Average Personal Injury Settlements

There is no doubt that in the legal field, there is a prevalence of personal injury cases.  You could argue that is due to excessive lawsuits in the country, but you could also argue that there is a disturbing trend towards incidents that cause injury across the country.  If you’re reading this now, there is a great chance that you have been injured in some kind of accident, or your injury was caused by no fault of your own but rather caused by someone else’s actions or negligence.  This means that you are very interested in what your rights are in terms of personal injury cases, and that you’re concerned about the costs associated with your injury and how you’re going to afford them.

Personal injury lawsuits exist for you to receive compensation for the injuries that you have received due to another person’s actions.  This compensation is often used for any type of treatment you require for your injuries, as well as any damages you have suffered.  There is a great deal of variety when it comes to personal injury settlements, but there is no evidence that there are average personal injury settlements.

When it comes to average personal injury settlements, it is important to understand that the type of injury will play a part, as well as the extent of the damage caused.  In personal injury accidents, the most common kinds of accidents are traffic injuries, workplace injuries, trip and fall accidents, violent assaults, home accidents, medical malpractice, and product defects.  These accidents can cause a wide variety of injuries, and their severity will often determine what settlement amount may be received.  For example, medical malpractice personal injury lawsuits often results in settlement that can be anywhere in the millions.

It is also crucial to understand the different kinds of damages that may be awarded in a settlement.  The two types of damages are actual damages and punitive damages.  Actual damages are damages that are awarded in order to compensate an individual who has sustained injuries, and will often be for lost wages, pain and suffering, and medical treatment expenses.  Punitive damages, on the other hand, are those that are awarded because the actions of a party were so particularly egregious that additional damages were necessary in order to property punish them for their misconduct and adequately compensate victims.

In terms of average personal injury settlements, the amounts truly can vary based on the case specifics, the injuries sustained, the severity of the injuries, and the level of misconduct from the at-fault party.  However, there is some solid data on averages.  For traffic accidents, the settlement average is around $24,000.  For medical malpractice, the settlement average is approximately $340,000.  On the low end of the spectrum is slip and fall cases, which have an average settlement of about $2,000.

If you have been the victim of negligence and believe you have a solid personal injury claim, these averages and the information located here can give you a beginner’s understanding of what is involved in a personal injury claim.  However, it cannot be said enough that personal injury victims need to get the help of an experienced attorney who will be able to provide them more relevant information on their case.