Louisiana Personal Injury Settlement Amounts Examples

By Georgia B. Day

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Personal Injury

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Last Modified on Dec 31, 2024

An average settlement amount for a personal injury claim can vary widely, depending on the context of the accident. Some cases only receive a few hundred or a few thousand dollars in a settlement, while others receive more than six figures. To learn more about how much your personal injury claim might be worth and hear about Louisiana personal injury settlement amounts examples, contact a personal injury attorney.

Examples of Settlement Amounts

At Day Law Group, we have experience fighting for clients who have been victims of a personal injury. We have recovered seven six-figure settlements and two settlements of over $1 million for cases involving car accidents alone. This does not include the dozens of other six-figure cases we have settled involving personal injury, product liability, premises liability, and more.

While not every case results in a large settlement amount, we are still willing to fight for all types of cases, both big and small. We have helped countless individuals receive higher damage amounts than they would have without our counsel. Whether it’s negotiating with insurance companies or filing a case with the court, we can help navigate the complicated personal injury claim process.

Conditions That Impact Settlement Amounts

Several aspects of a given case will determine the amount that can be obtained in a settlement. These include:

• Determination of Fault: The level of fault that an individual is determined to have for an accident can impact how much they might receive in a settlement. The total amount of damages can be reduced based on the percentage that they are found to be at fault.
• Severity of Injuries: Typically, bad accidents resulting in greater injuries result in a greater amount of compensation that is needed to recuperate. Accidents on a smaller scale with less severe injuries often result in lower settlement amounts.
• Negotiation vs. Trial: One benefit to having your personal injury claim go to trial is that you might receive more in damages than you might have by negotiating with an insurance company. However, going to trial is risky because it involves an all-or-nothing proposition. If the court finds you ineligible to receive damages, you could receive nothing for your claim.

What Goes Into a Settlement Amount?

The full total of a settlement amount can seem confusing, but it is really the sum of several smaller figures. These figures include details about the accident and your recovery, which you require money to recuperate from.

Medical Expenses

One of the largest parts of most settlements includes medical expenses. This typically includes medical bills from hospital visits, physical therapy appointments, and medical attention from other doctors, like general practitioners.

Lost Wages

If a personal injury is severe enough, it could result in the victim being unable to work for a long period of time while their injuries heal. Part of their settlement amount can include money that they would have otherwise earned from employment. If the injuries are so severe that an individual is left temporarily or permanently disabled, the amount of damages in their personal injury claim dramatically increases.

Property Damage

Many types of personal injury claims involve some form of property damage. Car accidents often include damage to vehicles or other property. If a product fails in a way that causes injury, it often also causes significant property damage that must be paid for.

Noneconomic Damages

Personal injury claims can also include monetary awards for noneconomic damages. These damages are difficult to quantify but can be important for calculating a true settlement amount. Noneconomic damages can include losses like pain and suffering, which encompasses physical pain, emotional trauma, anxiety, and stress from the accident.

Wrongful Death

If the victim died in the accident, a wrongful death claim can include damages for the loss of companionship coming from the late victim. These types of damages are important to take into consideration and can be calculated efficiently by a personal injury attorney.

FAQs

Q: What Is Comparative Negligence?

A: Comparative negligence is the way that fault is assigned in a car accident in Louisiana. This method of fault assigns percentages to each party for how much they were to blame for the accident. Once a settlement amount is agreed upon, that amount might be reduced by the percentage of fault that the person was deemed to be. For more information on comparative negligence and how it impacts your claim, contact a personal injury attorney.

Q: How Is Pain and Suffering Calculated in Louisiana?

A: To accurately calculate damages for pain and suffering, considerations must be made for factors like the severity of one’s injuries and how negatively they were impacted by them. Certain types of evidence can be used to prove pain and suffering, including testimony from the victim and medical professionals, as well as medical reports that document the victim’s injuries. For assistance with calculating pain and suffering damages, work with a personal injury lawyer.

Q: Do I Have to Take the First Settlement Offer After an Accident?

A: In many instances, an insurance company will offer a low amount as an initial offer in the hopes that you will accept it. This saves the company money. Just because this is the first offer they send you does not mean that you have to accept it to receive damages. It is often a good idea to review a settlement offer with an attorney first to make sure it is appropriate for your situation. If not, they can negotiate for a better offer.

Q: Can I Recover Damages If an Uninsured Driver Caused My Car Accident?

A: A car accident involving an uninsured driver usually involves contacting your own insurance company. Most insurance policies have some coverage specifically for collisions with uninsured drivers. To ensure that your damages will be covered in a collision with someone without auto insurance, consider purchasing coverage in addition to the state requirements. Most limits required by Louisiana are quite low and might not cover all your expenses.

Contact Day Law Group Today

To receive a settlement, you must file a claim in a timely manner. Louisiana has time limits on how long you can file a personal injury claim after the accident. For more information on how to file a claim so you can recover as many damages as possible, schedule a consultation with Day Law Group today.