Arizona saw a total of 119,991 motor vehicle crashes in 2022, producing 1,294 fatalities and 52,411 injuries. 38,697 of the multi-vehicle crashes were rear-end collisions, representing 10.46% of fatal crashes and 38.35% of injury accidents.
The injuries sustained in rear-end collisions can create financial hardship, adding to the overall trauma of dealing with car crashes. If someone rear-ended you, rear-end collision settlement examples may assure you that you can obtain compensation. Sargon Law Group explains.
What Is a Rear-End Collision?
When a vehicle advances forward and hits the back of the automobile in front of it, the result is a rear-end collision. Driver distraction is a contributing factor to 87% of these crashes. Distracted driving covers many actions that take your hands, eyes or attention away from the road:
- Texting or other hands-on use of phones or devices
- Eating, drinking or smoking
- Putting on makeup or fixing hair
- Searching for an object in the car
- Interacting with passengers
Other top rear-end collision causes include speeding, tailgating, improper merging and not adjusting to hazardous conditions. All of these actions may cause delayed reaction times, not allowing enough time for drivers to avoid a collision.
Sometimes the leading driver stops abruptly without signaling. This may happen when children or animals appear suddenly on the road or if the driver almost misses a turn. Even if the following driver is paying attention, there may not be enough time or distance to avoid a collision.
Many rear-end collisions happen at intersections and in heavy traffic. Even at lower speeds, this type of crash can cause significant injuries. With the assistance of a Phoenix car accident attorney, a rear-end collision settlement can compensate for your damages.
What Injuries Are Common After a Rear-End Collision?
Any car accident can cause various injuries, some minor and others severe. Traveling speeds may affect the severity of these common rear-end collision injuries:
- Whiplash and other neck or shoulder injuries
- Broken bones
- Spinal or traumatic brain injuries
- Facial or rib damage from deploying airbags
- Bruises, cuts and lacerations
While a bandage and ibuprofen can treat minor injuries, some require hospital stays, surgeries, rehabilitation and therapy. You may need to take several days or weeks off work during your recovery.
Rising costs, especially coupled with no income, can quickly cause financial hardships, leaving injured accident victims wondering how they will cope. Car accident attorneys from Sargon Law Group share rear-end collision settlement examples to show you how much compensation you may receive.
What Is the Average Settlement for Rear-End Collisions?
Every accident is different, affecting the individuals involved in various ways. You may qualify to receive compensatory and punitive damages for your rear-end collision in Arizona, but there is no single average settlement. The specific details of each case determine how much compensation an injured victim can obtain.
Compensatory damages include economic and non-economic damages. The money you might receive from these categories is to compensate you for the losses you incurred due to your rear-end collision. Punitive damages don’t actually relate to you; they serve as further punishment for the party causing the crash.
Economic Damages
Most injured accident victims have multiple types of financial losses after a rear-end collision. Economic damages reimburse you for reasonable qualifying expenses, including:
- Current and future medical costs: emergency treatment, hospital stays, surgery, medications, rehabilitation, therapy and necessary medical equipment
- Lost wages: the income you lose because of time missed from work during recovery and other qualifying situations, such as medical or legal appointments
- Replacement costs: expenses associated with hiring caregivers or others to perform tasks you can’t due to your injuries
- Property damage: repair or replacement costs for your vehicle and personal items damaged in the collision
If your injuries render you unable to return to work, you may also receive compensation for lost earning capacity.
You will need to keep all accident-related bills and receipts for your rear-end collision settlement. Your compensation for this category of damages is dollar for dollar, matching your exact financial losses.
Non-Economic Damages
Some wounds caused by rear-end collisions aren’t physical. You may also sustain intangible injuries that have significant adverse effects on your life, such as:
- Pain and suffering: emotional distress, physical discomfort, inconvenience and anguish
- Diminished quality of life: physical damage, discomfort, losing the ability to participate in or enjoy usual activities, unhappiness, being unable to care for yourself or others and poor overall well-being
- Anxiety, depression and PTSD: mental and emotional trauma caused by the rear-end collision itself, physical injuries and the impact they have on life afterward
- Permanent disfigurement or disability: injuries that cause life-long physical scarring and those that result in losing limbs or mobility
- Relationship damage: negative effects on relationships with spouses, other family members and friends
Injuries like these don’t have exact monetary values attached, so rear-end collision settlement amounts vary. While some states have caps that limit the amount of non-economic damages, Arizona does not. However, insurance companies often attempt to avoid paying these damages.
Punitive Damages
You will only receive punitive damages in Arizona if the defendant’s actions showed an “evil hand or evil mind.” Courts define specific actions as such, including:
- Willful intent to cause injury
- Outrageous conduct implying either deliberate intent or conscious disregard of injury risks
- Intentionally engaging in unsafe conduct
The evidence your attorney presents must be clear and convincing for you to obtain punitive damages. Although Arizona laws don’t place a cap on punitive damages, the U.S. Supreme Court holds that amounts greater than 9:1 (punitive to compensatory damages) are unconstitutional.
Shouldn’t Insurance Companies Pay Fairly?
Insurance companies are businesses and claims payouts affect their bottom line. Their initial rear-end collision settlement offers are often low because they hope victims are unaware that they can negotiate for a more reasonable settlement. Other tactics they use routinely to avoid paying include:
- Tricking victims into admitting fault during recorded conversations
- Asking victims to sign paperwork that prevents them from seeking compensation
- Not offering or denying non-economic damage payments
- Attempting to assign an unfair degree of responsibility to victims
Did you know that injured accident victims typically obtain significantly higher compensation? Your attorney will be your advocate; we won’t allow insurance companies to take advantage of you.
What Are Some Rear-End Collision Settlement Examples?
Various factors go into the calculations for settlement amounts. Generally speaking, the more severe your injuries and their impact on your life, the larger your settlement is. We will discuss common reasons that affect how settlement amounts can fluctuate.
Problems With Non-Economic Damages
While economic damages exactly match your accident-related financial losses, non-economic damages compensate for intangible wounds not quantified by dollar amounts, so your attorney must determine a figure to request. Even then, insurance companies may deny these damages or attempt to discredit you.
Some people have made false claims, attempting to get more money. These actions have made insurance companies leery of requests for non-economic damages. However, that does not excuse an unwillingness to pay valid claims. Hiring a competent attorney is invaluable because we:
- Understand the applicable laws
- Have the resources to hire expert witnesses to support your claim
- Handle all communications with insurance companies on your behalf
- Will not take “no” as an answer
- Fight to protect your right to fair compensation
There are different ways to calculate how much your non-economic damages are worth, and your attorney will decide which to use. These rear-end collision settlement examples demonstrate common options.
Multiplier Method
With this method, you will first total all of your economic losses. Then multiply that amount by a multiplier, typically between one and five, that reflects the severity of your injuries. A multiplier of five denotes extreme impacts on your life.
For instance, say your total economic damages are $100,000, and your attorney uses a multiplier of four. In that case, you might seek $400,000 in non-economic damages.
Per Diem Method
This method assigns a dollar amount to each day you experience pain and suffering after your injury, often using your daily earnings as a basis. If you earn $200 daily and suffer for 18 days, you might obtain $3,600 in non-economic damages.
Shared Fault
More than one person is at fault in many car accidents. Arizona uses pure comparative negligence rules in these cases, meaning that you can seek damages even if you are 99% to blame for causing your rear-end collision. However, your degree of fault reduces the compensation you can receive.
In this rear-end collision settlement example, assume that total damages are $100,000 and your degree of fault is 20%. $100,000 – 20% ($20,000) = $80,000, so the most you can obtain is $80,000.
Among your attorney’s top priorities is ensuring that your assigned degree of fault is fair.
Wrongful Death
Eligible survivors of fatal rear-end collision victims can seek compensation. In these cases, the rear-end collision settlement may include:
- Medical expenses and replacement services prior to death
- Lost benefits, including medical coverage, Social Security and pensions
- Projected lifetime earnings
- Non-economic damages
- Funeral and burial expenses
As with injury claims, each case’s losses and payment amounts are unique. Ask Sargon Law Group to confirm your eligibility to file a wrongful death claim and how much compensation you might receive.
How Do Attorneys Help With Rear-End Collision Settlements?
After a rear-end collision, you need to focus on recovery. Completing the many tasks related to the accident and your insurance claim can interfere. Your attorney from Sargon Law Group can handle these tasks while helping you maximize your settlement amount:
- Providing valuable legal information and advice
- Completing and submitting case-related paperwork
- Performing a thorough accident investigation, gathering evidence to support your claim
- Arranging for examinations and testimony from experts
- Negotiating aggressively with insurance carriers to obtain a favorable and reasonable settlement or take your case to trial if necessary
No law states that you must hire an attorney, but do you have the legal knowledge and resources to handle these tasks effectively?
You may be concerned with the cost of hiring a lawyer. Don’t be. Sargon Law Group offers free consultations so we can assess your claim, estimate its worth, explain your options and tell you how we can help. Best of all, you won’t pay any upfront fees; we won’t charge you until we help you recover damages.
What Can You Do To Support Your Claim?
In the minutes and days after an accident, you can do several things to support the validity of your claim and increase the likelihood of a favorable rear-end collision settlement:
- Dial 911: You will need an official police report for your accident claim.
- Gather evidence: Take photos and videos at the accident scene and record witness statements. Try to capture details such as skid marks, vehicle damage and placement, injuries and any roadway obstructions that may have contributed to causing the accident.
- Admit no fault: Never admit to any degree of fault for causing the accident; let your attorney handle it. Even saying “I’m sorry” can imply guilt, so choose your words carefully.
- Accept, seek and continue medical treatments: You need medical documentation of your injuries to use as proof for your claim. Discontinuing treatments before a physician releases you can imply that your injuries aren’t serious.
- Avoid social media: Insurance company investigators can find anything you post and hold it against you.
Ask your attorney for case-specific advice during your free consultation. Also, keep your legal team informed about new developments as they arise.
Why Should You Choose Sargon Law Group To Help With Your Rear-End Collision Settlement?
Award-winning Sargon Law Group focuses on personal injury law, so we have decades of experience in knowing how to proceed with your claim and achieve maximum compensation. We treat every client with respect, and you have direct access to your attorney throughout your case. Our Phoenix personal injury attorneys have won several multi-million dollar cases, and would like to help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
Request your free consultation 24/7 with our tri-lingual services. Call us at (623) 225-5635 or submit our online contact form. We will evaluate the facts of your case and tell you how much your rear-end collision settlement should be, with no risk to you.
Sources:
https://azdot.gov/mvd/services/statistics/arizona-motor-vehicle-crash-facts
https://malpracticecenter.com/rear-end-collision-settlement-examples/
https://www.sargonlawgroup.com/
https://www.enjuris.com/arizona/punitive-damages-in-arizona/
https://www.crossmanworkerscomp.com/pain-and-suffering-calculated-in-arizona
https://lawteam.com/understanding-rear-end-collisions-causes-and-prevention-strategies/
Knowledge obtained through writing multiple blogs of a similar nature