This article is aimed to be a resource for those who have been victims of a car accident in Florida. As a result of reading this article, you will be better able to understand the factors that most affect the amount of compensation a victim may receive for their injuries and damages following an auto accident.
Many may be wondering how much money they can recover from a car accident settlement if they have been injured in a car accident in Florida. Besides helping victims understand the monetary limits of their claims, we will also provide some examples of Florida car accident settlements from our own case files.
Average Car Accident Settlement Payout In Florida
Using the settlement examples listed on this page, it can be estimated that the average Florida car accident settlement is between $300,000 and $6,100,000. There is no accurate average settlement amount for car accidents in Florida because settlements are greatly influenced by the unique circumstances of each case.
The amount of the settlement payout in a car accident depends on a number of factors. As every case is unique, the amount the victim received will be entirely determined by the details of their accident, injuries, and losses.
The best way to receive the maximum amount of compensation in a Florida car accident is to hire an experienced and diligent Florida car accident lawyer to conduct thorough research and to represent victims during negotiations. After all, the settlement amount is significantly influenced by a victim’s legal representation.
An experienced Florida car accident attorney can assist clients in obtaining a higher average settlement amount because of their experience and knowledge of the legal system and court processes.
Factors That Affect Car Accident Settlement Amounts In Florida
There are several factors that influence the settlement amount of a car accident lawsuit, including:
In view of the fact that settlement amounts are highly contextual, it is in the victim’s best interest to speak with an experienced Florida car accident lawyer about the specifics of their case.
Abrahamson & Uiterwyk Florida Car Accident Settlement Examples
Here are some examples of 2022-2021 car accident settlements, as well as those from previous years, for those wondering how much the average car accident settlement in Florida is. Throughout the history of our firm, Abrahamson & Uiterwyk has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients in auto accident lawsuits. Some of the recent car accident settlements we have obtained for our Florida clients are listed below.
Florida Back and Neck Injury Settlement Amount Of $940,000 For A 2022 Rear-End Car Accident
During the course of our client’s journey eastbound, he came to a complete stop due to traffic stopping in front of them. Due to the defendant’s failure to stop, the front of the defendant’s truck struck the rear of the van in which our client was traveling. According to the defendant, our client made an abrupt lane change and an unexpected stop, thereby causing the collision. There was no citation issued to the defendant driver for causing the accident.
An ambulance transported our client to the hospital and he was treated for neck, back, and hip pain. The client had previously been involved in an accident in which he had suffered lower back pain a few months prior to the most recent accident. Although he had recovered well, he still suffered from intermittent neck and lower back pain. His doctors stated that he suffered an aggravation of previous lower back pain as a result of the most recent accident. A comparison of an MRI of the lower back with that of the injury sustained in the previous accident revealed that our client suffered an aggravation of a previous injury to the lower back. A lower back surgery was recommended by the surgeon after all conservative treatment failed to alleviate the pain. As a result of the doctor’s findings, an operation was performed on the client’s lower back. A screw placed in the lower spine moved postoperatively and required yet another procedure to revise and correct the instrumentation and screw that had moved. Following the first surgery, our client was required to undergo two additional surgeries to both hips in order to alleviate his hip pain
An insurance claim was presented to the defendant's driver's insurance company. A combined single limit policy of one million dollars was held by the defendant driver. In order to repair our client's work van, $16,922.95 was paid for property damage. Approximately 983,077.05 of the combined single-limit policy remains. As a result, a demand was made for the remaining limits. As a settlement offer, the defendant's insurance company offered only 80,000. The offer was rejected. The insurer for the defendant claimed that our client was at fault for making a quick, sudden lane change and that his previous accident was the cause of all his back problems.
A civil suit was filed as a result of this statement made by the insurance company. Following the accident, a very lengthy deposition of the driver was taken, revealing that the defendant driver was entirely responsible for the accident.
A mediation conference was held to settle the case, and the defendant's insurance company offered 350,000. The offer was rejected. Within a few weeks of the mediation conference, the defendant's insurance company offered a settlement of 550,000. Again, that offer was rejected. There was yet another request for remaining policy limits.
After the case progressed through the litigation process, it was settled for 983,077,05 several months after mediation.
Car Accident Settlement Involving Pedestrian Results in $300,000 Settlement Amount
In Pinellas County, our client was walking his dog when he approached a crosswalk to walk toward the beach. In order to warn approaching vehicles, our client pressed the button that activated the rapid flashing beacons. In response to the beacons activating, our client entered the crosswalk and began to walk across the street. Our client was struck by the defendant driver, who, while clearly distracted, failed to see the flashing beacons and the pedestrian crossing sign, and was traveling at approximately 30 miles per hour when he struck our client.
The impact caused our client to roll up on the hood of the defendant's vehicle and be thrown into another lane. It was fortunate that the vehicles in the other lane had stopped properly. As a result of the accident, our client was knocked unconscious and did not regain consciousness until he was taken to the emergency room.
During the course of his treatment at the emergency room, our client suffered a dislocated left shoulder, a fractured left collarbone, fractured ribs, multiple lacerations, and a concussion. A rotator cuff tear in our client's left shoulder was diagnosed by an orthopedic surgeon following his discharge from the hospital. In order to restore the range of motion in our client's left shoulder, the orthopedic surgeon prescribed physical therapy. Our client was able to regain full use of his left shoulder without the need for surgery as a result of his dedication to the therapy.
Our client's underinsured motorist insurance carrier and the defendant's insurance company were notified of our settlement demand after the conclusion of the patient's medical treatment. We were able to convince the plaintiff's insurance company to pay significantly more through continuous negotiations after they refused to make a fair settlement offer to our client. As a result, we were able to obtain a settlement of $300,000 for our client.
2021 Car Accident Settlement Of $400,000 For Rear End Auto Accident
A client of ours was stopped. Our client's vehicle was rear-ended by the defendant's vehicle when the defendant failed to stop.
Due to neck pain radiating into the arms, our client visited numerous physicians. A neck MRI was ordered by the physician. As a result of the neck MRI, a large, herniated disc was discovered. A number of injections were administered to the client in an attempt to alleviate the pain in the neck and radiating symptoms. Unfortunately, all conservative treatments failed. She was recommended to undergo neck surgery by her surgeon. Due to the severe pain our client was experiencing, she decided to undergo neck surgery.
The defendant's insurance company was notified of our demand. For the settlement of the claim, the defendant's insurance company offered only 150,000. Insurers for the defendant alleged that our client was somehow negligent in causing the accident.
Following this lowball offer, a lawsuit was promptly filed. It was necessary to take the deposition of the defendant driver in order to establish that he was primarily responsible for the accident.
The case was settled for 400,000 shortly after this deposition.
$400,000 Car Accident Settlement Obtained For Neck And Back Injuries Sustained In 2021 Accident
The defendant's vehicle pulled off onto the shoulder of the road and made an illegal U-Turn directly in front of our client and his spouse as they were traveling on the same road.
The neck and lower back of both of our clients were injured. Multiple herniated discs were discovered during the MRIs of the neck and lower back. Before this accident, the husband was involved in a motor vehicle accident that resulted in herniated discs in his lower back. His new MRI revealed that his previous lower back injury had been aggravated.
Multiple injections were used to treat our clients’ neck and back pain conservatively. There was no success with the husband's conservative treatment. In order to alleviate the husband's lower back pain and radiating symptoms caused by the aggravation of his pre-existing lower back injuries from the previous accident, the surgeon recommended that the husband undergo lower back surgery. Upon undergoing lower back surgery, the husband had a successful outcome.
After conservative treatment, the wife experienced intermittent and occasional neck and lower back pain.
As a pre-suit settlement, the defendant's insurance company offered the husband and wife 40,000 and 70,000 dollars, respectively.
A lawsuit was filed and the case was litigated to mediation. A settlement offer of 60,000 was made by the defendant's insurance company at the mediation, and the insurance company did not increase its offer to settle the claim of the wife. A trial was set for the case after those offers were rejected.
In the two months prior to trial, the defendant's insurance company accepted the formal demand to settle the case of the wife for 150,000 and the case of the husband for the full policy limits of 250,000 for a total settlement of 400,000.
$1.6 Million Car Accident Settlement Received For Head-On Collision
We represented a client who was a passenger in a vehicle when the driver violated the right of way of an approaching vehicle traveling in the opposite direction by making an illegal left-hand turn. As a result, a head-on collision occurred.
The client was rushed to the emergency room via helicopter and treated for a broken pelvis, a broken leg, a fractured neck, neck pain and a closed head injury with a brain bleed. In addition to the surgical repair of the broken pelvis and leg injuries, the client also received conservative treatment and rehabilitation to aid them in their recovery from the brain injury.
The defendant's insurance company was presented with a demand. There was only a 300,000 offer at the outset. The offer was rejected.
As soon as such a low offer was received, a lawsuit was filed. Depositions were taken from the defendant driver, witnesses, and our client's treating physicians. The defendant’s insurance company hired physicians to examine our client. During the examination, one of these physicians confirmed that our client had sustained a permanent closed head injury.
In a short period of time after the suit was filed, the defendant's insurer offered 500,000. The offer was rejected. During a mediation conference, the defendant's insurance company offered 750,000 to settle the case. It was rejected.
As the case progressed through the lengthy litigation process, a settlement of 1.6 million dollars was reached closer to the trial date.
2016 Car Accident Payout of $525,000.00 for Spine and Back Injuries in Dade City, Florida
On July 22, 2016, our client was attempting to make a U-turn on Highway 301 in Dade City, Florida, and was stopped in the median. While driving south on U.S. 301, the defendant left the roadway, crashed through a street sign, and hit our client, pushing him into oncoming traffic whereupon he was struck by a passing northbound vehicle.
It was later claimed by the defendant that he was rear-ended by a phantom vehicle, resulting in a collision with our client. As a result of back injuries, our client was transported to the hospital and later seen by several physicians for treatment. He was diagnosed with large disc herniations in his lumbar spine following an MRI scan. His conservative treatment options, including therapy and epidural steroid injections, had all been exhausted.
As a result of the pressure in his spinal canal, he ultimately required a discectomy operation. We attempted to settle the case before filing a lawsuit, but the insurance company acted unreasonably and refused to accept responsibility for the accident. As a result, we filed a lawsuit against the responsible party.
Through the course of the lawsuit, we pressured the insurance company to provide proof that they were not at fault, and that the accident had been caused by someone else.
In the end, our pressure was successful, and we were able to force the company to compensate our client for their injuries with $525,000.00.
Homosassa, Florida Car Accident Results In $500,000 Car Accident Settlement
A vehicle exited a private driveway directly into our client's path while she was traveling on a main road in Homosassa, Florida. Because of the other driver's carelessness, our client hit the side of the other vehicle. Due to the severity of the impact, our client's airbags were deployed, and the vehicle was deemed a total loss.
Her pain in her neck, chest and right arm was diagnosed after she was transported to the emergency room following the accident. She underwent MRIs of the cervical spine and lumbar spine following her discharge from the hospital. An MRI of the cervical spine and lumbar spine revealed several herniated discs.
Both cervical and lumbar surgeries were ultimately performed on our client. Our client's injuries led Abrahamson and Uiterwyk to send a demand to the defendant driver's insurance company, which resulted in them paying $100,000, the full amount of the defendant driver's insurance policy. In addition, Abrahamson and Uiterwyk sent a demand to the dealership that owned the vehicle the defendant was driving.
While the defendant's personal vehicle was being repaired, the dealership loaned him the vehicle. It was attempted by the dealership's insurance carrier classified the loaner vehicle as a "rental car," which would have reduced the insurance coverage to $10,000.
After analyzing the insurance carrier's position extensively, Abrahamson and Uiterwyk proved to the insurer that their opinion was unsupported by Florida law. Upon agreement, the insurance company offered their policy limits of $500,000.
Rear End Car Accident In Citrus Valley, Florida Results In $300,000 Car Accident Settlement
Our client was traveling northbound on Suncoast Parkway near Veteran's Drive in Citrus County, Florida on August 18, 2016. As our client was slowing to make a right turn, the defendant failed to stop and rear-ended him. A number of injuries sustained by our client led to her being taken to the emergency room for initial treatment.
She was later ordered to undergo MRI scans of her neck, lower back, and left shoulder by her chiropractor. A multilevel disc herniation was found in the neck and back MRIs. According to the MRI of the shoulder, there were tears to two tendons in the rotator cuff. In order to repair her shoulder, she underwent two separate surgeries. We successfully convinced the defendant's insurer to pay its $250,000.00 policy limit after we presented a demand package documenting the serious injuries sustained.
A claim was then presented to our client's uninsured motorist insurer, which maintained a $50,000.00 policy limit. The insurance company offered only $1,000.00, believing the case was worth no more than the underlying coverage. As a result, we threatened litigation and accused the company of engaging in bad-faith negotiations. The company was given a deadline by which they could either pay their policy limits or face a lawsuit for potentially more.
In recognition that our firm was fully prepared to litigate against them, the company paid $50,000.00 for a total settlement of $300,000.00.
