If you have been in a car accident in Florida, this article will help you understand the factors that most affect the potential settlement amount for your injuries and damages when dealing with Auto-Owners.
Handling a car accident injury settlement with an insurance company can be a complex and stressful process. Unfortunately, this process is often unavoidable. That’s why having an experienced personal injury attorney can make a significant difference in securing a fair settlement.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by the claims process with Auto-Owners or any other insurance company, we are here to help.
Whether negotiating Auto-Owners personal injury settlements or working with other insurers, the car accident lawyers at Abrahamson & Uiterwyk have a proven track record of helping car accident victims recover. With extensive experience in handling insurance claims, we are ready to fight for your rights and help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
What You Need to Know About Auto-Owners Settlement Payout
The Florida car accident settlement process can be stressful and time-consuming. To make matters worse, it often feels as if insurance companies, like Auto-Owners, will try to pay out as little as possible or find reasons to deny your claim. Knowing what to expect and taking the right steps can help you maximize your Auto-Owners accident settlement.
Steps to Take After a Car Accident in Florida
The moments and days following a car accident are critical. If you are able, there are several important steps to take to protect your rights and strengthen your claim:
- Stop and check for injuries.
- Call the police and report the accident.
- Get identification and contact information from all parties involved.
- Gather evidence to support your claim.
- Take photographs of the accident scene and the vehicles involved.
- Collect witness statements.
- Seek medical attention to assess any injuries.
- Monitor how you feel in the following days and weeks.
Even if your injuries seem minor at first, taking these steps can be crucial. Auto-Owners may try to deny or minimize your claim for a variety of reasons, but documenting the accident thoroughly and seeking medical care promptly can greatly improve your chances of receiving fair compensation.
What to Do If You Are Insured by Auto-Owners
After taking the proper steps immediately following your accident, the next step is to begin your claims process.
If you have sustained injuries or property damage in a car accident and are insured by Auto Owners, your first step is to contact Auto-Owners to file your claim. Your policy often requires this, and failing to promptly file a claim could result in losing valuable compensation you may be owed.
You can file a claim online or by calling Auto-Owners’ claims line at 1-888-252-4626. Once your claim is filed, Auto Owners will assign an insurance adjuster to investigate the accident and negotiate a settlement with you.
It’s important to remember that you are not required to accept any settlement Auto-Owners offers. We always recommend consulting with an attorney before agreeing to a settlement to ensure you receive all the compensation you are entitled to.
What to Do If Auto-Owners Contacts You
If you are not insured by Auto-Owners and they reach out to you, know that you are not obligated to speak with their representatives. In this case, Auto-Owners does not represent your best interests.
Their goal is to protect the financial interests of their insured, which often means they may attempt to deny claims or offer the lowest possible settlement.
Dealing with another party’s insurance company can feel overwhelming. Our car accident attorneys can handle communication with Auto-Owners on your behalf, allowing you to focus on your recovery. Don’t feel pressured to accept any offer until you have reviewed it with a lawyer.
Auto-Owners Injury Settlement Calculator
This calculator can help you estimate the non-economic damages (pain and suffering) in your injury case.
Multiplier Result
$
Per Diem Result
$
This is just an estimate, and the actual compensation you may receive will depend on the specific facts of your case. Consult with a personal injury lawyer for a more accurate assessment.
Estimate Your Compensation with Our Easy-to-Use Calculator
If you’ve been injured in a car accident involving Auto-Owners insurance, our Auto-Owners Injury Settlement Calculator can give you a rough estimate of your potential payout. This tool considers key factors like medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering, which insurance companies evaluate when determining a settlement.
Keep in mind that Auto-Owners does not provide a public injury settlement calculator. Any online calculator offered by an insurance company is designed to serve their interests, not yours. For the most accurate understanding of your case value, it is best to speak directly with an experienced personal injury attorney.
How to Use the Auto-Owners Injury Settlement Calculator
Our calculator is simple and user-friendly. Here is how it works:
- Input Your Medical Costs: Enter the total amount spent on medical bills due to your injury, including hospital fees, doctor visits, physical therapy, and related expenses.
- Enter Your Lost Wages: Include any income lost because of time off work due to your injury. This covers wages from your regular job or other sources of income.
- Pain and Suffering: Although difficult to quantify, pain and suffering can significantly impact your settlement. Our calculator uses a multiplier, usually between 1.5 and 5, to estimate non-economic damages.
- Accident Details: Provide information about the accident, including fault, full or partial, and any other relevant circumstances.
Once you enter these details, the calculator provides an estimated settlement amount based on typical personal injury claims involving Auto-Owners.
Factors That Affect Your Settlement
Auto-Owners evaluates several factors when deciding on a settlement offer. Common considerations include:
- Severity of Your Injury: More serious injuries requiring extensive medical care or long-term treatment typically result in higher compensation.
- Medical Evidence: Detailed documentation of your medical expenses, treatment, and prognosis strengthens your claim.
- Liability: If the other party was clearly at fault, your settlement may be higher. Shared fault can reduce your payout under Florida’s modified comparative negligence rules.
- Insurance Policy Limits: Auto-Owners can only pay up to the coverage limits of the policy. Damages exceeding the policy may require additional legal avenues.
Other case-specific factors may also affect your settlement.
Why Use the Auto-Owners Injury Settlement Calculator
While the calculator provides an estimate, actual settlements can vary based on the specifics of your case. Factors such as the insurance adjuster’s approach, negotiation strategies, and legal considerations all play a role.
Using the Auto-Owners Injury Settlement Calculator is a helpful first step in understanding your potential compensation. To ensure you receive the full settlement you deserve, it is always recommended to consult with a personal injury attorney about your case.
Auto-Owners Settlement Payout Examples in Florida
How much compensation you get for an Auto-Owners settlement payout in Florida varies based on the unique circumstances of each situation and the severity of your injuries. Based on our own settlement data on this page, the average Auto-Owners bodily injury settlement is between $60,000 to $325,000.
$60,000 Auto-Owners Bodily Injury Settlement Example
Our client was walking within a crosswalk while exiting a store in Bradenton, FL, when a vehicle driven by the defendant turned left from the parking lot and struck her.
She was first evaluated at an Urgent Care facility and later received care at an orthopedic clinic for injuries to her cervical spine and shoulder. An MRI of her neck revealed two herniated cervical spine discs, and an MRI of her shoulder showed a rotator cuff injury. To treat her cervical spine, her doctors recommended and she underwent a procedure called radiofrequency ablation. For her shoulder, an arthroscopy was recommended.
We were able to secure the maximum insurance policy limits available for our client from Auto-Owners, totaling $50,000 in bodily injury coverage, as well as $10,000 in uninsured motorist coverage from Progressive. These funds were sufficient to cover all of our client’s medical bills and provide her with the compensation she needed.
$280,000 Auto-Owners Pain and Suffering Settlement Example
Our client owns and operates a motor sports company in Spring Hill, Florida. While riding his motorcycle in Hernando County, a driver coming from the opposite direction attempted to make a left turn directly into our client’s path. This caused a serious collision, and our client was ejected from his motorcycle. The driver was found at fault and cited by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Our client was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with multiple broken bones, including injuries to his back and pelvis. Although surgery was not required, his injuries involved extensive treatment and rehabilitation, and he missed a significant amount of work during his recovery.
Because Florida was in the process of passing a new law that could negatively affect the rights of injured people, we filed a lawsuit early to protect our client’s rights under the existing law. We then prepared a detailed settlement package and sent it to Auto-Owners, demanding that they pay their policy limits of $250,000 by a specific date. After reviewing the package, Auto-Owners agreed to tender the full policy limits.
In addition, we were able to secure payment of our client’s uninsured motorist coverage for $30,000, bringing the total settlement to $280,000.
$325,000 Auto-Owners Settlement Payout Case Example
Our client was a 59-year-old entrepreneur involved in a serious car accident while heading westbound on Hillsborough Ave. in Tampa near the intersection of Webb Rd. The defendant was traveling east and made a left turn directly in front of our client, violating his right of way and causing a significant collision.
He was taken to the hospital with wrist, shoulder, arm, and upper back pain. CT scans revealed a protruded disc in his lower back. Follow-up with an orthopedic surgeon included MRI scans of the neck, back, and wrists, which revealed a herniated disc in the neck pressing on the spinal cord. Due to severe pain, our client underwent surgery at two levels of his cervical spine, which was completed.
The defendant’s insurance had a $25,000 bodily injury policy, which was offered to our client after we submitted a demand. Our client also had uninsured motorist coverage from two different sources. The first, Auto-Owners, had a $50,000 policy and, after some negotiation, agreed to pay the full limit. The second carrier had a $250,000 policy but initially offered only $30,000. We refused to accept anything less than the full policy limits. When the insurer continued to resist payment, we filed a notice of bad faith settlement practices with the Department of Insurance. Following this, the company agreed to pay the full limit of uninsured motorist coverage.
In the end, our client received a total settlement of $325,000. He was very pleased with our representation and satisfied with the outcome.
What Compensation Can I Recover?
In a Florida car accident case, there are generally two types of damages for which you may be eligible: compensatory damages, which include economic and non-economic damages, and, in rare cases, punitive damages.
Economic damages are the monetary losses you incur as a result of your accident. These can include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Property damage
- Loss of earning capacity
- Lost wages
Economic damages help compensate you for your financial losses. It is important to work with an attorney to ensure you receive the full amount you are owed from Auto-Owners so you can begin your recovery.
Non-economic damages are more subjective and can be harder to quantify. Examples of non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of daily activities
- Loss of consortium
Understanding the types of compensation available can help you better navigate your Auto-Owners claim and ensure you pursue all damages to which you may be entitled.
Are There Any Limits to My Amount of Recovery?
In Florida, there are no limits to the amount of compensatory damages a court can award in a car accident lawsuit. However, Auto-Owners will not be required to pay more than the policy limit. If your actual damages exceed Auto-Owners’ settlement offer, you may need to consider whether to accept the settlement or pursue a higher award through the courts.
Florida does impose limits on recoverable punitive damages. Generally, the cap is up to three times the amount of compensatory damages or $500,000, whichever is greater. In some cases, this limit can be extended to four times the compensatory damages or $2 million. An experienced car accident attorney can help determine whether punitive damages may be available in your case and which cap applies.
How a Car Accident Lawyer Can Help You Recover
Insurance companies like Auto-Owners often aim to minimize payouts and may try to deny or underpay claims. Facing a large insurance company on your own can feel overwhelming.
Having an attorney in your corner is crucial to help you obtain a favorable recovery. A car accident lawyer can assist in gathering evidence, evaluating your damages, and negotiating your settlement with Auto-Owners.
A personal injury lawyer with experience in insurance claims can protect your rights and work to ensure Auto-Owners pays you the compensation you deserve.
Speak With an Experienced Auto-Owners Claim Attorney
Abrahamson & Uiterwyk is a trusted personal injury law firm with over 35 years of experience helping clients fight for their rights. We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for car accident victims and their families, handling claims and settlements throughout Florida.
If you are dealing with an Auto-Owners claim, we are ready to help. Our team has the experience and knowledge to take on big insurance companies and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation to see how we can assist you.
Auto-Owners Injury Settlement FAQ
1. Is It Worth the Cost to Hire an Attorney?
The answer varies from person to person. At Abrahamson & Uiterwyk, we make this process as easy as possible. When you retain us, you will not incur any fees or costs unless we win your case. Having an experienced attorney can make a significant difference in maximizing your Auto-Owners settlement.
2. How Do I Know When It’s Time to Consult With a Lawyer?
While you can attempt to handle a claim with Auto-Owners on your own, we strongly recommend consulting with an attorney before accepting any settlement. It is never too early to reach out; contacting our team as soon as possible allows us to start building a strong case on your behalf.
3. What If Auto-Owners Denies or Underpays My Claim?
If Auto-Owners continues to deny your claim or offers less than you deserve, our experienced trial lawyers can take your case to court if that is in your best interest. We are prepared to fight for the compensation you are entitled to.
4. How Accurate is the Auto-Owners Injury Settlement Calculator?
Our calculator provides an estimate based on common factors that influence injury settlements. Your actual settlement may differ depending on the unique circumstances of your case.
5. Can I Use This Calculator for Other Insurance Companies?
Yes. While this calculator is designed for Auto-Owners claims, it can also help estimate settlements with other insurers. The general principles of personal injury compensation apply across different providers.
6. What Other Factors Can Increase My Settlement Offer?
A stronger settlement often depends on factors such as effective legal representation, expert witness testimony, and clear documentation of your injuries and expenses. These elements can help you maximize your Auto-Owners claim.
