What Is the Lowest Settlement Amount for a Minor Car Accident?
There is no specific lowest amount of settlement for a minor car accident or any other type of motor vehicle crash. Whatever amount you ask for should, at minimum, cover all of your damages in the following categories:
- Financial losses
- Physical injuries
- Emotional trauma
What Goes Into Car Accident Settlements?
A fort lauderdale car accident claim lawyer can figure out how much your case is worth by:
- Talking to you about the collision, letting you tell your story, and asking you questions about what happened
- Collecting relevant documentation from you, your doctor, and the at-fault party
- Interviewing everyone who was involved in or witnessed the accident
- Reviewing photos or video footage taken by you, witnesses, or surveillance cameras
Armed with this information, your attorney can figure out what types of compensation your car accident may entitle you to collect. In minor car accident cases, it could include money for:
- Medical expenses: You should always go to the doctor after a collision, regardless of whether you “look” or “feel” injured. Car accident injuries can appear days or even weeks after an accident, and it is better to be safe than sorry.
- Property damage: Even a “fender bender” could require you to take your car to the mechanic for repairs.
- Loss of income: For example, maybe the accident caused you to miss a morning’s work, or maybe your injury was serious enough to keep you from doing full-time work for a week or two.
- Pain and suffering: This damage could refer to the physical pain of your injuries, as well as the fear and emotional distress you experienced because of the crash.
In short, the lowest amount of settlement for a minor car accident is any amount that covers each of these categories and will not run out before you have paid for everything you need. This amount differs from case to case, depending on the individual survivor’s needs.
How to Get a Minor Car Accident Settlement
Both your insurance company and the insurer representing the liable party may work to value your case at the smallest possible amount, thus saving themselves from having to pay you a reasonable settlement. Be careful if the insurance representative tries to:
- Get you to record a statement about the accident
- Convince you not to hire a lawyer
- Offer you a fast settlement before you have the chance to assess your case’s worth for yourself
- Pressure you to accept their first settlement offer, perhaps by implying that they will never make another offer
- Imply that the accident was not bad enough to cause your losses, or that you suffered these losses in some event other than the car accident
In addition to the insurers, you face another obstacle: the statute of limitations. It works as a time limit on when personal injury survivors can seek a settlement. For example, as stated on Page 8 of HB 837/SB236, any legal action you want to take against an at-fault party in Florida must typically begin within two years.
A Car Accident Lawyer Can Help You
To get a fair settlement after a minor accident, you may want to speak to a personal injury lawyer fort lauderdale as soon as possible. They can:
- Collect evidence of both the at-fault party’s liability and the nature of your losses
- Talk to the relevant insurance companies about how your accident happened and why they should pay you the compensation you have requested
- Negotiate with the insurer for the damages you need and deserve
Why go to all this trouble over a “minor” car accident? For many families, even a minor incident can have major consequences because:
- They are on a tight budget that does not allow for unexpected expenses like those generated by a crash.
- They need every bit of income they earn to support themselves.
- The accident, while not serious, exacerbated preexisting injuries that may have a much greater impact on the survivor’s life.
You should not have to worry about how you can afford repairs to your car or make up the wages you lost because of the accident. A settlement could eliminate that concern.
In addition, there is the matter of holding the at-fault party accountable. Even if they did not cause catastrophic damage, their negligence has caused property damage and/or physical injuries—not to mention inconvenience for you and your family. Asking them to pay for their actions is only fair and could even make them think twice before behaving recklessly again.
Pursue the Car Accident Settlement You Need
Even if your car accident is classified as “minor,” you deserve to receive fair compensation. The Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato can figure out what is the lowest amount of settlement for a minor car accident that meets all your needs—and fight hard to see that you get the money you deserve. Contact or call us at (954) 633-8270 for a free case evaluation.
