Average Payout For Car Accidents
How do accident lawyers provide a payout estimate?
Any initial estimate a Lawyer will give you is guesswork, yes, guesswork can be pretty good depending on the experience of your Lawyer, but it is not Legal advice. Your final compensation outcome is based on your situation, and the evidence obtained to support your claim. There is no ‘average payout’ for injuries such as whiplash or pain and suffering after a car accident. In the case listed below of Mr Busch, who self-represented for over seven years, he attempted to claim injury damages for over $2000,000.00, and after all of this time and work he put in, the judge only awarded him $5000.00. The court documents referred to the lack of evidence to support his compensation claim. This result must have been incredibly disappointing for Mr Busch. The evidence is a critical part of the process and the compensation outcome, which is why Lawyers collect and analyse it over many months. Once you have recovered as best as you can from your injuries, the Barista and Your Lawyer use this evidence and draft a confidential quantum of advice. This advice is given to you before your mediation, and it provides you a compensation range that we predict your claim to settle within.
We would love to meet with you and have one of our very experienced lawyers explain how we can help you obtain the proper evidence in the right manner to achieve the best possible outcome for you.
Your initial chat with a Lawyer is free, and there is no obligation to proceed. We can just advise you if you have a claim, answer any questions and let you know how we can help.
07 3341 6999 or reach out to Wendy via wendy@revolutionlaw.com.au
Examples Of Car Accident Injury Pay Outs
These are examples of compensation payouts in matters that recently went to court. It is very uncommon for car accident personal injury claims to end up in court. When they do, the information is publicly available in what is otherwise a strictly confidential outcome.
Murphy v Turner-Jones [2022] QSC 40 – Awarded $200,776.07 plus costs
Mr Murphey, aged 50, claimed serious injuries, including whiplash and polytrauma at each level of his spine and pelvis. The defendant claimed he suffered only a mild strain on the spine.
The judge accepted the defendant’s case that the motor vehicle accident was at low speed and had a minor impact with minimal damage to both vehicles.
The judge further determined that although the impact was minor, it did not conclude that Mr Murphy has not suffered from a high level of neck or spinal injury symptoms.
Injury Compensation Outcome
| Pain and suffering
Item 88 ISV 10 |
$16,150.00 |
| Past loss of economic capacity | $59,675.00 |
| Future economic loss | $107,786.00 |
| Medical expenses | $8,257.07 |
| Interest on medical expenses
$4,467.37 x 1.48% for 4.5 years ÷ 2 |
$148.00 |
| Future medical expenses | $8,760.00 |
| TOTAL | $200,776.07 |
O’Connor v Wright [2021] QDC 173– Awarded $30,880.00
In January 2018, Ms. O’Connor, then 19, was driving her motor vehicle north on the Bruce Highway. Ms O’Connor slowed her vehicle to nearly a stop before being rear-ended by a car travelling at about 70km per hour. Ms O’Conner sustained a soft tissue injury to her cervical and thoracolumbar spine, aggravating pre-existing thoracolumbar scoliosis.
Injury Compensation Outcome
| Head of Damage | Amount Claimed |
| General Damages | $ 11,880.00 |
| Past Special Damages (including interest to date) | $ 1,000.00 |
| Future expenses | $ 500.00 |
| Future economic loss | $ 17,500.00 |
| TOTAL | $ 30,880.00 |
Ketchell v RACQ insurance Limited [2021] QDC 307– Awarded $479,884.70.
Mr Ketchell, the plaintiff, was outside the front of the Royal Hotel in Ingham on April 2014 when a driver lost control of his motor vehicle. The car left the roadway, became airborne and struck Mr. Ketchell on his ankle, causing him to spin around onto his back. Mr Ketchell experienced immediate pain in his thoracic spine.
The judgment for Mr Ketchell was the sum of $479,884.70.
McKay v Armstrong [2020] QDC 127– Awarded $77,473.73
On Valentine’s Day, 2014, Ms McKay obtained injuries when a driver lost control of his vehicle and collided with her vehicle. Ms McKay suffered a predominant injury to her shoulder region with painful symptoms radiating up her neck, with a secondary psychiatric injury of adjustment disorder with anxious and depressed mood minorly attributable to the accident
Injury Compensation Outcome
| General damages | $6,800.00 |
| Past Economic Loss | $5,000.00 |
| Interest | $13.73 |
| Past Superannuation Loss | $465.00 |
| Future Economic Loss | $50,000.00 |
| Future Superannuation Loss | $5,665.00 |
| Past Special Damages & interest | $3,000.00 |
| Future Special Damages | $5,000.00 |
| Future care and assistance | $1,530.00 |
| Total | $77,473.73 |
Hariharan v Vojtisek & Anor [2020] QDC 276 – Awarded $269,840.64
Mr Hariharan suffered personal injuries from a motor vehicle accident that occurred in early 2017. Mr Hariharan was “T-boned” when the other car driver disobeyed a red light.
As a result of the accident, Mr Hariharan suffered a generalised musculoligamentous and soft tissue injury to the cervical spine and aggravation of mild pre-existing degenerative changes to the cervical spine.
The defendant pleaded that the accident caused a minor and temporary soft tissue injury which has long since resolved and therefore Mr. Hariharan suffered little loss.
Injury Compensation Outcome
| General Damages | $10,620 |
| Past Economic Loss | $82,450 |
| Interest Thereon | $593.64 |
| Past Superannuation | $7,263 |
| Future Economic Loss | $152,373 |
| Future Superannuation | $13,541 |
| Past Special Damages | $1,000 |
| Future Special Damages | $2,000 |
| Total | $269,840.64 |
Busch v Parker & Anor [2022] QSC 211 Awarded $5000
In 2014 Mr Busch, age 48, was involved in a car accident. The insurer accepted liability for the accident. Mr Busch represented himself in his personal injury claim; this claim went to trial in 2022 when Mr Busch was 56. Mr Busch presented his personal assessment of damages with an appeal for $2,045,753.15. The defendant took issue were the nature and extent of the spinal injury and the resulting economic loss. Unfortunately, due to the lack of documented evidence provided by Mr Busch, his claims were ill-supported, and the judge only awarded him $5000.00.
Mr Busch Personal Assessment of Damages – Not Awarded
| Total Medical Expenses | $4,005.15 |
| Total Pharmaceutical expenses | $2,420.00 |
| The claim amount for past economic loss | $154,117.00 |
| Claim for future economic loss | $1,655,220.00 |
| Damages for personal injury and loss of the amenities of life | $25,000.00 |
| Interest on past economic loss | (Unquantified) |
| Loss of superannuation | $204,991.00 |
| Total claim amount | $2,045,753.15 |
Allen v O’Donnell & Anor [2021] QSC 63 – Awarded $2, 499, 399.69
In January 2015, 49-year-old Mr Allen from Townsville was travelling to Brisbane with his three children in their Kia Carnival. Unfortunately, as they were driving, a Nissan Patrol veered onto the wrong side of the road and caused a high-speed head-on collision with Mr. Allen’s car.
This car accident was catastrophic and life changing as Mr Allen sustained extensive injuries, including fractures, tears to both ACLS, facial injuries, injuries to the teeth and gums, sight impairment, hearing impairment, PTSD, spinal injuries, traumatic brain injury and soft tissue injuries.
Injury Compensation Outcome
| General damages | $109, 640.00 |
| Past economic loss | $515, 957.20 |
| Interest on past economic loss | $17, 245.69 |
| Past loss of superannuation | $57, 025.39 |
| Future economic loss | $959,040.00 |
| Future loss of superannuation | $108, 659.23 |
| Alternative accommodation | $45, 682.00 |
| Interest on alternative accommodation | $330.18 |
| Future rental expenses | $18,200.00 |
| Future home modifications | $10,000.00 |
| Future medical expenses | $77,014.00 |
| Future surgery | $53, 100.00 |
| Future medications | $43,000.00 |
| Future aids | $60,000.00 |
| Special Damages | $55,000.00 |
| Interest | $900.00 |
| Past care | $143,052.00 |
| Future Care | $225, 554.00 |
| TOTAL | $2, 499, 399.69 |
If you have been in a car accident and you would like further information on what your rights are, our Lawyers are incredibly experienced and happy to answer any questions and provide you simple straight forward advice that is relevant to you.
info@revolutionlaw.com.au
07 3416 4999
