If you have been injured in a car accident, The Bishop Law Firm helps injury victims attain injury settlements from negligent parties. We do not get paid unless we win, and we offer free case reviews.
Call us for your free case review or start your free case review online now.
North Carolina Car Accident Settlement Examples
Car Accident Settlements can be achieved prior to litigation with an insurance adjuster, or you may have to go all the way to jury verdict. Often, litigation is the best way to obtain fair compensation but not always.
Before choosing litigation, the time value of money must be considered. Waiting 18 months for an extra $1,000.00 in settlement may not be worth the time or the effort. In the alternative, taking a first offer is often a bad idea.
Remembering that fair compensation involves compromise on both sides of the table is imperative.
Below we have listed five of some of our firm's most recent car accident injury settlements with facts. Please note that no one can guarantee that you will receive the same settlement as someone else as all car accident claims are unique.
- Elderly female client, soft tissue injury after at-fault driver ran stop light, $2,600 in medical bills (414s) after medical insurance payments and no lost wages. Case settled prior to litigation for $10,913.13 and was open at The Bishop Law Firm for 396 days including time needed to finish all medical treatment.
- Thirty-something year old male, soft tissue injury after at-fault driver improperly changed lanes and caused side-swipe accident, $2,089.03 in medical bills (414s) after health insurance payments, lost wages of $719.64 Case settled prior to litigation for $14,500.00 and was open at The Bishop Law Firm for 195 days including time needed to finish all medical treatment.
- Elderly female, head on collision when at-fault party crossed into oncoming traffic, injury to left knee requiring a revision of left knee replacement surgery and no lost wages. Policy limits of at-fault party: $100,000.00. Case settled prior to litigation for $100,000.00 and was open at The Bishop Law Firm for 500 days including time needed to finish medical treatment.
- Twenty-year-old female pedestrian hit by at-fault driver resulting in several broken bones. At-fault party policy limits were $50,000.00. Victim did not have their own auto insurance and punitive damages were not available based on case circumstances. Case settled prior to litigation for $50,000.00 and was open at The Bishop Law Firm for 138 days.
- Forty-something year old male, injured by drunk at-fault driver who ran red light. Victim suffered soft-tissue injuries. Medical bills (414s) totaled $10,929.97. Three accident victims in total. At-fault party insurance limits $100,000.00. Victim also had his own underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) on his auto policy. At-fault party tendered policy limits and UIM also paid. Total Settlement was $45,000.00. Case settled prior to litigation and was open at The Bishop Law Firm for 475 days.
Average Car Accident Settlement Factors
A frequent question we get from our clients is: how much will my car accident settlement be? Our answer is "that your settlement amount depends on many factors." Some of the factors for consideration are the severity of your car accident injuries, what types of damages are applicable to your case, how much insurance the at-fault party has, how much insurance you have, how much you ask for in the demand and if you hire a car accident lawyer.
We discuss each of these factors below.
Severity of your injuries
If you are involved in a devastating car accident that leaves you with personal injury that leaves you with permanently disability, you will be entitled (and rightly so) to a larger settlement than someone with only soft tissue or minor injuries. Those with soft tissue issues are still entitled to the cost of their medical bills, but those who are in disabling car crashes generally have larger medical bills thus increasing the amount of their car accident settlement.
Read Medical Bills After Car Accident
It should be noted that even a minor car accident can (under the wrong conditions) cause devastating injuries. Severity of injuries can be directly related to the severity of the car accident but that is not always the case.
What damages are you entitled to?
Under North Carolina law, car accident injury victims are entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, as well as pain and suffering damages. Depending on the circumstances of the car accident, a victim may be entitled to punitive damages (think drunk drivers), future medical expenses and future wage loss.
Victims who are more seriously injured will have more lost income and emotional distress than those who sustain minor injuries. But every victim is different.
Read our posts on Lost Wages, Pain & Suffering and Punitive Damages
At-Fault Insurance Policy Limits
As of today (September 18, 2024), the minimum insurance policy limits for a North Carolina driver is $30,000. If someone with a $30,000 policy causes an accident, you can only recover $30,000.00 from their insurance company (unless punitive damages are involved and that requires litigation).
If someone has a $50,000 policy, then you can recover $50,000.00. Unfortunately, the amount of your recovery is limited by the policy limits of the at-fault party. So the person that hit you is relevant to how much you will be able to recover in a Raleigh Car Accident Injury Settlement.
Read NC Car Accidents and Insurance Policy Limits
Your Own Car Insurance
If the person that caused the accident does not have car insurance, you can recover under your own auto policy's uninsured motorist coverage (UM) (if you have auto insurance). If the person that hit you does not have enough auto insurance to cover your damages from the car accident, then you can use your own underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) to pay for your damages (if you carry UIM - which is optional coverage in North Carolina).
Read Uninsured versus Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Demand
It should go without saying that you will never receive a settlement offer that is higher than your demand amount. At the same time, asking for a truly outrageous settlement amount can stifle the negotiation process with insurance adjusters. When preparing a demand letter, consideration should be made for what you are willing to accept as fair compensation for your car accident injury.
Read What does a car accident lawyer do?
North Carolina Car Accident Lawyer
A personal injury lawyer that handles car accidents can help increase the value of your car accident settlement. Car accident attorneys gather evidence (medical records, medical bills, witness statements, lost wages documentation, impact statements from injured person and their family, photographs, accident reconstruction, i.e.) that can be used to bolster the value of your car accident settlement.
Giving an insurance company adjuster hard evidence of your economic and non-economic damages is the first step to attaining a maximum compensation car accident settlement. The second step (if necessary) is to take a car accident claim to litigation if the insurance won't offer a fair settlement.
Read Raleigh Car Accident Lawyer or North Carolina Car Accident Lawyer
Free Case Reviews
The Bishop Law Firm represents car accident victims in North Carolina We do not get paid unless you win, and we offer free case reviews by phone, or you can start your free case review online right now.
