Understanding Leg Injury Settlements After a Car Accident

It’s not unusual to suffer a leg injury in a car accident. Drivers and passengers commonly brace their legs for impact when a collision is inevitable. Depending on the severity of the accident, their legs might get caught underneath the dashboard or crushed by an object.

People who experience a severe wound may wonder how much compensation they can receive from car accident leg injury settlements. Generally, a settlement provides compensation for medical care, lost wages, and emotional pain and suffering. The settlement amount will differ depending on the accident’s severity.

You may be entitled to compensation for your losses if you’ve recently sustained injuries in a car accident. A qualified attorney at Morgan & Morgan can review your case to determine its value. Contact us today to schedule your free case review.

Average Car Accident Leg Injury Settlements

Suffering a leg injury in a car accident is scary. Your injury might be mild, like a strain or sprain, or severe enough to require partial limb removal. 

Typically, the compensation awarded in car accident leg injury settlements depends on how severe the wounds are. A few bumps and bruises may not receive much, but someone who suffers more severe damage can obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in a lawsuit.

Some of the most common leg injuries in car accidents relate to the knees. The knees allow us to bend our legs and walk; damage to them can require extensive surgery and downtime. 

According to Jury Verdict Research, monetary damages for a knee injury include the following statistics:

• Median verdict amount in a knee injury case — $114,000
• Average amount of a court verdict for a severe knee injury claim — $359,000
• Cases involving a knee injury — about 8% got more than $1 million in damages

Jury Verdict Research classifies a severe knee injury as a fracture, dislocation, aggravation of a previous injury, or needing a knee replacement. 

Unfortunately, Jury Verdict Research does not separate knee injury verdicts by type of case. The claims included in the research are mostly a combination of car accidents and slips and falls.

However, Jury Verdict Research does provide additional information concerning verdicts of knee injuries in specific claims:

• Rear-end crashes involving knee injury claims have a verdict mean of $9,000
• Pedestrian crashes involving knee injuries have median verdicts of $150,000
• Collisions in intersections have average knee injury verdicts of $71,000

Notably, verdicts for knee injuries involving rear-end crashes are low, primarily because victims are less likely to sustain knee injuries in these types of collisions. 

Factors That Impact the Value of Car Accident Leg Injury Settlements

Various factors can impact the value of car accident leg injury settlements.

• The Severity of a Leg Injury

The severity of your leg injury will significantly impact the value of your settlement. Someone with a sprained ankle may receive several thousand dollars for their injury, while someone who needs surgery and ongoing medical care may seek over $100,000 in damages.

Your doctor will determine the severity of your leg injury following a crash, and your lawyer can evaluate how much it is worth in a settlement.

• Length of Time to Recover From Leg Injuries

Your recovery time will impact the value of your settlement. More extended recovery periods are indicative of more severe knee injuries. If you require regular physical therapy or other care, your lawyer will include the treatment cost in your settlement.

• State Negligence Laws

State laws dictate the rules concerning negligence. There are three systems that states use: pure comparative, modified comparative, and contributory negligence. 

Pure comparative negligence laws are most favorable to car accident victims. In a pure comparative negligence state, you can recover damages to the extent that you were not at fault. For instance, if you are 75% at fault for the accident, you can still recover 25% in damages.

Modified comparative negligence states allow victims to collect damages as long as they are less than 50% or 51% at fault for an accident. The court will reduce damages by the extent to which the driver is at fault. For instance, if you are 25% at fault, you can still collect 75% in monetary damages.

Contributory negligence laws are the most strict. Under contributory negligence, you are not entitled to any monetary damages unless the other party was 100% at fault for the accident. 

A qualified lawyer can explain the negligence laws in your state and how they may impact your claim.

• Insurance Limits

Another factor that can limit the damages you receive for your leg injury is insurance. Typically, an automobile insurance policy covers your settlement. Depending on your state’s laws, the other driver’s policy may foot the bill for your injuries, or your policy may. 

If your damages exceed the value of a policy’s limits, it could be difficult to recover anything more, especially if the other driver doesn’t have much in assets. 

• Your Actual Damages

When determining how much your knee injury is worth in a lawsuit, your lawyer will assess the existing expenses associated with the accident, including your medical costs and lost wages. They may also include non-economic damages, like emotional anguish and loss of quality of life.

• Your Lawyer

When you suffer injuries in a car accident, you should look for a qualified lawyer with experience handling personal injury lawsuits. 

Ask your prospective lawyer about their previous case results handling claims like yours. If they don’t have much experience in car accident claims or can’t point to successful outcomes, it’s best to look for someone else.

What Should I Do After a Car Accident?

The steps you take after experiencing a car accident are essential. You’ll first want to ensure that no one has severe injuries. If anyone is at immediate risk, call for an ambulance. You should also notify the police of the accident, so they can come to the crash scene and provide assistance.

Next, you should take pictures of the damage to your vehicle and any injuries you have. Ask any witnesses to the crash for their contact information. Make sure you exchange insurance information with all of the drivers involved in the crash.

It’s not uncommon for people who experience a car accident to minimize the extent of their injuries in the first few days following the collision. Even if your injuries are minimal, seek medical attention at your local hospital or urgent care center. Your doctor will examine you to determine whether you’ve sustained wounds that need additional care.

Finally, keep track of the expenses associated with your car accident. Even if you don’t think you need legal assistance, consulting a lawyer is never a bad idea.

How Can Morgan and Morgan Help Me?

Morgan & Morgan helps individuals suffering from injuries recover from the cost of their losses. We have dedicated attorneys across the nation who can assist you in your efforts to recover financially following a severe car accident. 

When you hire us as your attorneys, we’ll complete your claim analysis. We’ll begin by seeking to understand what happened during the accident. We’ll gather evidence, including any video of the crash, the police report, and witness statements. 

The next step involves a complete analysis of the losses you’ve experienced. We’ll consider the damage to your vehicle, lost wages, emotional pain and anguish, past and future medical expenses, and loss of quality of life. Our analysis will allow us to determine the value of your claim.

Finally, we’ll start negotiating with the appropriate parties to obtain a settlement on your behalf. We’ll take your case to court if we cannot get a settlement.

Will My Car Accident Claim Go to Court?

Few personal injury claims end up in a courtroom. Usually, insurance providers try to avoid a lengthy and expensive trial by offering a settlement to the afflicted parties. When you hire an attorney experienced in negotiation with insurance companies, you increase the likelihood of a favorable settlement. 

Sometimes, people attempt to negotiate a settlement with an insurance provider. We recommend seeking legal assistance for your claim unless you are an attorney. Insurance providers deal with accident claims daily, and they use specific tactics to avoid significant payouts.

Your attorney can protect you from underhanded tactics from insurance providers and increase your chances of obtaining a settlement that covers the losses you’ve experienced.

Should I Report My Accident to My Insurance Company Immediately?

If you’ve suffered severe injuries in a car accident, we recommend seeking legal advice before reporting your accident to the insurance company. When insurance companies realize an individual has serious wounds, they’ll likely start calling the victim to offer a settlement or obtain a statement.

Talking to an insurance company without legal advice puts your claim at risk. Sometimes, people unintentionally make comments when talking with an insurance company, and those comments can lower the value of their claims. 

A car accident victim should only accept a settlement from the insurance provider once they understand the value of their lawsuit. 

Instead of risking your potential claim, get an attorney’s opinion. At Morgan and Morgan, we offer free consultations to all of our prospective clients.

Is Hiring an Attorney Expensive?

Most personal injury attorneys, like the ones at Morgan & Morgan, work on a contingency fee basis. Under a contingency fee arrangement, clients don’t pay any upfront fees, and there is no hourly billing. 

Instead, the attorney receives a percentage of any settlement or verdict you receive. If they aren’t successful in obtaining an award for you, there is no fee for their services.

How Long Will It Take to Recover Damages From a Car Accident?

People who suffer injuries in a car accident worry about how long it will take to recover their losses. They may face mounting medical bills and be unable to work, making it difficult to pay for necessary expenses, like their home and groceries. 

Cases that resolve through settlement typically take four to six months. If the claim goes to court, it may take several years before the case’s final outcome is known. An attorney can advise you of the approximate timeline of your case.

Morgan & Morgan Can Help You With Your Car Accident Claim

Morgan and Morgan is the nation’s largest personal injury law firm. Since 1988, we’ve helped thousands of people resolve their car accident claims and recover damages for their losses. We’ve recovered over $13 billion for our clients through settlements and court verdicts. 

To see how we can help you, schedule a free case review with our team.