Find Out Now: How Much Could Your Child’s Car Accident Case Be Worth?
If your child has been in a car accident, an insurance company will likely call and try to settle the case before you hire a personal injury lawyer.
This is probably the first time you have handled a personal injury claim for your child. You don’t know how much would be fair and reasonable.
What are the injuries and medical expenses?
The first thing to consider is the extent of your child’s injuries and medical expenses. For example, if your child was just shaken up and the only treatment was a visit to the pediatrician’s office, then the medical expenses are probably less than $200. A case like this is usually worth less than $5,000.
On the other hand, if your child sustained a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, then your child likely has hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses. A case like this could be worth millions of dollars. In fact, I have previously settled a traumatic brain injury case for a child for $4,350,000.
Most personal injury settlements for children fall in between these two ranges.
How much pain & suffering did your child suffer?
Everyone experiences pain differently. This is especially true for children. Some children have high pain tolerances. Others have low pain tolerance.
Sometimes it is a good idea to keep notes or a journal regarding your child’s pain and suffering. However, if a lawsuit is filed, your notes and journal will be discoverable. Meaning the insurance company may be entitled to a copy. One solution is to keep notes for your lawyer. That allows your notes to be protected by the attorney-client privilege.
These notes will be helpful when it comes time to settle your case. Over time, your memory of your child’s pain and suffering may falter.
Was the at-fault driver careless or reckless?
The at-fault driver’s conduct can also influence the value of your child’s car accident case. For example, your child’s case is worth more if the at-fault driver is drunk or high. On the other hand, if an 80-year-old lady causes the wreck because her foot slipped off the brake, the case is worth much less.
How much insurance coverage is available?
Realistically, your recovery will be limited based on the amount of insurance that is available. If the other driver is uninsured or has the minimum limits of $25,000 per person, then your child may not be made whole by the at-fault driver’s insurance.
Over half of the drivers in Alabama have no insurance or the bare minimum amount of insurance. When a car accident involves serious injuries, victims are sometimes able to tap into their own insurance by making an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim. This is no-fault coverage, designed to protect you and your family.
Also, a good personal injury lawyer will turn over every stone to determine whether there is additional coverage available on the at-fault driver. For example, if the at-fault driver was working at the time of the crash, then his employer’s insurance may also be liable.
Conclusion Of What is My Child’s Car Accident Case Worth?
I’m sure that you wanted a more straightforward answer, but the value of your child’s car accident case is going to vary based on the factors that I discussed above. The value could range from $1,000 to $10,000,000 or more. The only surefire way to determine the value of the case is to have a consultation with a personal injury lawyer.
Call or text me at 256-539-8686 for a free case evaluation. My team and I are happy to help in any way that we can.