When you are pursuing a car accident claim, most injured parties wonder about what they can expect from their case or even what the average settlement amount is.
This is seldom something that has a clear answer until the day the paperwork is signed. Sometimes you may determine a general idea, but negotiations can change what is offered, and at times the judge or jury may be unpredictable.
At Slam Dunk Attorney Injury Lawyers, we are familiar with the nuance of these cases. Our Duluth car accident lawyer will work alongside our legal team, utilizing their wide range of experience and perspective to build the most robust case possible. We are here to fight for your maximum compensation.
Strength of Your Case
The amount of evidence you and your Duluth personal injury lawyer have is a fundamental piece of your claim. Without evidence to support what occurred and that the defendant caused the injury or damage, there is no way to support your claim, and the insurance company will use that to its advantage.
If the insurance company finds the severity of your injuries and the value of your claims convincing, they are less likely to call your bluff and risk a case going to court. When cases go to trial, it can introduce uncertainty and significant costs. This provides an incentive to offer attractive settlement negotiations to minimize the risk of court.
Insurance Settlements
Insurance settlements can be difficult and time-consuming to receive. Many people may want to know how much they can expect to get if they go through the process or even take steps to file a car accident lawsuit. The general answer is that determining this can be incredibly difficult.
Before a car accident attorney can sit down with your documents and determine your losses, the best idea that can be provided is to consider the monetary losses you have sustained as a direct result of the injury.
This number is a starting point and can be affected by many other factors. Some of the circumstances your attorney may consider when negotiating with the insurance company or even filing a lawsuit are as follows.
Statute of Limitations
Any personal injury case has a legal statute of limitations, which is the time you are allowed to file a lawsuit for your injuries. In Georgia, this statute of limitations, according to Georgia statute §9-3-33, is two years. There are very rare exceptions to this rule.
Beyond the inability to file your claim, the statute of limitations can affect your negotiation leverage. For example, if you wait to begin negotiations regarding your claim, the insurance company may try to call your bluff about taking the case to court and consistently offer offensively low car accident settlement amounts under the assumption that you will take what you can get before time runs out.
When you speak with a lawyer early in the case, you show them you are serious, and this can encourage them to make reasonable offers to avoid court based on how your lawyer is responding to low settlement offers.
Injuries
Your injuries are the foundation of your damages and may be the most significant factor in how much you receive in your settlement offer. The costs of something like whiplash, though potentially extensive, may be much less than internal bleeding or other significant trauma. Therefore, the amount of compensation received will reflect that.
Effects of Daily Life
Similarly, the lasting effects of your injuries can be a significant factor in non-economic damages. For example, a car accident that leaves you permanently disfigured or disabled may allow you to receive damages for those.
These kinds of damages are to provide compensation for any ongoing struggles, including:
- Ongoing therapeutic or medical needs
- Long-term support needs
- Pervasive loss of quality of life due to injuries
For a free legal consultation, call 404-951-3513
Car Insurance Claims
There are some things you can do to strengthen your case that may increase the compensation you receive for your Georgia car accident settlement. When considering how car insurance claims work and what can affect compensation, we should consider a few key points.
The strength of your case and your documentation is crucial, but understanding the basics of car insurance may also help your case move more efficiently.
The first few steps of the process will include contacting your insurance company to notify them of the accident and contacting the at-fault party’s insurance.
Ideally, you speak with an attorney before providing a statement to the insurance companies, but this step should be completed within 24 hours of the accident whenever possible. From this point, your car accident attorney can help you navigate anything else.
Insurance Policy Limits
When you pursue a car accident claim following an accident, there are certain limitations the settlement amount may be confined by. The Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire reports the Georgia minimum requirements for car insurance are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per incident for bodily injury and liability and property damage liability of $25,000 per incident.
Many people may carry additional coverage to ensure they are not underinsured and found personally liable for any damages.
While the policy limits will not dictate your losses or what you may rightfully claim, they may affect how your attorney pursues your case. If your costs exceed the insurance limits, our attorney may advise you to file an additional lawsuit against the individual to cover the gap in coverage.
This may not always be a viable option, but you may want to discuss it with your lawyer to determine if it is an option for your situation.
Call a Duluth Car Accident Lawyer Today
A Georgia car accident can set you back in life and goals, and when this is because of someone else’s negligence, you shouldn’t have to bear that burden. Financial compensation can’t erase the event or the injuries.
The hope we have at Slam Dunk Attorney Injury Lawyers is that it can ease some of the stress and provide you with the means to support your health and wellness as you recover from what happened.
Dealing with the legal and administrative aftermath can be stressful in the best of circumstances, and this is especially true when you are trying to recover from physical injuries.
However, you don’t have to tackle this alone. You can contact us for a free case consultation either with an online form or over the phone.
Call or text 404-951-3513 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
