Average Amount for a Car Accident Settlement in North Carolina

Factors That Affect Car Accident Settlement Amounts

There’s no such thing as a typical settlement amount for a car accident. Every claim develops differently based on the facts, the people involved, and the evidence available. Here are some of the main factors that can impact how much the other side might offer you in settlement negotiations:

The severity of the injuries – How serious your crash injuries are will set the foundation for your entire case. If you experienced severe injuries, such as broken bones or a permanent impairment, you could be entitled to a more substantial financial recovery. The more serious your injuries and the longer your recovery time, the greater the potential value of your claim.

How strong the available evidence is – Insurance companies are always looking for reasons to minimize what they pay. Solid evidence leaves them with fewer arguments to make. Consistency between your statements, medical records, and other supporting documents puts you in a much stronger position during settlement talks.

Whether you’re in any way to blame – North Carolina follows a pure contributory negligence rule in cases involving multiple at-fault parties. This rule says that you cannot recover any compensation from other parties if you are found even 1 percent responsible for the crash. That means strong evidence of other parties’ fault is essential.

How much insurance is available – No matter how severe your injuries are, the other party’s insurance coverage will likely have limits on how much you can recover from them. If your losses exceed those policy limits, or if the at-fault party has no insurance, you might need to file a car accident lawsuit to recover what you are owed. In some cases, you can turn to your own insurer for coverage. A car accident attorney can help you determine the types and amounts of coverage available to you. They can also identify all at-fault parties to maximize your sources for compensation.

Types of Compensation Available in North Carolina Car Accident Claims

When you file a car accident claim in North Carolina, you are seeking compensation to make up for the losses you suffered because of the crash. The purpose of these payouts is to restore you as much as possible to the position you were in before the accident. Depending on the situation, this might include both covering what you have already lost and accounting for how the collision might affect you moving forward.

Here’s an overview of the main categories of damages that could be available in a car accident claim:

Economic Damages

Economic damages cover the direct financial impact of an accident. These are measurable losses tied to bills, receipts, invoices, and smaller paychecks. They can reimburse you for the money you spent or lost because of the crash, as well as accident-related costs or losses you might face in the future.

Because these damages are meant to compensate you for actual losses and expenses, you’ll need thorough documentation for everything you include in your claim. Sometimes expert witnesses, such as doctors and economists, must be hired to fully prove your losses.

Examples of losses that economic damages can cover include:

Medical bills
Hospital invoices
Treatment costs
Prescriptions and assistive devices
Rehabilitation and home health care
Lost wages
Reduced earning ability
Property repairs
Property replacement costs
Transportation expenses

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages compensate you for losses that do not come with a set dollar value. These damages account for the personal side of your recovery, including the pain you feel, the limitations you face, and the changes in your daily life that result from the crash.

Unlike economic damages, these losses cannot be calculated simply by adding up receipt totals. Instead, the value depends on how your injuries affect your physical and emotional well-being.

Lawyers calculate non-economic damages by examining how your injuries impact your daily life, long-term health, and overall well-being. They use different methods to assign fair dollar values to the pain, stress, and limitations you face during your recovery and into the future.

Depending on the circumstances, non-economic damages might compensate you for your:

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Loss of enjoyment of life
Permanent scarring or disfigurement

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages differ from both economic and non-economic damages. Their purpose is not to compensate you for a loss but to punish the at-fault party and prevent others from acting similarly. However, punitive damages are rare because they are only awarded by a judge or jury when the at-fault party’s behavior was malicious, intentional, egregiously reckless, or fraudulent. Drunk driving, road rage, or other extreme behavior could support a claim for punitive damages after an accident.

North Carolina law places limits on these awards. In most cases, punitive damages cannot exceed three times the amount of compensatory damages or $250,000, whichever is greater.

How to Maximize Your Car Accident Settlement

If you try to handle a car accident case on your own, you could make small mistakes that affect the value of your claim without even realizing it. For instance, if you say too much to an adjuster, post about the crash online, or delay seeking treatment, it could give the other side ammunition to use against you.

Insurance companies use tactics designed to protect their own bottom lines and avoid generous payouts. Some of those schemes include:

Pressuring you to accept a quick offer early in your case that doesn’t cover all your losses
Questioning the cause and severity of your injuries
Challenging your credibility
Dragging out the process to push you to settle for less out of desperation

An experienced personal injury attorney knows how to recognize these underhanded strategies and push back forcefully. When you hire Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. to handle your case, our team can:

Handle all communication on your behalf so you don’t fall into common traps
Calculate how much your car accident claim is worth to pursue everything you are owed
Review your medical records, gather evidence, and bring in experts when necessary to demonstrate the full extent of your injuries
Identify every possible source of compensation, including multiple at-fault parties or your own policy if the at-fault driver’s coverage falls short
Put you in a strong position to negotiate a fair settlement by building a strong case backed by facts
Represent you and argue your case to court if the insurance company refuses to be reasonable

Time Limit to File a Car Accident Case in North Carolina

You generally have three years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit after a North Carolina car accident. Various circumstances could shorten or extend this deadline. But if you miss it, the court will likely dismiss your case, no matter how strong your claim might be. Insurance companies know this rule and might stall in the hopes that you’ll miss your chance to take legal action.

If you act quickly and contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after the accident, they can help you avoid losing your right to seek compensation. They can track all relevant deadlines, preserve evidence while it’s fresh, and keep your case moving forward.

Contact Our Car Accident Lawyers in Raleigh, NC, for Help

Clients trust Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. because our team treats every case with care and commitment. Many families turn to us again and again, knowing they will receive strong advocacy and clear communication in English or Spanish. Here’s what one longtime client had to say:

“We are very grateful with this firm, They have been our lawyers for more than 17 years, always excellent service and good communication, in Spanish or English! Younce, Vtipil, attorneys at Law always fighting for the rights of their clients!! For that reason I give them 5 stars if I could I would give them more!!!!” – Javier Pintos

Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. has more than 90 years of combined experience and has built a reputation for securing results across North Carolina. Although each case is different and past results cannot guarantee future outcomes, we have recovered millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts by standing up to insurers and fighting for fair outcomes. When the stakes are high, our car accident attorneys know how to fight for the compensation you deserve.

Call us today at (919) 661-9000 or reach out online to speak directly with a lawyer who can review your case and explain how we can help. Your initial consultation is free, and you won’t pay any attorney fees unless and until we recover money for you.