Visitor Question

How much for medical bills and pain and suffering in a car crash?

Submitted By: Linsey (Schererville, IN, US)

A year and a half ago I was in an auto accident. I was riding in the car of the driver who was found to be at fault. I had a fracture to my radial bone and crushed the ulner stynum. This resulted in a cast for 6 weeks then 5 months of physical therapy. After the physical therapy I had surgery where they had to remove 40% of the cartilage in my wrist and another 8 months of physical therapy.

The day of my surgery was the day I was to start cosmetology school. I had to then wait 3 more months to start and have had trouble completing everything because of the pain that still exists.

I have just over $20,000 in medical bills and a year and a half of inconvenience! What is my claim worth? Thank you.

Disclaimer: Our response is not formal legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. It is generic legal information based on the very limited information provided. Do not rely upon the information in our response, or anywhere else on this site, when deciding the proper course of a legal matter. Always get a personalized case review from a local attorney.

Answer

Dear Linsey,

A claim’s worth is based upon the medical bills incurred when you are finished treating. It is not clear whether you have been released from treatment or not and it is crucial that you NOT settle a case until that time.

Assuming that you are finished treating and that your medical bills are $20,000 a good starting point for negotiations would be somewhere in the range of $80,000 to $100,000. Now, if the car that s/he hit also submits a claim, you should be advised that the insurance policy has limits.

It is unlikely that the insurance limits here exceed $100,000 since most people have policy limits of $50,000 or less. If other parties submit claims against the driver’s insurance, you may be in a situation where the adjuster has to apportion the policy amongst all the injured parties.

Learn more here: Indiana Car Accident Guide

The above is general information. Laws change frequently, and across jurisdictions. You should get a personalized case evaluation from a licensed attorney.

Find a local attorney to give you a free case review here, or call 888-972-0892.

We wish you the best with your claim,

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