When you or your loved one is injured due to another party’s negligence, you may have the right to pursue compensation through a personal injury claim. These claims can result from various incidents, including car accidents, motorcycle wrecks, and slip-and-fall accidents. Along with the wide range of circumstances that warrant a claim, settlements also vary significantly.
The Stephens Law Firm has extensive experience navigating complex legal claims on behalf of injured clients. Joe Stephens’ personalized, compassionate care is key to guiding victims through the claims process. To learn more or to get started on building a compelling case, schedule a consultation today.
Settlement Ranges by Injury Severity and Case Type
Personal injury claims, even within the same accident category, can have very different outcomes from one case to another. However, examining specific types of personal injuries can provide helpful information on average settlement ranges.
Please note that the settlement amounts provided are estimates based on Joe Stephens’ experience and public knowledge of similar cases. Actual compensation may vary depending on the specifics of your case.
Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Cases
Auto collisions involving cars, motorcycles, and pedestrians often result in multiple injuries. A settlement can range from thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the severity of injuries sustained. Below is a closer look at the average compensation award for specific injuries:
- Minor soft-tissue injuries: $5,000 to $35,000
- Moderate neck or back injuries not requiring surgery: $25,000 to $100,000
- Herniated disk requiring injections: $75,000 to $250,000
- Herniated disk requiring surgery, such as anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) or a lumbar discectomy: $150,000 to $600,000
- Multilevel spinal surgery: $350,000 to $1.5 million or more
- Mild to moderate traumatic brain injury: $250,000 to $2 million or more
- Catastrophic injury, such as paralysis, severe traumatic brain injury, or amputation: $1.5 million to $10 million or more
- Wrongful death: $750,000 to $10 million or more
Premises Liability (Slip/Trip and Fall) Cases
It is a common misconception that slip and fall cases are simple, cut-and-dry. In fact, these claims can be particularly complex to navigate, often involving multiple parties, premises liability, and a range of injuries, such as:
- Minor sprains or strains: $10,000 to $50,000
- Fractures requiring a cast: $50,000 to $200,000
- Hip, ankle or shoulder injuries requiring surgery: $175,000 to $600,000
- Head injuries, including concussions: $75,000 to $500,000
- Severe, permanent injuries: $500,000 to $2.5 million or more
Commercial Vehicle / 18-Wheeler Cases
Compared with typical passenger-vehicle crashes, commercial truck accidents often cause more serious injuries because of a truck’s size and weight. These cases may also involve additional responsible parties, such as the trucking company or a vehicle or parts manufacturer, which can affect potential compensation. General settlement ranges for truck-crash injuries may include the following:
- Moderate injuries: $100,000 to $500,000
- Disk injuries requiring injections or pain management: $200,000 to $750,000
- Single-level spinal surgery: $400,000 to $1.5 million
- Multilevel surgical cases: $750,000 to $3 million or more
- Catastrophic injuries or wrongful death: $2 million to $20 million or more
Industrial / Workplace Injury Cases
If you are injured at work, you may have a workers’ compensation claim and, in some cases, a separate third-party personal injury case. An attorney can help you understand which options apply and what compensation may be available, including these general settlement ranges:
- Moderate injuries not requiring surgery: $50,000 to $250,000
- Fractures requiring open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) surgery: $200,000 to $800,000
- Spine injuries requiring surgery: $300,000 to $1.5 million or more
- Loss of a limb, severe burns, or crush injuries: $1 million to $10 million or more
Keep in mind that these are illustrative ranges; each case’s actual settlement depends on the unique facts and evidence.
What Determines Where Your Case Falls Within These Ranges?
Factors That Increase Settlement Value
- Major surgery or long-term medical treatment: These indicate high medical costs and long-lasting effects, which typically drive settlements higher.
- Permanent impairment or disability: A lasting injury increases compensation because it affects your quality of life and future functioning.
- Loss of ability to work or reduced earning capacity: If the injury impacts your income long-term, settlements rise to account for lost wages and future financial loss.
- Strong liability evidence and a favorable venue (jury pool): When fault is clear, and the case is in a plaintiff-friendly jurisdiction, insurance companies tend to offer more to avoid trial risk.
- Commercial or corporate defendants may have higher insurance limits: Larger policies often mean more funds are available to cover serious injuries, resulting in higher potential settlements.
Factors That Reduce Settlement Value
- Minor injuries with a short recovery period: Mild, temporary injuries usually result in lower medical costs and less compensation.
- Pre-existing injuries: If insurers can argue your condition existed before the accident, they may reduce how much they attribute to the incident.
- Shared fault or disputed liability: When blame is unclear or divided, settlement amounts decrease because your compensation can be reduced proportionally.
- Low insurance policy limits from the defendant: Even strong cases may settle for less if the available insurance coverage is minimal.
- Unfavorable venue (where the case is heard): Defense-leaning jurisdictions often produce smaller awards, leading insurers to offer lower settlements.
So What Is a “Reasonable” Settlement for Your Case?
In a fair settlement, the following should be considered when calculating the award:
- Medical bills and future treatment costs
- Pain, suffering, and emotional distress
- Impact on work and earning potential
- Long-term life changes due to the injury
- The degree of the defendant’s fault
Generally, a reasonable settlement ranges from $50,000 to $150,000 for minor cases and $500,000 to over $5,000,000 for more serious cases.
Results Our Firm Has Achieved for Our Clients
Attorney Joe Stephens has secured millions of dollars in settlements for injured clients across Texas, including the following:
Wrongful death case involving an alleged prescription error.
Tractor-trailer crash resulting in two deaths.
Case involving the sexual assault of minors.
Yellow cab crash resulting in a neck injury requiring surgery.
Premises liability case resulting in death.
Vehicle collision in which a bicyclist suffered paraplegia.
While The Stephens Law Firm is proud to present a number of successful outcomes, past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each case is unique and dependent on its facts.
Call Stephens Law Firm To Help With a Case in Texas
The Stephens Law Firm offers free consultations to evaluate the potential value of a client’s case. Our firm delivers honest, fact-based assessments of each case’s potential settlement range, based on thorough evaluation and legal experience.
Attorney Joe Stephens has years of experience handling personal injury cases and always prioritizes the client’s needs and preferences. If you have been injured in an accident in Texas, contact the firm today—call (281) 201-0035 for your free, no-obligation consultation. There are no legal fees until Joe wins your case.
