The average contingency rate falls between 20-40%, with most lawyers charging around 33% to 35% of the total amount recovered in a case. The exact percentage can vary depending on the complexity of the case, the lawyer's experience, and the stage at which the case is resolved.
While the typical car accident settlement will fall between $5,000 and $100,000, your specific recovery could range from a few thousand to millions, depending on the extent of damage to your vehicle, the severity of your injuries, the at-fault party's insurance details, and more.
After determining what your case is worth, you should usually ask for around double that amount in your demand letter. This initiates the settlement negotiation process and gives you room to compromise. It also helps you avoid asking for too little and the insurance company agreeing to that amount.
Here are the average settlement amounts for some of the common types of injuries resulting from car accidents in California: Spinal Cord Injury or Back Fracture: $500,000-$1,000,000+ Traumatic Brain Injury: $100,000+ Severe Spinal Cord Injury/Paralysis: $1,000,000+ Wrongful Death: $1,000,000+
Typically ranging from 1.5 to 5, higher variables are assigned to more severe cases. For instance, if you incurred $100,000 in economic damages and a 1.5 variable is applied, your pain and suffering damages would amount to $150,000. Using a variable of four, your claim would reach $400,000.
Ing to data from 2022 to now, the average car accident settlement in California for bodily injury is $26,501 and $6,551 for property damage. Comparing this to prior data, this is roughly a 10% increase in California car accident settlement amounts.