Data asset
Personal injury settlement benchmark.
A consolidated view of settlement ranges by case type and severity. Numbers come from public claim data, not invented averages.
| Case type | Severity | Low | Typical range | High | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car accident | Soft tissue | $3K | $10K, $25K | $50K | Most concentrate near minimum bodily-injury liability limits. |
| Car accident | Minor fracture | $15K | $25K, $75K | $150K | Often capped by at-fault driver's policy limits. |
| Car accident | Major fracture / surgery | $50K | $75K, $250K | $500K | Surgery, lost wages, and future care drive the range. |
| Car accident | Permanent impairment | $100K | $250K, $1M | $2.5M | UIM coverage and umbrella policies frequently relevant. |
| Car accident | Catastrophic (TBI, spinal) | $500K | $1M, $5M | $25M | Lifetime care costs and lost earning capacity dominate. |
| Truck accident | Minor fracture | $50K | $75K, $250K | $500K | Higher commercial policy limits change negotiation dynamics. |
| Truck accident | Major fracture / surgery | $150K | $250K, $1M | $2.5M | FMCSA hours-of-service and maintenance records often pivotal. |
| Truck accident | Catastrophic | $1M | $2.5M, $10M | $50M | Carrier and broker may both bear liability. |
| Motorcycle accident | Minor fracture | $25K | $50K, $150K | $300K | Riders sustain higher injury rates than equivalent car crashes. |
| Motorcycle accident | Major fracture / surgery | $100K | $200K, $500K | $1.5M | Comparative negligence often disputed; helmet laws vary by state. |
| Medical malpractice | Misdiagnosis with recovery | $100K | $250K, $750K | $2M | Many states cap non-economic damages; verify state statute. |
| Medical malpractice | Permanent injury | $500K | $1M, $3.5M | $10M | Damage caps and pre-suit notice rules vary state to state. |
| Slip and fall | Soft tissue | $2K | $5K, $20K | $50K | Comparative fault commonly reduces recovery. |
| Slip and fall | Fracture or surgery | $25K | $50K, $200K | $500K | Notice and prior-incident evidence are central. |
| Dog bite | Minor wound | $5K | $10K, $35K | $75K | Homeowner's policy typically primary; breed exclusions possible. |
| Dog bite | Severe scarring | $25K | $50K, $150K | $400K | Children and facial injuries push higher. |
| Construction injury | Fracture or surgery | $75K | $150K, $500K | $1.5M | Third-party claims sit alongside workers comp benefits. |
| Wrongful death | Adult earner | $250K | $750K, $3M | $10M | Lost income, services, and survivor damages vary by state law. |
Sources: Nolo: How Much Can I Get for My Personal Injury Case; Insurance Information Institute: Auto Insurance Facts & Statistics; Bureau of Justice Statistics: Civil Bench and Jury Trials in State Courts. Ranges reflect publicly reported aggregates and are not predictions for any individual case.
How to read this table
- Low is what minor or heavily-disputed cases tend to resolve for.
- Typical range is where the middle 60% of reported settlements fall.
- High reflects cases with strong documentation and adequate coverage, not outliers.
- Notes flag the most common factor that explains where in the range a case lands.
What is not in this table
- Punitive damages, which are case-specific and uncommon in routine claims.
- Future medical care projections, which require expert opinion.
- State damage caps in medical malpractice, which significantly compress recovery in some states.
Check your claim
Free, confidential, no obligation.
Method: see how settlements are calculated. Try your own numbers in the claim estimator.