How much money you get from a car accident settlement depends on several factors. Two things that may impact the amount of your settlement are the extent of your losses due to your injuries as well as the amount of blame you may have for causing the accident.
Your personal injury attorney from our team can give you a better idea of the amount you could expect from a car accident settlement after reviewing the specifics of your case.
How Damages Impact the Total of Your Settlement?
According to the Legal Information Institute (LII), the amount of money you can recover as compensation for your injuries is referred to as “damages.” There are two main types of damages you can recover through an injury case: economic and non-economic.
Economic Damages in Car Accident Cases
Economic damages are meant to compensate for the financial losses you sustained due to the car accident. They include both past and future economic hardships, some of which are as follows:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Transportation costs
- Vehicle repair and replacement costs
If you lost a loved one in the accident, you can recover economic losses for your loved one’s medical bills and funeral expenses, in addition to your loss of inheritance.
Non-Economic Damages In Car Accident Cases
You can recover non-economic damages for the intangible losses you’re suffering. An accident can rob you of your health and happiness, and you deserve to be compensated for your mental and physical pain and suffering.
If you lost a loved one, you can claim damages for their pain and suffering between the time of their injury and their passing, as well as your own pain and suffering and loss of companionship and guidance.
How These Damages Affect What You Are Owed
The amount of damages you sustained will impact your settlement. For example, if your car accident caused serious injuries that required multiple expensive medical procedures and treatments, then your settlement should reflect all the expenses that came and will come with them.
That being said, the more you have suffered financially, the higher your settlement might be.
For a free legal consultation, call 404-214-2001
How Negligence Impacts Your Settlement?
In order to hold them responsible, you will need to show that the other driver was negligent using the following components:
- Duty of care
- Breach of duty
- Causation
- Damages
You will not be eligible to pursue compensation if you can’t demonstrate that each of these elements applies to your case. You can leave it to your lawyer to take care of this task for you.
Proving Negligence in a Car Accident Case
Negligent driving often stems from some of the following behaviors:
- Drowsy driving
- Drunk driving
- Distracted driving
- Drug-impaired driving
- Aggressive driving
At our firm, we will investigate your accident to uncover evidence of negligence. We will collect witness statements, surveillance footage, and official records that speak to how your accident happened. Then, we will build this evidence into a case in our pursuit of compensation.
How Contributory Negligence Can Impact Your Settlement?
You do not have to be totally blameless for the accident. If you believe that you may be partially at fault for the accident, you still have options for recovering compensation.
According to OCGA §51-12-33, Georgia has something called a “contributory negligence” statute, which means that the amount you are owed can be modified based on the amount of responsibility you hold for the accident.
As long as your lawyer can prove that the party you are suing is more at fault than you, then you can recover damages for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Once we take a look at your case, we will be better able to estimate how the contributory negligence statute will affect your settlement.
How Our Georgia Law Firm Can Help
Figuring out your case value and how contributory negligence apply are daunting tasks, especially when you’re not feeling your best. Our car accident attorneys are no strangers to the legal system and can navigate it on your behalf.
As mentioned, we will compile evidence and talk to witnesses, in addition to:
- Working on a no-win, no-fee basis
- Ordering the accident report
- Dealing with the insurance company, including communication and negotiation
- Abiding by state timelines, like OCGA §9-3-33
- Standing with you at trial, if need be
- Attending to all your legal needs
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Call Kaine Law Now for Legal Assistance
At Kaine Law, our personal injury attorneys have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our injured clients in and around Atlanta. We use our decades of experience to serve you and look out for your best interests after you have been injured in a car accident.
We will not be able to give you an estimate of how much money you can get from a car accident settlement until we review your case. Call Kaine Law today to receive your free consultation. Let us get started.
Call or text 404-214-2001 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
