Picture this: You’re on your way to do some much-needed grocery shopping. You pull up to the light to turn in to your store, and the light flicks red right before you get there. You hit the brakes so that you don’t end up running the red light.
Crunch.
The car behind you smashes into your rear bumper. Whether they weren’t paying attention, followed too closely, or drove too fast, it doesn’t matter. Your car’s wrecked, and your neck’s killing you from the impact.
You need justice. Now you’re wondering what the average settlement for a rear end collision is. Fortunately, our guide can help.
What Is the Average Settlement for a Rear End Collision?
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that there is no average settlement for a rear end collision.
“But there are so many of these settlements! Surely you can just average them out and get a ballpark figure!”, you might argue. However, doing so would be disingenuous, both statistically and for your case. No personal injury attorney worth their salt would offer such a figure.
Why is this? Simply put, because there are so many factors that can affect your potential settlement amount.
What Are These Factors?
“So, you’ve mentioned these many factors. What are they, exactly? And why do they make the average settlement impossible to pin down?”, you wonder. Let’s examine the main ones in more detail.
Losses
What are losses, in terms of law and insurance? Losses are, well, things you have lost due to the accident in question. These losses can be economic, health-related, or mental-health-related.
For those losses, you can seek damages, or court-ordered payments, from a defendant.
What sort of losses and damages might factor into your settlement amount? We’ve prepared a (by no means exhaustive) list below:
- The cost of vehicle repairs
- Lost income from inability to work
- Loss of use for a vehicle if you used it for business
- Medical or funeral expenses
- Fees from missed bills
There are many more potential losses you might incur, but let’s move on to the next factor.
Fault
Another factor that you need to consider, especially if you wish to pursue punitive damages, is fault. Who is considered at fault for the accident?
If you’re suing someone else, but are found to be at fault for the incident, you won’t likely receive a settlement or payout. In most rear-end collisions, the driver colliding with your rear bumper is the one at fault. However, there are exceptions to this rule.
Injuries
Your settlement payout will also vary widely depending on how many if any, injuries you sustained. The severity of those injuries will also affect your payout. For example, if someone in your vehicle died in this rear end collision, you’d receive much greater amounts than if you only suffered whiplash.
So, How Do You Know What You Get?
The only way for you to figure out your average settlement for a rear end collision is to reach out to a legal professional. They will sit down with you and help you sort through your losses, expenses, and damages. Once they’ve helped you organize your information, you’ll have a case ready to present for the greatest settlement amount possible.
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