If you were injured in a car accident in Missouri, you might be wondering how much compensation you can expect. While minor accidents may settle for a few thousand dollars, serious injury cases can exceed $50,000—sometimes reaching six or seven figures, especially if catastrophic injuries or wrongful death are involved.
The circumstances of the crash, severity of injuries, insurance coverage, and more can affect both your total damages and what you can ultimately recover. Every case is unique, but understanding general settlement trends can help you know what to expect and have realistic expectations.
How Much Is The Average Car Accident Settlement?
The average car crash settlement is difficult to determine. Unlike jury verdicts, settlement agreements are not public information. No two car accident cases are alike, and even settlements involving the same injuries can be wildly different.
A 2017 survey found an average settlement of $52,900, with half of the respondents who recovered money receiving a settlement of $3,000 to $25,000. In a 2005 survey analyzing jury awards in personal injury cases, car accidents resulted in a median award of only $15,000, with 40% of plaintiffs awarded $10,000 or less.
Generally, the more serious your injuries, the more you are likely to receive. Typical car accident settlement amounts with injury may fall into one of these ranges:
- Minor soft tissue injuries (e.g., whiplash and sprains): $5,000 to $25,000
- Moderate injuries (e.g., fractures and back injuries): $25,000 to $100,000
- Severe injuries (e.g., brain injuries and spinal cord injuries): $100,000 to $250,000 or more
Accidents involving catastrophic injuries or wrongful death cases usually receive the highest settlement offers.
Damages You Can Recover In Accident Settlements For Car Accidents
In an auto injury settlement, you can recover money for many types of damages or losses. Economic damages include your financial losses such as property damage, medical expenses, lost earnings, and reasonable out-of-pocket costs. Non-economic damages are the subjective and personal damages you suffered. This may include physical pain, mental suffering, emotional distress, and reduced enjoyment of life.
It’s impossible to estimate what you can recover without a thorough assessment of your case. Even with the same injury, two people may have very different medical costs and long-term effects, for example. A serious hand injury to a surgeon, for instance, may have hundreds of thousands in damages for lost earning capacity. The same injury to a retired person would not have damages for diminished earning potential.
A car accident lawyer can help you document your damages and negotiate aggressively for fair compensation for all the losses you have suffered.
Factors That Affect A Car Collision Settlement
Several factors can impact how much you receive in a car crash settlement, including the following:
- Severity and Type of Injuries: More severe injuries usually result in higher settlements. This is due to higher medical bills, a lengthier recovery, and the potential for long-term medical needs, pain, and impairment.
- Impact on Earning Capacity: If you are left with long-term impairment or disability, you will probably recover more money than you would if you made a full recovery. You are entitled to money for reduced or lost earning capacity if you can’t go back to work. Your earning potential, age, life expectancy, career trajectory, and more may be considered to put a value on lost earning capacity.
- Impact on Daily Life, Independence, and Enjoyment of Life: The value of your case includes not only financial costs but also the value of personal and subjective losses. Average car accident settlements are higher when they result in chronic pain, PTSD, reduced quality of life, or loss of independence, for example.
- Evidence: With strong evidence of liability, the insurance company is more likely to settle for a fair amount. If you do not have enough evidence to prove the other party’s negligence, your claim is more likely to be undervalued or even denied.
- Insurance Policy Limits: The at-fault driver’s insurance policy will only pay out up to their policy limits. Unfortunately, this means a settlement may not cover all your damages. You may still have options to recover any remaining damages, such as uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage.
- Shared Fault: You are still entitled to money for your damages even if you share some (or most) of the fault for the crash. However, any fault you share will be considered during settlement negotiations. If your case does proceed to trial, a jury will reduce damages based on your share of blame. If your actions contributed to the accident, your settlement will likely be lowered.
Understanding how these factors influence your claim can help you set realistic expectations and strengthen your case.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer For Help
A personal injury lawyer can help you recover fair compensation by negotiating on your behalf, building the strongest case possible, and ensuring all damages are accounted for. In the 2017 survey of average settlements, people who had legal representation received an average settlement of $77,600. Those without a lawyer recovered an average of $17,600.
Insurance adjusters often make very low initial offers. The goal of the insurance company is to settle quickly and for as little as possible. Patience and proper documentation are key to getting a fair settlement. People who settled without negotiating received just $11,800 on average compared to $42,500 with negotiations.
If you have been injured in a car wreck, don’t settle for less than you are owed. At Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers, we will tirelessly pursue a fair car injury settlement on your behalf. We understand that you count on the money from a settlement to get the care you need and move forward with your life. Contact our law firm to discuss your case and what we can do to help you during a free case evaluation.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer at Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers Today
For more information, contact the attorneys at Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers we proudly serve all throughout Missouri, including St. Louis County, and we have offices in St. Louis, Chesterfield, Clayton, and Creve Coeur.
Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers – St. Louis Office
1010 Market Street, Suite 1605
St. Louis, Missouri
(636) 519-0085
Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers – Chesterfield Office
400 Chesterfield Center Suite 400
Chesterfield, MO 63017
(636) 999-9587
Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers – Creve Coeur Office
11628 Old Ballas Rd, Suite 320
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
(314) 557-2869
Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers – Clayton Office
7733 Forsyth Blvd, Suite 1100
Clayton, MO 63105
(314) 804-4569
