What Is The Average Settlement For Car Accident In Georgia

If you've been injured in a car accident that was someone else's fault, you have the right to seek damages. This allows you to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and the pain and suffering you've experienced. One of the questions our personal injury lawyers are asked most often is, "How much is my car accident claim worth?" To help you better understand what your case is worth and how much you can expect, the auto accident lawyers at The Fitzpatrick firm are breaking down the factors that determine the average settlement for a car accident in Georgia.

Types Of Damages In A Car Accident Case

If a car accident claim goes before a jury, and they find in favor of the accident victims, they will award compensation based on both economic and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages

Economic damages refer to the actual costs accrued due to the car accident. This includes:

• Medical bills already accrued from the injury, including time spent in the hospital and other medical treatment.
• Future medical costs, such as ongoing physical therapy or the need for medical or mobility devices.
• Lost wages, including those already lost from being unable to work, and also future impacts on earning potential.
• Property damage to recover the cost of the vehicle damaged in the collision.

Typically, the higher the economic impact, the more likely an insurance company will pay a higher settlement or a jury will award a larger amount. An experienced personal injury attorney will investigate the case thoroughly to determine the economic impact related to both current and future damages. Using this information, your attorney will fight for a fair settlement offer in the case.

Non-economic Damages

Non-economic damages refer to the pain and suffering that accident victims experience. A jury can determine a monetary value for factors including:

• Loss of quality of life
• Loss of companionship in the event of wrongful death.
• Physical pain and suffering damages
• Emotional trauma

Punitive And Exemplary Damages

Punitive damages awarded in a personal injury lawsuit are not to compensate the victim. Instead, these are considered a type of punishment in a civil case and are only awarded to the plaintiff when the defendant's behavior is found to be particularly egregious or harmful. For car accident claims, punitive damages are more often awarded in cases of drunk driving or severe instances of negligence.

What Factors Determine the Value of a Typical Accident Claim

There are several factors that determine how much a personal injury claim is worth. This includes, but is not limited to:

Injury Severity

The primary factor that determines how much you are likely to get in a car accident settlement is the extent and severity of your injuries. For example, a severe spinal injury is more likely to result in a larger settlement than minor injuries, such as a broken ankle that is expected to heal and lead to minimal long-term impact.

Common car accident injuries include:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Neck injuries, including whiplash
• Soft tissue injuries, including torn cartilage or serious bruising
• Broken bones
• Abrasions that may result in scarring

An experienced car accident lawyer will analyze your medical reports and work with medical experts to determine the severity of your injuries to determine the baseline of your claim.

Pain and Suffering

When it comes to pain and suffering, there isn't a specific amount of money that is already decided. Instead, the judge or jury looks at the evidence in your case and decides how much money is fair based on what they see.

In Georgia, there is no maximum limit on the amount of money you can get for pain and suffering. To calculate it, they often use something called the "multiplier method." This method involves two steps.

First, they look at how much money you had to spend on your medical bills because of the injury. Let's say your bills were $25,000.

Next, they take that amount and multiply it by a number between 1 and 5. The number they choose depends on how bad and long-lasting your injury is. If your injury is really severe and won't go away easily, they might use a higher number.

For example, if they choose a multiplier of 4, they would multiply $25,000 by 4, which equals $100,000. So, in this case, you could receive up to $100,000 as compensation for your pain and suffering.

Remember, this is just an example, and each case is different. The judge or jury will carefully consider all the information and evidence to make a fair decision.

Injury Permanence

If a severely injured accident victim suffers from a traumatic brain injury or other injuries that can cause chronic pain or long-term disability, the settlement offer is likely to be significantly higher than an injury with a high likelihood of complete recovery.

Economic Damages

When a car accident leads to injuries that require intensive medical treatment or the need for long-term medical care, such as physical therapy or assisted living, the medical bills are likely to be significant and the victim is less likely to return to work, resulting in a loss of income. Larger economic impacts tend to result in a higher settlement.

Credibility

Car accidents often result in whiplash, traumatic brain injury, and tissue damage, all of which are difficult to prove as the damage may not be visible on an X-ray or CT scan.

The insurance company responsible for paying out damages is much more concerned with profits than they are with ensuring car accident victims receive a fair settlement, so they may imply that the injury isn't as serious as the victim says. 

Having an experienced personal injury lawyer who can provide professional medical opinions can improve the likelihood of reaching a fair settlement.

Insurance Coverage

One of the primary factors that determine how much a Georgia car accident settlement is worth is how much insurance is available. Georgia requires drivers to carry a liability insurance policy that will cover $25,000 in damages, though many drivers carry higher coverage, and commercial vehicles carry significantly larger insurance policies.

Typically, the value of your settlement is limited to the insurance coverage of the negligent driver, though if your medical bills and other economic costs are higher, a claim can be filed using your uninsured or under-insured motorist policy on your own insurance plan.

Fault In The Georgia Auto Accident

If you are partially to blame for the car accident, you may still recover compensation, but it will be reduced. Georgia has a comparative negligence system in personal injury cases which means that the jury will determine how much fault both parties had in the accident. 

For example, if a driver was texting while driving and ran a red light, but the other driver wasn't wearing a seat belt, the jury may determine the plaintiff was 20 percent responsible for the injuries they sustained. Thus, they would reduce the personal injury claim they would award by 20 percent.

Average Georgia Car Accident Settlement Amounts

The average settlement for a car accident in 2019 was just over $18,000, according to the Insurance Information Institute, but as we mentioned above, medical expenses and other factors all determine the amount an injury victim will receive.

Minor Collision Settlements

A minor collision resulting in minimal property damage and minor injuries, like soft tissue injuries or whiplash, will typically receive as low as $2,500 up to $25,000.

Accident Settlements With Severe Injuries

For car accidents resulting in traumatic brain injuries, spinal damage, or long-lasting injuries, the medical expenses and pain and suffering damages will be higher. Thus, settlements for severe injuries often begin at $50,000 and may range up to $200,000 or more.

Average Settlement For A Fatal Car Accident

Wrongful death in Georgia car accident cases often warrants the highest settlement offer. It's not uncommon for loved ones to receive up to $1 million or more, depending on the circumstances of the case.

How Long Does An Insurance Company Have To Settle A Claim In Georgia?

In the state of Georgia, insurance companies are generally required to settle claims within 30 days of receiving notice of the claim.

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, if an insurance company needs more time to investigate the claim or determine the amount of damages, it may request an extension from the policyholder. If an extension is granted, the insurance company must provide written notice to the policyholder within 30 days of receiving the claim.

In addition, insurance companies are not required to settle claims that are being disputed by the policyholder. If a policyholder disagrees with the insurance company's decision, they have the right to file an appeal.

Generally speaking, however, most insurance companies will attempt to resolve claims in a timely and efficient manner.

What Are the Statute Of Limitations To File a Georgia Car Accident Claim?

Georgia law has a statute of limitations in place of two years from the date of an accident to file a car accident case or two years from the date of death in a fatal car crash. 

However, an insurance company may delay settlement negotiations in order to run out the statute of limitations, so it's important to work with an injury lawyer as soon as possible after your accident in order to prevent missing the window of opportunity to file a personal injury claim.

How Long Do Most Georgia Car Accident Settlements Take?

After you sign some important papers called a "release," you'll usually get your money within 30 days. But the time it takes to get the money can be different for each car accident case.

Sometimes, things can get resolved quickly. This means you might get the money in just a few weeks or a couple of months. But other times, it can take longer, even several months or years!

Why does it take longer sometimes? Well, it depends on a few things. If the case is complicated, with lots of details to figure out, it can take more time. Also, if the injuries from the car accident are serious, it might take longer to decide how much money is fair. And sometimes, the lawyers and insurance companies need to negotiate back and forth to agree on a fair amount.

So, while it's possible to get the money within 30 days after signing the release, it can also take longer, especially if the case is complex or there are disagreements. The important thing is to be patient and let the people involved in the case do their best to make sure you get the right amount of money for what happened.

Schedule a Free Case Evaluation With An Experienced Atlanta Car Accident Attorney

Car accidents often result in severe or catastrophic injuries that require extensive medical treatment and can seriously impact your quality of life. At The Fitzpatrick Firm, LLC, we seek maximum recovery for our clients, whether we negotiate a fair settlement out of court or take your case in front of a jury. Schedule a free legal consultation with our Atlanta car accident attorney today by calling  (678) 607-5550 or filling out the form below.