Being involved in a serious accident can be terrifying.
It is not only stressful in the moment and immediately following the accident, but can also be nerve-racking in the long-term.
Often times an injury victim struggles to pay for medical bills, make up for lost wages, and more.
As such, filing a personal injury claim to recover compensation for losses may be an option; however, before a claim is filed, the victim may ask, “What’s the average personal injury settlement amount in Iowa?”
The answer, in short, is that there’s no way to know how much you may recover in a settlement without a thorough review of your case.
Here’s what you should know.
Elements that Will Impact Your Personal Injury Settlement
Rather than considering how much a claim may be worth, it’s better to review the various factors of your case and how these factors may affect your recoverable damages.
Elements that tend to impact a personal injury settlement include:
- How the injury happened. Remember, you can’t bring forth a personal injury claim just because you’ve been injured; instead, you must be able to prove that your injury would not have occurred but for the negligence of another party. The circumstances surrounding the injury will have a significant effect on your settlement.
- Fault. When considering how the injury happened, remember that fault will play a big role in compensation. In fact, if you were more than 50 percent to blame for your injuries, you won’t be able to seek damages at all per Iowa’s comparative fault rule. If you were less than 50 percent to blame but still contributed to the accident, your damages award can be reduced in proportion to your degree of fault.
- Damages. If you’ve suffered a mild injury, your recovery award likely will be small; a moderate injury, your recovery award will be moderate; if you’ve suffered a significant injury, the chances of receiving a larger settlement increase. Your settlement will be based, in large part, on the degree of damages you’ve suffered, both economic and noneconomic.
- Coverage. When your damages are significant, yet no insurance policy is in place to pay for damages–it’s frustrating. If the at-fault party doesn’t have insurance coverage that applies, you might have issues. Recovering the settlement you deserve may be very difficult or even impossible.
Call VanDerGinst Law Today to Learn More
If you were in an accident in Iowa, you may be able to bring forth a personal injury claim.
You should consult with a skilled personal injury lawyer who can review your case for free.
This can help you to understand how much you may be entitled to. At the offices of VanderGinst Law, we are here to serve you.
Reach us today by phone or online to get started.
The information contained on this website is presented by VanDerGinst Law P.C. It is not intended nor should it be construed as professional legal advice. The information is general in nature about the Firm, the scope of services we offer, and our community outreach, it is not legal advice. Please contact us by phone, email, mail, or via this website for inquiries. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please contact a personal injury attorney for a consultation regarding your situation. This website is not intended to solicit clients outside the State of Iowa and/or the State of Illinois.