If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, targeted for physical or sexual assault, or otherwise harmed by someone else’s actions, you may be contemplating filing a lawsuit. Personal injury lawsuits take time and energy, and many people understandably wonder if they’re worth the trade-off.
You may be wondering, “What’s the average personal injury settlement amount in Seattle?” In this article, our personal injury lawyers will explore what goes into these settlements, the typical compensation range, and factors that may influence how much your case is worth.
Determining an Accurate Average Is More Difficult Than It Sounds
In Seattle, personal injury settlements can be anywhere from a few thousand dollars to millions. Someone who suffers minor injuries in a low-speed car crash might be awarded $3,000 in a settlement, but someone who was paralyzed by a drunk, speeding driver might receive several million dollars.
Finding a true average value for personal injury settlements can be difficult because most settlements are confidential. When it comes to estimating your case’s worth, your specific circumstances are far more important than averaging all personal injury settlements in your area.
Injury Tiers and Case Value
Personal injuries can be grouped into three tiers of severity. The tier your case falls under is by far the best predictor of the amount you may recover.
Tier 1: Catastrophic Injuries
The more serious an injury is, the greater the settlement is likely to be. Tier 1 injuries are severe injuries that have permanent, life-changing effects on a victim.
These are a few examples:
- Spinal cord injuries (including paralysis)
- Severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Permanently disfiguring injuries
- Injuries resulting in amputation
Settlements for Tier 1 injuries are usually at least in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many are well into the millions.
Tier 2: Serious Injuries
Injuries don’t have to be catastrophic to have a major impact on a victim’s life.
Tier 2 injuries typically include the following:
- Broken bones
- Disc herniations
- Serious lacerations
- Muscle and ligament tears
- Dislocations
For these kinds of injuries, settlements are often in the tens of thousands of dollars. Injuries that affect the victim’s ability to earn a living may result in even more compensation.
Tier 3: Relatively Minor Injuries
If an injury is so minor that it does not require medical attention, it may result in no settlement at all. However, some minor injuries still cause significant pain and result in high medical bills and lost wages.
These are known as Tier 3 injuries. Here are some examples:
- Sprains and strains
- Contusions
- Other non-permanent soft tissue injuries
A typical settlement for a relatively minor injury that still requires medical attention may be a few thousand or a few tens of thousands of dollars.
Other Factors Determining a Case’s Value
Injury severity is typically the most significant factor when determining the value of a case. However, several other factors also play a role.
Lost Wages and Earning Capacity
A wage earner who has suffered a serious injury will probably have to take time off work. A fair personal injury settlement should compensate the plaintiff for all of their financial losses. This means that any missed paychecks can significantly impact the settlement.
For example, imagine that you are injured in a car accident and miss a total of 400 hours of work. If you make $21 per hour, your compensation for lost wages would be $8,400. If you make $40 per hour, it would be $16,000.
Similarly, if your injury permanently reduces your earning capacity, your lawyer will include your future expected wages in your claim. The more you were earning before the injury, the higher your compensation is likely to be.
Comparative Negligence
Sometimes, an injury is purely one person’s fault. However, it’s often the case that both parties contributed to an accident.
Washington uses a pure comparative negligence standard. This means that you may still recover compensation if you were partially at fault for your injury. However, that compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
For example, suppose that you were driving a little over the speed limit when another car ran a red light and hit you. You file a lawsuit. The court decides that you were 20% at fault for the accident, and the other driver was 80% at fault. If the court awards you a total of $100,000 in damages, this amount would be reduced by 20%, so you would receive $80,000.
Even if your case doesn’t end up in court, the percentage of fault will affect any settlement you and your lawyer negotiate.
Insurance Policy Limits
Unfortunately, the at-fault party’s insurance policy (or lack thereof) often has a major impact on how much compensation an injured person can recover. Washington’s state minimum coverage for drivers is $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 of bodily injury liability per accident, and $10,000 in property damage liability.
If you are hit by a driver who has no assets and only the minimum required coverage, it may be very challenging to recover more than $25,000, even if your injuries are severe.
By contrast, if you get hurt in a commercial trucking accident and suffer the same injuries, you could likely recover more compensation. Many large trucking companies have multimillion-dollar liability policies.
Strength of the Evidence
To win your case and secure a settlement, you must be able to prove both the severity of your injuries and the fact that another party was at fault. When you have strong evidence, the other party may be afraid that you’ll win if the case goes to trial. They will likely be willing to pay a larger settlement to keep the case out of court.
So, How Much Is Your Case Worth?
Learning about average settlement amounts and the factors that can influence your case can be helpful, to an extent. However, the truth is that every case is different. The best way to value your case is to partner with a Seattle personal injury attorney who can estimate the value of a potential settlement.
Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm in Seattle, WA
For more information, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer to schedule a free initial consultation. We have convenient locations in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington.
Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer – Seattle
701 5th Ave Suite 4300A, Seattle, WA 98104
(253) 948-0250
Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer – Tacoma
909 A St Ste 700, Tacoma, WA 98402
(253) 264-0225