What is the Average Settlement for a Car Accident in Texas?
SERIOUS ATTORNEYS FOR SERIOUS INJURIES
After a car accident in Texas, it’s normal to wonder what you can recover for your injuries. Whether you were injured on I-35 traveling through Denton, on US-380 in Denton County, or another local road, you may have suffered serious harm from a crash you couldn’t have prevented.
Common Settlement Ranges for Car Crash Injuries in Texas
A 2026 ConsumerShield study calculated the average car crash settlement in Texas to be $23,125. This amount was calculated from numbers submitted by four law firms chosen by ConsumerShield for analysis. The Insurance Information Institute (III) calculated a similar amount in 2022, based on information collected from insurance providers.
Like all averages, this single number doesn’t represent the payout in most individual cases. Public records and insurance company information indicate that currently, car accident settlements in Texas range from about $3,000 to over $75,000. That’s a big range, because settlements are complex decisions. A settlement total is reached only after considering several factors. Texas’s fault laws can also affect a total settlement amount.
Common Settlement Ranges by Injury Type
Most Texans aren’t surprised to learn that different injuries lead to different settlement totals. The more severe an injury is, the higher the medical bills are likely to be, which increases the total settlement. An injured person who can never work again or who needs lifelong medical care is also likely to see those costs reflected in a higher settlement total.
For example, injuries like a mild case of whiplash may bring a total settlement of $3,000 to $15,000. This settlement reflects the need for medical treatment and the fact that whiplash is unpleasant to suffer, yet it also acknowledges that many patients experience complete recovery from mild whiplash.
More severe injuries may come with higher settlement totals. A broken leg, for instance, might require a period off work and physical therapy. These costs add up, pushing up the settlement total. Many of these cases settle in the $15,000 to $50,000 range, reflecting the injury’s severity, the need for additional medical treatment, and time spent in physical therapy.
The most severe cases carry the highest average settlement totals. Severe traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries may require extensive hospital stays, intensive therapy, and lifelong medical assistance. An injured person may never work again. In these cases, settlements above $50,000 are common.
If the costs of a crash are so high, why are so many insurance settlement offers so low? Often, insurance companies aren’t looking at the big picture. An insurer may tally your existing medical bills and lost wages, then offer the total as a settlement. This number doesn’t account for future medical care you may need. It may not cover the heavy personal costs of physical pain and suffering or emotional trauma. A Denton car accident attorney can help ensure that insurance companies consider all the costs associated with your crash.
Factors That Affect Your Settlement Total
It’s not always useful to discuss “average” settlement amounts for one reason: No case is “average.” Each case is unique. Your crash occurred at a time and place specific to your experience. Your injuries are unique to your body, and their impact on your life is unique to your career, efforts, plans, and dreams.
Factors that commonly affect settlement totals include:
- What injuries you suffered,
- How severe your injuries are,
- The total medical expenses you face, both now and in the future,
- Lost wages,
- Pain and suffering,
- Whether you bear any percentage of fault under Texas law, and
- The limits of applicable insurance policies.
Insurance companies will fight to reduce their responsibility as much as possible. If the insurer strenuously delays, denies, or fights your claim, it doesn’t mean your case is worthless. Rather, it may mean your case has value, and the insurer is trying to reduce that total payout.
Fighting for a settlement after a car crash can be tough. It’s even harder when you’re already fighting to recover from a serious injury. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys represents seriously injured people in Denton County and throughout North Texas. Whether your crash occurred in Denton, Aubrey, Argyle, Flower Mound, Pilot Point, Decatur, McKinney, or Prosper, you’re within the area we serve.
Don’t wait. Talk to the Denton car accident attorneys at Chandler Ross today. Call our office at (940) 800-2500 or schedule a free consultation online. Our office is located at 110 N. Woodrow Lane, Suite 120, Denton, TX 76205.
Disclaimer: This case result does not mean that future case results will be the same and results are not guaranteed. This content was prepared by Brent Chandler and John “Tony” Ross, Jr., licensed Texas attorneys and managing attorneys of Chandler | Ross Injury Attorneys (Chandler | Ross, PLLC).
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