What Should I Expect from a Rear-End Accident Settlement?

Roughly one-third of all highway accidents are rear-end collisions, so if you have suffered injuries after a rear-end accident, you are certainly not alone. Not only that, but insurance companies are well-versed in how much a rear-end accident is worth before they offer you an initial settlement figure. They know their initial offer is too low – and they’re hoping you accept it anyway.

Since every situation and every car accident victim is different, the “average” rear-end collision may not fit your circumstances. Rear-end collisions can result in minor property damage and only minimal injuries, or they can total a car and cause severe, long-term injuries.

Based on variations in circumstances, it’s difficult, perhaps impossible, to predict what a settlement might look like without knowing the details of each individual accident. 

Is the Other Driver Always At Fault in a Rear-End Accident?

Rear-end accidents will frequently settle instead of going to trial because it is often very clear that the person who hit you was at fault for the crash. In many cases, you were just sitting at a stop sign or stop light when the accident occurred.

In those situations, it’s clear that the other driver was at fault. Insurance companies want to settle those types of claims quickly because they know that a jury verdict may be higher than the settlement and that it will take considerable time, effort, and money to get the case fully ready for trial. 

While most rear-end accidents are the fault of the other driver, the assessment of error isn’t automatic. Instead, Georgia does allow both parties to share fault in some cases, and the front driver may be considered partially at fault. For example, imagine that you were texting and driving and looked up and saw a child run out into the road.

You slam on your brakes to avoid the accident, but the car behind you doesn’t stop in time and hits you.  In that situation, you could be partially at fault because you were texting and driving. 

But, the other person also could have been following too closely or wasn’t paying attention either. Drivers behind you have a duty to follow far enough away from you so that they can react appropriately in an emergency situation. Regardless, even if the accident was partially your fault, you can often still recover damages to help with medical expenses, lost wages, and more. 

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How Much Will a Settlement for a Rear-End Collision Be?

There’s really no way to tell for sure how much a settlement for any type of personal injury case will be. Instead, the amount of compensation you are offered will depend on a few factors, including:

• The seriousness of your injuries
• The severity of the accident
• How your injuries have affected your ability to work
• How your injuries have affected your loved ones and your daily life
• Whether your injuries will have any long-term effects
• Whether you need future medical treatment and care
• The type of injuries you have experienced
• Whether you could be considered at fault for the accident at all
• Whether you were wearing your seatbelt

An experienced car accident attorney, like those at John Foy & Associates, will be able to review the facts of your case and give you a more specific idea of what your case is worth.

Never Accept the First Offer from the Insurance Company

Although an insurance company may offer you a settlement very soon after your accident, it’s almost never a good idea to accept the first number offered. Many insurance companies will try to offer you far less than what your case is worth just to see if you will take it—and many people do. Instead, talk to an attorney about a more realistic value of what your rear-end case might be before you agree to anything. 

You Need to Account for Medical Treatment You May Need in the Future, Too

It may take some time to learn how your accident will affect your life moving forward and how much medical treatment you will need in the future. Your doctors and your attorney need time to evaluate these aspects of your case to ensure that the insurance company isn’t short-changing you.

Schedule a Free Consultation Today with One of Our Attorneys for Your Rear-End Accident Case

John Foy & Associates offers a free consultation so that you can meet our team and get a feel for the basic legal implications of your case.  You can even run a potential settlement offer by us to see if it is fair. We will be able to tell you whether you have the potential to get more for your case by analyzing the facts of your case and using over 20 years of experience helping car accident victims just like you.

Call us or fill out the form to the right to get your free consultation today.