Free 24/7 Consultation | "Call The Champs"

Updated: October 17, 2024

Published: October 11, 2024

How Much Can Someone Sue for a Car Accident?

Content Legally Reviewed by:

A. Parker Trotz

Mr. Trotz was recognized from 2019-2024 as a Super Lawyers Mid-South Rising Star. Mr. Trotz is also a member of the Young Lawyers Division of the Memphis Bar Association, Memphis Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, and the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association where he serves on the Executive Committee.

READ OUR EDITORIAL GUIDELINES

Key Takeaways:

Your car accident lawsuit could be worth several thousand to more than a million dollars.
Your car accident claim’s value will vary based on your specific case facts, including the severity of your injuries, the available insurance, and the skill of your car accident lawyer.
You can sue for economic and non-economic damages in a car accident, with punitive damages available in rare cases.
Our award-winning car accident lawyers at NST Law have won more than $2 billion in car accident lawsuit settlements and verdicts.
Our attorneys can handle the insurance company, gather evidence, and file your car accident lawsuit so you can focus on rest and recovery.

If you have been injured in a car accident, you may be able to sue the at-fault driver and other responsible parties for anywhere from a few thousand to millions of dollars. Compensation for a car accident typically comes from the other driver’s insurance. However, the insurance company is only liable up to the driver’s policy limits. Depending on the state where you live, this amount may be as low as $10,000. This will not be enough to cover your damages if your injuries are severe.

Fortunately, you are not limited to the driver’s insurance coverage for compensation. You may be eligible to obtain additional compensation by including other responsible parties in the lawsuit, such as government entities and vehicle manufacturers. Our nationally recognized car accident lawyers are dedicated to finding all liable parties and recovering the maximum compensation available in your car accident lawsuit.

Why You Can Trust NST Law with Your Car Accident Lawsuit

At NST Law, we are Champions For the Injured. With more than thirty years of successful experience, we are not afraid to go to trial in car accident lawsuits because we have the experience and skill to win. We prepare every case for trial, and our hard work pays off big for our clients.

Our Car Accident Case Results

We have recovered more than $2 billion in compensation for injured accident victims, including the following settlements and verdicts in car accident cases:

$6.3 million for the family of a retired 65-year-old man who was rear-ended by a commercial truck, resulting in quadriplegia and, ultimately, his death
$3 million for a couple who suffered numerous fractures in a car accident involving a semi
$2.2 million for a young man who suffered permanent traumatic brain injuries in a collision caused by a negligent road construction company
$1.5 million for an elderly couple who sustained catastrophic injuries that resulted in the husband’s death and multiple surgeries for the wife
$1.4 million for a wife who was hit head-on by a wrong-way driver, resulting in severe injuries and her husband’s death
$1.3 million for a 21-year-old woman whose baby died from a head-on collision while she was pregnant
$500,000 for a 20-year-old passenger who suffered multiple fractures and lung contusions when a drunk driver wrecked the car she occupied

Factors Affecting Car Accident Lawsuit Value

Every car accident case is unique. The amount you recover in a car accident lawsuit will vary widely based on many variables, such as those discussed below.

Severity of Injuries

Generally speaking, the more severe your injuries, the higher your case value. Severe injuries often create higher medical expenses, greater pain and suffering, and a longer period of missed work. You are entitled to pursue damages for all of these losses. If your injuries are permanent, your lost earnings may include lifetime future lost earnings.

Your Age

The younger you are when the accident occurs, the greater the accumulation of your lifetime lost earnings, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. These factors could increase your case’s value.

Your Past Earnings

The amount you earned before the accident compared to the amount you can earn afterward plays an important role in your compensation, particularly if your injuries are expected to be long-term or permanent. If you earned a high wage before the accident, your potential damages for lost future will be greater.

Shared Fault

Being partly to blame for an accident could reduce your case value. In Tennessee and Arkansas, you cannot recover compensation if you are 50 percent or more at fault for the accident. If you are less than 50 percent at fault, you can recover damages, but they will be reduced in proportion to your share of fault. In Mississippi, Missouri, and Kentucky, you can recover compensation even if you are more than 50 percent at fault—as long as you are less than 100 percent at fault. However, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your share of the blame.

Insurance Coverage

Your case is only worth the compensation you can collect, and insurance companies are only responsible up to the coverage limit. If your damages are higher than the coverage limit, the individual driver is responsible for the remaining damages. However, you cannot count on a driver to have the resources to pay damages. In many cases, you can only collect up to the policy limit.

The Number of Defendants

Identifying all the responsible parties is one of the most important jobs of a competent car accident lawyer because it increases the available insurance coverage, which allows you to recover more compensation. Our attorneys often find multiple responsible parties in the same accident. You generally have the right to sue any party who contributed to your accident, such as the following:

Government entities that fail to maintain safe roads
Construction companies that create unsafe road conditions
Manufacturers of defective vehicles or parts
Vehicle owners or employers, such as trucking companies

Where You Live

Every state has different laws about how much compensation you can recover. Some states impose limits on how much you can recover for pain and suffering or punitive damages. These limitations are known as caps. Tennessee and Mississippi have damages caps in car accident claims, while Arkansas and Missouri do not.

The Skill, Experience, and Fortitude of Your Lawyer

Having a devoted attorney on your side with the skill and the willingness to do whatever it takes to win fair compensation is crucial to recovering the maximum compensation available. As Champions For the Injured, we have successfully represented thousands of clients over the years and consistently won outstanding results through compassionate care and hard work. Call the Champs today for a free consultation.

How a Case Value Is Calculated

Your compensation will generally consist of economic and non-economic damages. Rarely, you also may be eligible for punitive damages.

Economic Damages

Economic damages are compensation for your verifiable monetary losses, including:

Medical expenses
The cost of domestic services
Transportation to treatment
Lost wages
Lost future earnings
Future medical expenses
Property damage

Your economic damages will be calculated using documentation, such as medical bills and paystubs from previous employment. To calculate your future damages, you will need testimony from expert witnesses, such as economists, accountants, life care planners, vocational experts, and medical doctors who can accurately anticipate your future disabilities, medical needs, and lost wages.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages compensate for subjective losses related to your well-being and quality of life. Pain and suffering is the most well-known form of non-economic damages. Other examples include loss of enjoyment of life, scarring, disfigurement, humiliation, inconvenience, loss of bodily functions, and loss of society.

Calculating non-economic damages is less straightforward because no documentation proves the amount. One common method of calculating non-economic damages is through the multiplier method. A multiplier is a number that your attorney or an insurance company will multiply by the amount of your economic damages. This number may be between one and five. The more severe your injuries, the higher the multiplier.

For example, if you suffer permanent, severe disabilities, you may have a multiplier of five. In this case, your non-economic damages will be five times your economic damages. During settlement negotiations or a trial, the multiplier is often a source of contention between plaintiffs and defendants.

Punitive Damages

Being eligible for punitive damages can significantly increase your claim’s value. Punitive damages are only awarded in rare cases when you can prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant deliberately caused the accident or displayed a blatant disregard for others’ safety, known as gross negligence. Punitive damages are often known as non-compensatory damages because their purpose is not to compensate you for your losses but to punish the defendant and deter others from similar conduct.

Benefits of Consulting a Car Accident Lawyer

Having a skilled car accident lawyer on your side is the most important way to ensure you recover full compensation for your injuries. Insurance companies often take advantage of unrepresented accident victims. They will do whatever they can to reduce your compensation or avoid paying altogether. They may pressure you to accept a low settlement, blame you for the accident, or accuse you of exaggerating your injuries. We are passionate about leveling the playing field between individuals and powerful companies with virtually unlimited funding to fight claims.

When you have The Champions For the Injured on your side, we will handle the insurance company for you and fight for the compensation you deserve. We will not hesitate to sue the insurer and take your case all the way to trial if that is what it takes. With the help of our skilled car accident attorneys, you can rest assured that your case is in the capable hands of attorneys who care about you and will not accept less compensation than you deserve.

How We Work To Maximize Your Compensation

Our skilled car accident attorneys will do whatever it takes to maximize your award, including the following:

Investigate your accident to identify all of the liable parties.
Gather evidence that will refute a finding of fault against you.
Search for insurance policies that you and all liable parties own.
Hire medical and financial experts to calculate your current and future losses.
File your lawsuit.
Negotiate a settlement or fight for you at trial if the defendants refuse to pay fair compensation.

We will do all the work for you so you can focus on what is most important, such as resting, recovering, and spending time with your family.

Schedule Your Free Consultation Today

If you have been injured in a car accident, you may have grounds to sue the driver, the insurance company, and other responsible parties. Call the Champs today at (800) 529-4004 to schedule a free case review or contact us online.

Our Car Accident Case Testimonials

“I highly recommend NST law! My son & I were hit by a drunk driver, unfortunately. This was my first time ever being in a major auto accident & NST helped tremendously & tirelessly! Every single person that dealt with our case was extremely helpful, respectful, & courteous. They made the process as fast & easy as possible for us. I wish I could give this firm a million stars 😊 Thank you guys so much!” – Becca

“Ms. Susan and Mrs. Christi were awesome. After my children and I were injured in a car accident they made sure we were completely well and got us a more than a fair compensation. They treated us like we were family. The atmosphere was peaceful and we were never rushed. They always had time for our phone calls and visits. They truly want the best for us. I will recommend them to anyone that needs a lawyer. Thank you both so much. – The Golden Family.” – Ruby Golden

“NST helped me out when no other law firm would. I was in a car accident where another driver was at fault. While I didn’t suffer any significant physical injuries, my dog died from the accident and my car deemed a total loss. As a result, my mental health suffered severely from grief, trauma, and depression. Once NST took my case, I never felt alone in dealing with the aftermath. They gave me updates about my case regularly and even just checked in on how I was doing in general, particularly with my mental health and progress with therapy. They made me feel cared for and were empathetic. The other law firms I reached out to told me they wouldn’t take my case and that I should just take the initial settlement offer from the other driver’s insurance. NST never hesitated to take my case, was consistently available to me throughout the process, and negotiated a settlement offer four times more than what the insurance company initially offered. I can’t express my gratitude enough for NST. I appreciate everything they did for me.” – Juan Ortega