Approximately 1/3 of car accidents are rear end collisions. So if you suffered injuries in a rear end crash, you are far from alone. Because rear end collisions are so common, insurance companies have a good idea what your rear end collision settlement may be.
But every car accident is different and the ‘average’ settlement for a rear end collision may not fit your situation. Some rear-end crashes can cause only minor injuries and property damage. Or you could suffer serious, long term injuries and have a totaled car.
Fault in Rear End Collisions
Most rear-end collisions do qualify for a settlement. But a key point in a rear-end collision settlement is who was at fault. Rear end crashes often settle out of court because it is usually clear that the person in the rear was at fault for the crash. In many situations, you may be just sitting at a red light and a car slams into you from behind. This type of accident will settle fairly quickly because the insurance company knows the jury verdict would be higher than a settlement in such a clear-cut case.
While most rear end collisions are the fault of the driver in the rear, this is not always the case. In many states, both drivers can share fault for these accidents. For example, say that you are texting and driving and look up to see a child on the road. You hit the brakes to stop, but the car behind you slams into you. In this accident, you may share partial blame because you were distracted by your cell phone. If you share blame, you could have your financial award reduced by your degree of fault in the accident.
Rear End Collision Settlement Factors
It is hard to say for certain how much your rear end car accident settlement will be. The amount you are offered in a settlement for a rear end collision will depend on:
- How serious your injuries are.
- How severe the accident was.
- How your injuries affect your ability to work.
- How your injuries affect the lives of your loved ones.
- Whether your injuries linger and have long term effects
- Whether you need future medical care and treatment
- The type of injuries you have
- Whether you share fault for the accident
- Whether you were texting and driving.
- Whether you had on your seatbelt.
If you approach the insurance company on your own, it is likely it will offer you a quick settlement. But for a rear end crash, you should not usually accept the first offer the company makes. They will probably offer you less than what your rear end collision accident is worth. Many people take the first offer thrown out, and this is usually a mistake.
Instead, talk to a qualified personal injury attorney in your area to get an idea of what your rear end accident settlement might look like. You can use our website to locate a quality personal injury attorney in your state.
