$225,000 Car Accident Settlement for Rear-End Collision
Settlement for a Family of Four Injured in a Rear-End Crash
In this case, Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC represented a family of four who suffered injuries after being involved in a low-impact rear-end collision. Their injuries included a labral tear and the need for a discectomy. In many cases, when vehicle damage appears slight and the estimated speed at impact is low, the insurance company argues that the injuries should not be considered severe.
Despite the insurer’s position regarding the “low impact” nature of the crash, our firm secured a $225,000 settlement on behalf of the family. That amount reflected the maximum available policy limit in force for the other party’s insurance coverage.
Why Insurance Coverage Matters After a Serious Crash
Every state has its own auto insurance requirements. In Illinois, vehicle owners must carry minimum auto liability insurance. The Illinois Department of Insurance explains that required liability coverage includes bodily injury coverage and property damage coverage, and it also warns that state minimums may not be enough to fully protect a driver from lawsuits.
Insurance coverage can become especially important after a serious car accident. Even when the crash appears minor at first, injured people may later require injections, therapy, surgery, time away from work, or long-term medical care. A low-speed rear-end collision can still cause significant harm depending on the position of the vehicles, the force transferred to the occupants, the person’s body position, and the medical condition of the injured person.
If a driver causes a crash and does not have enough insurance coverage, that driver may become personally responsible for damages that exceed the policy limits. This can place personal assets, wages, bank accounts, and property at risk. If the injured person is struck by a driver with no insurance or insufficient insurance, the available recovery may depend on other coverage, including uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
Common Types of Auto Insurance Coverage
Insurance policies can include several different types of coverage. The exact coverage available depends on the policy language, the limits purchased, the vehicles involved, and the facts of the crash. Common categories include:
- Bodily injury liability: This coverage may pay for injuries or death caused by an at-fault driver. It is often the most important coverage when a crash causes serious physical harm.
- Property damage liability: This coverage may pay for damage to another person’s vehicle or other property, such as a fence, building, utility pole, sign, or other object.
- Medical payments coverage: This coverage may help pay medical or funeral expenses for covered people injured in a crash, depending on the terms of the policy.
- Collision coverage: This coverage generally applies to damage to the insured vehicle caused by a collision with another vehicle or object.
- Comprehensive coverage: This coverage generally applies to damage caused by events other than a collision, such as theft, fire, hail, vandalism, or certain falling objects.
- Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage: This coverage may apply when the at-fault driver has no insurance, leaves the scene, or does not have enough insurance to cover the losses caused by the crash.
Rear-End Collisions and Serious Injuries
Rear-end collisions are sometimes dismissed as minor accidents, especially when the vehicles do not show major visible damage. That assumption can be wrong. The force of impact may injure the neck, back, shoulders, hips, knees, or other parts of the body. Some injuries may not be fully understood until medical imaging, specialist evaluation, therapy, or surgery becomes necessary.
When a rear-end crash causes a labral tear, disc injury, or surgical condition, the value of the claim may depend on medical records, diagnostic testing, treatment history, expert opinions, insurance coverage, and how clearly the injury can be connected to the collision.
Legal Help After a Rear-End Auto Accident
Insurance companies often contest injury claims arising from rear-end crashes, especially when the property damage appears low. An attorney can evaluate liability, medical causation, available insurance coverage, policy limits, and whether the injured person may have additional sources of recovery.
Since 1990, Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC has represented injured clients in Chicago and throughout Illinois. If you or your family was injured in a rear-end collision, call 312-243-9922 or contact us for a free case evaluation.
