When you suffer injuries and other losses in a Charlotte car crash, it is possible to recover compensation with the help of a Charlotte car accident lawyer. As a victim, you may naturally wonder about the actual amount of damages you can get in a car crash claim. These damages are typically recovered after you file a claim and then reach a settlement with the at-fault driver or their insurer. In some cases, the settlement may be reached at the end of a lawsuit.
In either case, there is no hard and fast rule to determine the overall amount of damages. That’s because each car crash is different. However, there are some average estimates you can use to gauge the expected payout for your claim. Below is also a quick rundown of some of the key factors that directly affect the amount you are paid.
Factors that Affect the Amount of Damages
A number of factors have a strong bearing on the actual amount of damages to be paid in a car crash claim. Here’s a look at these.
Your Injuries
The nature of your injuries is the most decisive factor in determining whether you will be paid damages and if so, what will be the amount of damages. This is because North Carolina laws allow you to recover full compensation for the medical costs of crash-related injuries. This includes the medical costs you have incurred so far, as well as the expected future costs of your injury. In general, you can recover damages covering doctor’s fees, prescription medicine costs, therapy, and rehabilitative procedures, travel to and from the hospital, specialized equipment, surgery, and more.
Milder injuries typically heal quickly, so less medical costs are involved. More serious injuries can take a long time to heal and incur larger medical bills in the long-term. Some injuries can even result in permanent disabilities or limitations. In such cases, you are eligible for separate damages for lost capacity to earn.
In addition to the tangible costs of an injury, you can also seek compensation in lieu of the pain and suffering caused by the injuries. These non-economic damages are typically recoverable only in the case of serious or critical injuries.
Your Employment
Were you employed or unemployed at the time of the accident? If you were employed and the crash caused you to take time off, this inevitably resulted in lost wages for you. So the nature of your job, your average salary at the time, any bonuses or opportunities at work you missed, are all factored into the ‘Lost Wages’ head of the compensatory damages. You are legally entitled to recover all these losses from the at-fault party.
Your Property Losses
Many vehicles are totaled in a car accident. Being totaled means that the insurance company doesn’t pay for repairs, instead it simply pays you the pre-accident actual cash value (ACV) of the vehicle. In other cases, you have to deal with expensive repairs. You may suffer additional property losses in the crash, such as damage to a costly smartphone or tablet.
All these losses are recoverable, and you can seek them when trying to negotiate a Charlotte car accident settlement. It is important to have documentary proof, such as receipts and other documentation, to substantiate your claimed losses. It is this proof and other evidence that is going to persuade the insurer, or the judge and the jury, to award you the damages you deserve.
Average Amount of Compensatory Damages
The factors listed above largely determine the amount of damages you are going to be paid for your Charlotte car accident claim. That being said, here are some average amounts to give a general idea:
- For a mild injury such as soft tissue damage, you may receive a settlement between $10,000 and $20,000
- For an injury requiring surgery or therapy and expected to take a long time to deal, the settlement amount is likely to be upward of $40,000
- For spinal injuries, the settlement amount will likely be upward of $50,000 as these are severe injuries requiring a long time to heal and recover
- For brain injuries, the compensatory damages may go well over $100,000
However, these are only broad estimates. The actual amount can vary wildly depending on the unique circumstances of each Charlotte car accident case.
Consult a Reliable Charlotte Car Accident Lawyer
If you want to know how much your Charlotte car accident claim is worth, wait no more. Reach out to us today and we will help you get a fair estimate. Here at Ted Greve & Associates, we have many years of experience in the field. Our lawyers can help you know the actual worth of your claim so that you know what to demand when filing the claim.
