Car accident injuries can be life-changing. You may be stuck in the hospital, undergoing surgery, dealing with physical therapy, or visiting with doctors regularly, all the while wondering how you’re going to cover your medical expenses and support your family.
It’s important to know you have rights. If you were injured in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you have every right to seek the money you are legally owed for your medical expenses, wages you lost, pain and suffering, out-of-pocket expenses, and damage to your vehicle. However, the settlement you may receive depends on many factors, such as the extent of your injuries, the circumstances of the accident, and the lawyer you choose. Continue reading to learn what the average settlement for a car accident in Indianapolis is.
Who Pays Car Accident Injury Settlements?
Car accident injuries caused by someone else are typically handled by the at-fault driver’s insurance. Their insurance company is responsible for the medical expenses, loss of wages, pain and suffering, out-of-pocket expenses, and property damage related to your accident. If the wrongdoer does not have car insurance, your claim may be paid by the uninsured motorist coverage on your own policy.
Unfortunately, many insurance adjusters are tasked with reducing their company’s responsibility to pay out claims and may offer low settlements for your car accident injuries to save their company money. This becomes even more challenging when you’re dealing with future expenses or lost wages, rather than just reimbursement for your current medical expenses.
How Much Money Can I Expect?
Many factors influence the settlement that you may receive for your car accident injuries. The insurance company or court will consider the severity of your injury and its lasting impact, your treatment plan, the length of your recovery, and the current or future loss of income. Permanent injuries also influence the compensation you receive.
Typically, injury claims go into negotiations after you have completed your medical treatment. It is important to complete medical treatment before negotiating a settlement value for your claim. Otherwise, you may end up settling for less than you need to cover your existing and ongoing expenses.
How Compensation is Calculated
Insurance companies don’t have set amounts or formulas to determine compensation for car accident injuries. In fact, there is no formula out there that determines how much your case is worth. Every case is unique and must be considered on a case-to-case basis.
That said, compensation varies according to many factors, such as your diagnosed injury, your total medical expenses, the length of your recovery, the type of treatment required for you to recover, and whether or not your injury is considered permanent. If the at-fault driver was unnecessarily reckless, such as driving drunk, you may be able to collect more money.
In addition, insurance companies are sometimes limited by the policy limits of the at-fault driver. If that maximum isn’t enough to pay the full value of your claim, you may need to file a claim with your own insurance company for the underinsured motorist coverage of your policy.
Call The Ken Nunn Law Office
If you’ve been injured in a car accident caused by someone else, Attorney Ken Nunn at The Ken Nunn Law Office is here to help you seek every dollar you are legally owed. Attorney Ken Nunn cares about you and what you’re going through. He doesn’t want you to get pushed around by the insurance adjusters when we can step in and fight for your rights. Call 1-800-CALL-KEN or fill out the online form to get your free case review and find out what your case is worth!
