What to Expect from a Car Accident Settlement in Texas

Compensation for Texas auto accident claims usually comes from settlements agreed to out of court, not verdicts won in a trial. What those settlements cover — and their exact dollar amounts — vary from case to case. That’s because:

• Financial recoveries for auto accidents are meant to compensate victims for the trauma and losses they suffered in a wreck (to the degree that’s possible and fully acknowledging that money can never fully make up for some permanent losses, like horrific injuries and the deaths of loved ones).
• The injuries and losses sustained vary, according to how the collision occurred, the vehicles involved, and more.

Consequently, it’s best to consult a lawyer when you need a better idea about the value of a potential claim. An attorney can share case-specific answers and assessments that can put you on track for a fair recovery.

Without doing that, here’s how you generally start to figure out how much to expect from an auto accident settlement in Texas.

How to Start Evaluating Texas Car Accident Settlements: 5 Questions

Ask yourself the following questions to get a clearer concept of:

• The extent of your losses that could be covered by a claim that’s successfully resolved
• What it can take to establish certain losses, so they are better chances that they’ll be included in a settlement

1. What injuries have I suffered & how serious are they?

More severe injuries mean more in-depth medical care and more expensive medical bills. In the worst cases, some may need surgery, hospitalization, extensive therapies, in-home care, pricey assistive equipment, and more. Plus, the required care can include:

• Past medical care, including emergency medical services
• Future treatment needs, including everything down to basic checkups

So, if you or a loved one was more severely injured, you likely experienced greater losses, and higher settlements could be at stake.

2. To what extent was my personal property damaged in the crash?

Vehicles, bicycles, cellphones, laptops, and other items can be totally destroyed in motor vehicle crashes. If they are, compensation may be available for those damaged items.

As simple as that may sound, it can be more complicated to establish on paper when it’s time to:

• Catalog every destroyed item
• Prove the property was damaged in the wreck
• Accurately estimate the value of each piece of damaged property

How much income and earnings have I lost — and will I continue to lose — due to my car accident injuries?

Lost income can cover a range of earnings, like (but not limited to):

• Salaries
• Hourly wages
• Benefits
• Bonuses
• Commissions

Like car accident injuries, lost wages can be more challenging to put a number on for more serious wrecks. That can be especially true if the injuries bar victims from working for the long term or forever.

4. What type of emotional losses has the accident inflicted on me?

While nearly every aspect of car accident settlements can present unique difficulties, emotional losses can be especially tricky and sensitive.

After all, how can you quantify the pain and emotional impacts of things like serious injuries, the loss of a career, or the loss of a loved one?

Though compensation can never make up for irreversible losses:

• Making the at-fault party pay for these losses in some way can provide victims some sense of justice for the wrongs they’ve endured.
• There are ways to calculate the non-economic losses crash victims suffer, and an attorney can be vitally helpful with that.

5. What evidence do I have to prove my economic and non-economic losses?

Every injury and loss you claim to have suffered in a Texas auto accident will typically have to be backed up by some type of evidence, like (but not limited to):

• Medical records and bills
• Earnings and bank statements
• Accident scene pictures and videos
• Statements or analyses from expert witnesses
• The car accident police report

So, what evidence will you need for a car accident claim in Texas and how much is that claim worth?

Talk to an attorney for more specifics, so that you have the information you need before time to file a claim and recover runs out.