnesses remain credible, and deadlines for legal filings are met. Every step you take to strengthen your case can make a significant difference in achieving a fair and comprehensive settlement.
While many clients ask about the average Texas car accident settlement, the truth is that few want to receive an average settlement. Most people would prefer to get a settlement that is higher than average. And because so many people get sub-par settlements, a higher-than-average settlement is usually the most fair.
At our law firm, we are dedicated to fighting the insurance companies and helping you get the money you need to recover from your injuries. We offer convenient “Walk-in Wednesdays” at any of our three office locations, free consultations 24 hours a day, and will travel to meet you when your injuries prevent you from traveling to us.
This is just a taste of the resources that we bring to bear in every Texas car accident case. If you want to learn more, contact our law firm immediately to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.
Michael J. Gopin has practiced law in El Paso since 1987. Even after more than 30 years, he still remembers his first jury case. It was two weeks after receiving his license, when he represented a person whose life had been forever changed after being blinded in a work-related incident...
We are experienced El Paso personal injury lawyers. Give us a call and you’ll be taken care of! (915) 333-3333
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