What is the typical amount for a settlement from a car accident?

Question

I had a car accident about 5 months ago. I was not at fault. I was sitting in traffic and the lady gunned it and hit me at about 20 mile per hour. (She was playing on her cell phone)My doctor bills added up to 3800 dollars. My car was totalled. They have already paid for the car. Which was only half of what I owed. And so the only offer the insurance company has made so far 3900 for my medical. I thought they was suppose to offer atleast 3X's the medical. So what am I suppose to do.

Answer 1

There is no "typical amount" for an insurance settlement.  Insurance is only meant to compensate you for your loss.  I've worked in insurance for 12 years and I've never heard of a company paying three times the amount of a loss.  Don't bother wasting your time with a lawyer.  If they are offering 3900 you should take it.  A lawyer would probably cost that much anyway.

Answer 2

There is no formula.

There is no "3 times the meds".

Each claim is evaluated on it's own merits.

For example -- a person is injured in a car accident. Sustains fractured ribs. Goes to the ER and x-rays show 3 fractured ribs (non-displaced). There is no treatement for fractured ribs...but time.  All you can do it let it heal. In the mean time, every time you breath - your chest expands/contracts - and it hurts thanks to those fractured ribs. This goes on for 4-6 weeks while you heal. Your medical bills are 600. A er visit and one set of chest x rays.  Does 3x 600 sound like fair compensation for this injury?  No. This claim has a value that well exceeds 1800.

Here's another example -- you have a car wreck. Go the hospt - complain of chest pain. They do x-rays - negative. They do an MRI - also negative.  You are diagnosed with a chest contusion (bruise). However, thanks to the diagnostics (x rays, mri) your medical bills are 4000.  The bruise resolves itself in 2 weeks w/o further treatment. Does a bruise warrent a settlement of 12,000?

No.

This is why multipliers do not work and are not used.

Who ever told you 3x the meds is wrong.

The insurance company has made an offer of 3900.  However, its a negotiaiton process.  Have you made a counter offer? The insurance adjuster is not going to keep throwing money at you until he hits a number you like.

Also, take a look at your meds. Are there x-rays/diagnostics that were negative? If so, these give you value dollar for dollar - but not much more.

Also, your injury is worth what it's worth - regardless if you get an attorney or not.

Here's a tip - contrary to the tv ads - adjusters are not afraid of attorneys. We deal with attorneys every day. Your adjuster has probably dealt with what ever attorney you chose to hire.

So, if you want to give an attorney 33% of any settlement you get - go ahead. But just getting an attorney does not increase the value of your claim.

The value of your claim is based on the injury you sustained.

A sprain/strain - soft tissue injury - is not a high dollar injury. And it is certainly not a 3X the meds type of injury.

Answer 3

Contact a lawyer, the insurance company's job is to settle for as less as possible. You need someone who knows the law

Answer 4

Just go find a lawyer in your state.  There are plenty of lawyers that only get paid if they collect for you so you have nothing to lose.

It varies from case to case.