How Much Should You Pay If Engaged In A Multiple Car Accident?

In addition to the injuries suffered, car accidents can also leave you exposed to various legal liabilities. This is especially the case if the other parties involved in the crash can prove that you were at fault.

Before discussing the possible bill you may receive after an at-fault accident, let’s explore the types of compensation that the victim may file claims for. Keep in mind that the type and number of settlements filed for affects the final payment owed. 

Types Of Auto Accident Compensations

Car accident compensations can be placed into two broad categories; general and economic or special damages. Below are four of the most common types of compensation that you can expect from both categories.

1. Medical Bills

The law requires that you pay the victim’s current and future medical expenses. You are expected to cover bills for the hospital stays, physician consultation, medications, prosthetic devices, ambulance costs, surgeries, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and any other expenses incurred in treating injuries suffered from the crash.

You should know that the court may also ask you to pay for any modifications that the victim may have to do to readjust to their new lifestyle if they’re permanently incapacitated. This could include bills for modifying a vehicle and their home.

2. Pain And Suffering

Pain and suffering is a general term used to describe the physical and emotional suffering the victim experiences in the accident and recovery process.

As you can tell, this is an intangible claim that makes it challenging to estimate the settlement amount.

3. Lost Income

The claim demands compensation for the wages lost by a victim when he/she is seeking medical help. It may also cover payment for future lost wages in case the victim is permanently incapacitated.

Calculating income lost due to temporary injuries is relatively easy. However, permanent loss of income is more complex. You’ll need an experienced attorney and a team of financial experts to come up with an accurate number. 

4. Punitive Damage

The court may ask you to pay punitive damages if the other party shows that your actions in the moments leading up to the accident were reckless. This is particularly common in accidents involving DUI.

Punitive compensation may also be warranted if you portrayed questionable or harmful conduct after the accident. The damages are usually awarded to discourage dangerous behaviors on roads.

To sum it up, as the defendant, you must be careful with the sort of bills that a victim may come up with. Sure, the ethical thing is to compensate and support their recovery, but the expenses should be reasonable. That’s why it’s critical to work with car accident attorneys during this process. They’ll vet the filed claim and cross-examine witnesses like the physicians to ensure you are not overcharged.

How Much Will You Pay?

Sadly, there is no straight answer to this question. The specific dollar amount will always vary based on various factors.

According to the Insurance Information Institute data, the average private car accident injury settlement in 2019 was around $18,417. However, the data is not entirely reliable since they did not include states with no-fault car insurance laws.

Generally speaking, the exact amount you’ll pay will ultimately boil down to factors like:

• Nature of injuries

The injuries sustained by the victim will directly affect the size of the settlement. Something like a brain injury typically attracts a larger payment than a minor injury like bruised ribs.

A severe injury that requires ongoing medical expenses makes a claim even bigger.

• Liability

The extent of your liability will also influence the settlement amount. For instance, if you can prove that the victim was also at fault, the settlement will reduce drastically.

• Medical treatment

How quickly did the victim seek medical help after the accident? The settlement amount can reduce if they did not get medical assistance right away. This usually happens when the victim overlooks a minor injury, only to escalate into a severe medical issue.

• Type of job

This affects the payable amount in a loss of income claim. It’s used to determine whether the accident involved the victim’s ability to work and the wages lost.

• Marital status

A settlement is likely to be more significant if the victim is the breadwinner in a family. 

• Evidence from the crash

What was the victim’s statement after the collision? Do the information of the witnesses at the scene match with the story told by the victim. 

There are way too many factors at play when it comes to determining an auto accident settlement. Nevertheless, having an experienced lawyer by your side can significantly reduce your liability and the claim amount.