However, how much you get in a car accident settlement depends on the situation and the skill of your car accident personal injury lawyer to negotiate a fair settlement.

When you talk to your attorney about your case’s value, they will discuss economic and non-economic damages. Some car accidents that involve extreme recklessness also could be eligible for punitive damages.
Economic damages refer to money that replaces your monetary losses for medical costs, lost earnings, lost the ability to earn a living, rehab costs, and the costs of household services you cannot perform. If you need money for future medical treatments and drugs, these should be part of this number, too.

Next are non-economic damages which include pain and suffering, disability, emotional hardship, and the loss of enjoyment of life. These damages are subjective and how much you get comes down to your medical records, doctor’s testimony, and the skill of your attorney in negotiating a fair settlement. There is no hard and fast rule for how much pain and suffering money you can get.

However, the car insurance company will probably use a computer program to determine how much pain and suffering compensation to offer you. This program asks for details of your injuries, such as what your medical treatments cost, your kinds of injuries, how severe the injuries are, and where the accident happened.
Other insurance companies might use a multiplier approach to your pain and suffering award. Insurance companies may assign a multiplier between 1 and 5. So, if your economic damages were $10,000 and they assign a 3 to your pain and suffering, you would get $30,000 as well as the $10,000 for $40,000.

No matter which method the insurance company uses, there is a chance they will undervalue your claim. The insurance company is in the business of paying as little as possible on insurance claims. They want to pay you less so they make more money for their shareholders. So, your car accident personal injury lawyer will need to aggressively negotiate to get the best deal for you.

You can help your attorney by getting medical treatment as so as you can after the accident. The longer you wait for treatment, the harder it will be to get the insurance company to pay. They will argue that your injuries were not related to the accident.

It is also best to retain an attorney as soon as you can after the accident. The sooner your lawyer is involved, the more likely you will get a higher settlement. Remember that the attorney is only paid if they win your case, so there is no reason not to have your case reviewed by a lawyer.