Average Personal Injury Settlement Amounts Examples in Florida (2024)

Personal injury cases involve seeking financial compensation for instances in which somebody’s negligence led to injury. The injured person may be you or a loved one. Compensation should cover the damages you incurred, so the more severe the damages, the higher the compensation award. Therefore, average personal injury settlement amounts examples in Florida can vary immensely on a case-by-case basis.

What Are Personal Injury Cases?

Personal injury cases do not entail pursuing legal action against someone who stole from you, inflicted harm through assault, or committed any other purposeful criminal act. Personal injury is a large category involving different kinds of negligence that, unfortunately, results in somebody being hurt, whether physically or psychologically. Some types of personal injury claims include car accidents, slip and falls, and defective products.

Economic vs. Noneconomic Damages

“Damages” is a term that refers to the financial compensation someone receives following a personal injury case. Economic damages include lost wages or diminished earning capacity, hospital bills, and other medical costs, such as rehabilitation, therapy, and future medical expenses.

Noneconomic damages are more subjective and difficult to prove, typically without tangible evidence, such as bills from a procedure. These damages may be more commonly known as “pain and suffering” settlements. This can include psychological trauma, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment or quality of life.

For a victim to qualify for noneconomic damages compensation, their injuries have to meet at least one of the outlined standards under Florida law: significant and permanent loss of an essential bodily function, permanent damage (within a reasonable degree of medical probability) that is not scarring/disfigurement, or significant and permanent disfigurement/scarring of the body.

Examples of Personal Injury Settlement Amounts

Every case of personal injury is singular, with the particular details and circumstances determining the awarded payout. Additionally, a competent personal injury attorney is more likely to get you a higher settlement than you would be proposed alone. The following examples are a combination of averaged settlements for certain damages and specific winnings.

It’s important to note that if you or a family member experienced a similar injury to an example here, you may not be entitled to or receive that amount. It may be more, and it could be less. Consulting with an attorney about your circumstances can give you an accurate sense of a settlement estimation.

The majority of personal injury victims receive a settlement payout ranging from roughly a few thousand dollars to a few tens of thousands of dollars. Most people will not receive more than this range, but it’s possible for more severe cases.

Can Hiring a Lawyer Influence My Settlement Amount?

In addition, the settlements collected by those who have hired a personal injury lawyer are, on average, vastly larger than those who have not. Individuals who choose to represent themselves and negotiate with insurance companies alone are most often unaware of the full amount of compensation they deserve. Therefore, they’re more likely to accept a settlement offer that fails to cover all of their damages.

Furthermore, those who forego hiring a lawyer are less likely to receive any settlement at all. When you hire a lawyer, insurance companies know that the bad-faith tactics they use to take advantage of individuals will no longer work. They understand the possibility of legal action and, therefore, will likely attempt to offer a fair settlement that covers the costs of your financial losses and suffering.

Average Compensation for Specific Types of Personal Injury Claims

The details of the specific injuries endured, including cases of wrongful death, have a strong bearing on the compensation amount. While claims involving motor vehicle accidents and premises liability tend to be on the lower end, medical malpractice and defective product claims are often in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars to over one million.

A study from the 2021 Medical Malpractice Annual Report, conducted by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, found that the average settlement for medical malpractice claims was $1,300,000. It’s evident that what each victim of personal injury may earn in compensation can vary greatly depending on the circumstances.

FAQs

Q: What Is the Average Personal Injury Settlement in Florida?

A: Settlement payouts for personal injury cases will fluctuate based on the unique details of the case. They can range from $3,000 to $75,000 or more on average. The severity of injury is a large contributing factor, as well as the degree to which pain and suffering damages can be proven.

Q: How Much Can You Get for Pain and Suffering in Florida?

A: Pain and suffering settlements may range from $650 to $1,000,000. Some cases have a damages cap for how much may be earned for pain and suffering, such as medical malpractice cases and certain claims against government bodies. For pain and suffering compensation to be awarded, the injured party’s wounds must meet at least one of the qualifications: significant and permanent loss of a major bodily function, significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, or another permanent injury that’s within a reasonable degree of medical probability.

Q: How Long Does It Take to Settle a Personal Injury Case in Florida?

A: It can be difficult to estimate how long a personal injury case will take, but generally, it can take anywhere from months to years. It depends on how complex the case is, whether there are multiple parties involved, and how clear the evidence is for who is at fault and to what degree. Cases with minor injuries or satisfactory settlement proposals early on tend to only take a few weeks or months. Court delays or appeals can also extend the case’s length.

Q: How Much Money Should I Ask for in a Settlement?

A: You can’t request a specific amount for compensation, but you can refrain from settling until you get closer to the maximum possible payment amount that’s awardable for your specific circumstances.

What you’re able to receive depends on several factors and the extent to which your attorney can prove them, including injury severity, medical bills, mental/emotional damages, your insurance policies, long-term changes to your health, and your demographic.

If You Were Injured, Begin Your Personal Injury Claim Now

If you or a loved one was wounded in an accident resulting from someone else’s negligence, contact The Frank Santini Law Firm to request a consultation. You can receive counsel on whether you qualify for settlement, obtain a compensation estimate, and begin your legal case today.