Chicago Car Accident Settlements

Every car accident settlement is different, but auto insurance injury claims often settle at the policy limit. The larger the policy limit, the larger the potential settlement amount.

Your legal representation matters to maximize your potential car accident settlement. Generally, working with an attorney results in higher compensation. The Chicago car accident attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Law have experience securing multimillion-dollar settlements for our clients.

Read on to learn more about typical car accident settlement amounts, factors that will influence settlements, and what you can do to maximize how much you can expect to receive.

What Is the Average Car Accident Settlement?

In 2022, the average bodily injury settlement was around $26,501. The average settlement for property damage is $6,551. According to Consumer Shield, typical settlement amounts for non-injury car accidents range from $5,00 to $25,000, with an average of $9,900.

However, we are able to deliver much higher settlements for our clients. While our average car accident settlement is currently at $8,141,667, we have recovered up to $18.5 million for a car accident victim.

Car Accident Settlements Recovered by Our Chicago Law Firm

Our firm has become well-known for securing high car accident settlement offers for a variety of injury types, including the following.

Neck and Back

$720,000: A man suffered back pain after an accident and required a lumbar fusion.

Herniated Disc

$1,400,000: A mother and daughter were rear-ended by a semi-truck while delivering food. Both women suffered herniated discs that required medical intervention.

Concussion

$449,000: A man was thrown into the windshield and suffered both facial injuries and a subdural hematoma that required surgery.

Wrongful Death

$4,000,000: This settlement offer was for a man who suffered fatal injuries while on a work trip.

Fractures

$3,000,000: Motor vehicle accident resulting in bilateral femur bone fractures.

$805,500: Truck versus bicycle accident that caused a broken clavicle and head injury.

$599,900: Fractured sternum and ankle due to a distracted driver.

$250,000: Uninsured motorist policy limit from an accident leading to a shattered patella.

Brain Injury

$1,680,000: This Chicago auto accident claim was for a man who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being hit by a rideshare driver.

Which Factors Affect Car Accident Settlements?

Several factors determine how much insurance companies will pay for a car accident settlement. Our experienced Chicago personal injury attorneys will seek compensation for all expenses and push for maximum compensation based on the following factors.

Extent of Injuries

Cases with more severe injuries will settle for much more than cases with more minor injuries.

Extent of Losses

A case with much higher medical expenses will most likely settle for a higher amount than a case with fewer medical bills will. The extent of your financial losses will play a role in how much you are able to recover from your settlement.

Pain and suffering, such as having to stop playing a favorite sport, can also affect your settlement.

Insurance Coverage

All Illinois drivers are required to have insurance coverage for any vehicle, including uninsured motorist coverage (625 ILCS §5/7-601). The minimum insurance amounts are $25,000 per person or $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $20,000 for property damage.

The more coverage that is available, the higher your settlement offer will be. Uninsured motorist policy limits are typically lower.

It also matters whether you are hit by a passenger vehicle or a commercial vehicle. In Chicago, taxicabs are required to have a minimum of $350,000.00 combined single-limit coverage (§9-112-330). This means that if you are hit by a taxi, you are likely to receive more.

Rideshare accident settlements may be higher because Uber and Lyft have a $1 million policy limit when drivers are actively transporting customers. However, these accidents are also more complicated because the company may try to claim they are not responsible. It’s essential to have legal representation in these instances.

Comparative Negligence

Illinois uses modified comparative negligence (735 ILCS §5/2-1116). This means you can recover damages if you were less than 50% responsible, but your percentage of blame will reduce your damages. You may receive more from a no-fault accident settlement.

Legal Representation

Having a skilled attorney negotiate with the insurance company and build a strong case to succeed in court can make a big difference in a typical car accident settlement offer.

What Kind of Damages Are Compensated in Personal Injury Claims

Your lawyer can seek different types of damages in a car accident settlement, including economic and non-economic damages.

Economic

Economic damages describe your actual, tangible losses that are related to the serious injuries you sustained. Some common forms of economic damages are as follows:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Property damage
• Future medical treatment
• Future lost wages
• Burial expenses for wrongful death

Non-Economic

Unlike economic damages, non-economic damages are not related to tangible expenses that are related to the crash, like medical bills, property damage, or lost wages. Rather, these are focused on intangible factors such as:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life

In Illinois, there is no cap on non-economic damages, which was decided by the court case Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital.

Wrongful Death

If your loved one died in a car crash, our Chicago wrongful death attorneys can help you file a lawsuit to recover these types of damages:

• Medical bills before death
• Loss of financial support
• Pain and suffering
• Grief
• Loss of companionship

How to Maximize a Car Accident Lawsuit Settlement

There are some things that a Chicago car accident lawyer from Rosenfeld Injury Law can do to maximize settlements:

• Identify the at-fault driver based on evidence such as accident reconstruction, witness testimony, and surveillance footage.
• Consult with experts to learn about future medical needs.
• Prove your pain and suffering on several factors like loss of enjoyment of life and changes to your routines.
• Correctly tabulate costs like medical expenses and lost wages.
• Review insurance coverage to ensure we work with all relevant insurance companies.
• Identify the potential insurance coverage for no-fault claims.
• Negotiate higher settlement amounts from insurance companies.
• Reference previous settlement amounts to establish the amount your case is worth.
• Take the case to court if the settlement offer is too low.

Who Can Pursue a Car Accident Claim?

Victims and parents of minors can all pursue claims. For wrongful death, the next of kin can negotiate an accident settlement from the at-fault driver.

Get a Fair Settlement Offer!

Contact the personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Law for a free consultation by filling out our online contact form or calling toll-free at (888) 424-5757. A member of our legal team is available 24/7 to accept your call. We work on a contingency fee basis, so we do not collect any fees until we obtain a settlement for you.

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.