What to Expect From a Car Accident Settlement
Accidents, no matter how big or small, are traumatic incidents. If you’ve recently been involved in a vehicle accident, you’ll want to know what to do. Whether a motorbike or car accident, knowing what to expect in your settlement helps ensure you are adequately compensated.
How can you afford physical therapy if you can’t return to work? How can you seek reimbursement for your medical bills? What about the repairs on your damaged vehicle? The rule of thumb is that the more medical treatment required for an injury, the higher the settlement value.
So how do you ensure you get the most appropriate payout for your injury? Through the representation of a qualified personal injury lawyer. A qualified attorney knows the fault and negligence laws, can negotiate with insurance companies, and has superior expertise in getting you the appropriate accident settlement.
A car accident lawyer Toronto can help you through your injury case and help gather all the necessary medical documentation. They are also knowledgeable in reasonable car accident settlement amounts and can represent you in negotiations with insurance companies.
Here’s what to expect from your car accident settlements based on personal injuries.
1. Soft tissue damage
This is the most common type of injury sustained in a vehicle accident. Soft tissue damage happens when the body’s soft tissues, such as the tendons, muscles, bursae, and ligaments, become inflamed due to the accident. Usually, blunt force trauma from a car accident can cause various soft tissue damage such as bruises, sprains, ligament stretch and tear, bursitis, and tendonitis.
The extent and severity of the soft tissue damage will significantly impact your car accident settlement. Sprains and strains that require several weeks to months to heal usually have high compensation levels.
2. Whiplash
Whiplash is the term given to cover any form of neck injury covering should and neck pain, temporary memory loss, and memory fog. Whiplash can take several months to heal, and possibly physical therapy several times a week until you finally get your limbs performing as usual. The force of the car accident results in the muscles and tendons in the neck stretching unnaturally.
The impact of a car crash can cause a complete tear, resulting in pain and serious cognitive impairments such as memory loss. Severe whiplash symptoms also increase the average settlement amount because it will also cause the accident victims to miss work, which means a higher loss of wages.
3. Bone fracture
Otherwise known as a broken bone, this type of personal injury claim is also widespread in vehicle accidents. Bones fracture and break when it comes into contact with hard surfaces in the vehicle, such as the steering wheel, or outside the car, such as the road barrier.
Bone fractures of the nose, wrists, arms, legs, and knees are the most common, and these types usually require surgery, resting at home, and physical therapy resulting in a higher payout in claims.
4. Vertebral Damage
Vertebral damage or back injury is another leading injury that often brings higher payout in claims. Even the most minor fracture can result in life-threatening issues and mobility impairments such as herniated discs, nerve damage, or ruptured spinal discs.
Injuries in the spine can also cause pinched nerves resulting in pain throughout the body. This means the more severe the vertebral damage, the higher the auto accident settlement.
5. Spinal Cord Injury
Our spinal cord is comprised of a highly-sensitive network of nerves. If an object penetrates the spine, this network can be seriously damaged, causing a communication breakdown between the brain and the rest of the body.
A spinal injury can lead to partial or complete paralysis, requiring several rounds of surgery, expensive medical care and treatment, and at-home care. Add to this is the loss of wages and future income, which means that settlement amounts for spinal cord injuries often result in higher compensation.
6. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
A direct blow to the skull can cause a traumatic brain injury which usually leaves the accident victim with bruises on the brain tissue. A typical example of a traumatic brain injury is a concussion, and TBI can cause substantial medical bills, resulting in more significant compensatory damages.
7. Limb loss and internal organ injury
Internal organs and limbs are also at risk of injury in vehicle accidents. The impact of seatbelts, airbags, plus blunt force trauma can cause organ compression and internal bleeding. An accident victim may have to amputate a limb due to the internal bleeding of the kidneys, liver, or heart or when the limb is severed in a crash.
These injuries require costly medical treatment and care as well as medical equipment such as prosthetics and wheelchairs—these increase the value of the settlement payout.
