What is the Average Settlement for a Car Crash Claim in Nashville, TN?
Posted in Car accidents on March 12, 2020
Getting into a car accident can be an incredibly scary and stressful experience. If you or a loved one have been in an accident that was caused by another driver’s negligent actions, you may be wondering how much compensation you are entitled to. There are various types of damages a car accident victim in Nashville, TN may be able to recover after a crash, and the total amount awarded to a victim will vary depending on several factors.
Where does a car accident settlement come from?
According to data from the latest reporting year available through the Tennessee Department of Safety, there were more than 200,000 total traffic crashes across the state. Out of those crashes, 1,064 were fatal incidents, and over 48,000 caused injuries.
In general, most car accident victims turned to their insurer or the other driver’s insurance carrier for coverage of car accident injuries and property damage. If another driver was at fault for your accident, your claim will be against their insurance carrier. If the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier refuses to offer a fair settlement, or if your damages are higher than the insurance policy limits, you may need to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party or their insurance carrier.
Understanding the average settlement amount
It can be difficult to understand how much your settlement is worth. There is no set amount in place under the law, and various factors particular to each car accident determine a final settlement amount. What can be helpful in these situations is looking at what type of damages make up a total settlement amount.
- Medical bills. One of the most important factors in a car accident settlement is the severity of the injuries. Generally, more severe injuries will lead to higher settlements. Medical bills, regardless of how severe an injury is, can be prohibitively expensive for most individuals. It is not uncommon to see medical expenses rise into the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars for a car accident victim. This includes hospital bills, follow up medical visits, physical therapy, any necessary medical devices, prescription medications, and more.
- Lost income. If an accident victim is unable to work due to their injuries, they should be entitled to recover compensation for lost wages. How much compensation they receive for this type of loss depends on the amount of work they miss.
- Pain and suffering. These damages are typically more difficult to quantify than medical bills and lost income. There is no set formula for determining a person’s physical and mental pain and suffering. However, attorneys may use a “multiplier” in which they take a person’s medical bills and multiply them but a certain number (usually between 1 and 5) to arrive and a fair amount.
- Property damage. The total amount of money a person receives for their vehicle damage will be based on an assessment of the estimated repairs that are needed and the value of the vehicle.
Another factor that must be taken into account when considering the average car accident settlement in Nashville is the comparative negligence law in Tennessee. Here, a modified comparative negligent system is in place. In this state, anyone who is less than 50% at fault for an accident may recover compensation for the incident. However, this can lower car accident settlement if it is determined that you were partially at fault for the incident. For example, if it is determined that you sustained $10,000 in damages in a car accident but were 20% at fault for the incident, you would only receive $8,000 in total compensation.
How much a car accident settlement is worth in Nashville, TN will vary based on several factors, and you should speak to a qualified Nashville car accident attorney to thoroughly understand what you may be entitled to.