Median settlement ranges across all 50 US states for car accident, slip & fall, and workers' compensation cases. Sourced from Insurance Information Institute and verdict-reporting databases.
Settlement amounts vary dramatically by state due to comparative fault rules, damage caps, no-fault insurance systems, and minimum liability requirements. The table below shows median settlement ranges for the three most common claim types — derived from Insurance Information Institute industry data, jury-verdict reports, and published case-law databases. These are typical bodily-injury settlement ranges, not predictions of any individual case.
| State | Car Accident | Slip & Fall | Workers Comp | Key Rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $15,000–$25,000 | $10,000–$30,000 | $25,000–$60,000 | Pure contributory negligence — 1% fault bars recovery |
| Alaska | $22,000–$40,000 | $15,000–$45,000 | $30,000–$80,000 | Pure comparative fault |
| Arizona | $18,000–$30,000 | $12,000–$35,000 | $25,000–$65,000 | Pure comparative fault |
| Arkansas | $12,000–$22,000 | $8,000–$25,000 | $22,000–$55,000 | Modified 50% bar |
| California | $25,000–$50,000 | $20,000–$60,000 | $35,000–$100,000 | Pure comparative fault; MICRA caps $390k non-econ med-mal (2026) |
| Colorado | $20,000–$35,000 | $15,000–$40,000 | $28,000–$70,000 | Modified 50% bar; non-econ cap $642,180 (2025) |
| Connecticut | $22,000–$40,000 | $18,000–$50,000 | $30,000–$75,000 | Modified 51% bar |
| Delaware | $18,000–$32,000 | $15,000–$40,000 | $28,000–$65,000 | Modified 51% bar |
| Florida | $15,000–$30,000 | $10,000–$35,000 | $25,000–$65,000 | Modified 51% bar (March 2023+); No-fault PIP $10k |
| Georgia | $18,000–$32,000 | $12,000–$35,000 | $25,000–$65,000 | Modified 49% rule |
| Hawaii | $22,000–$40,000 | $15,000–$45,000 | $28,000–$75,000 | Modified 51%; No-fault PIP $10k |
| Idaho | $15,000–$25,000 | $10,000–$30,000 | $22,000–$55,000 | Modified 50% bar |
| Illinois | $22,000–$40,000 | $18,000–$50,000 | $32,000–$85,000 | Modified 50% bar |
| Indiana | $15,000–$28,000 | $10,000–$30,000 | $25,000–$60,000 | Modified 51% bar |
| Iowa | $15,000–$28,000 | $10,000–$30,000 | $25,000–$60,000 | Modified 51% bar |
| Kansas | $15,000–$25,000 | $10,000–$28,000 | $22,000–$55,000 | Modified 50% bar; No-fault PIP $4,500 |
| Kentucky | $15,000–$28,000 | $10,000–$30,000 | $25,000–$60,000 | Pure comparative fault; No-fault PIP $10k |
| Louisiana | $18,000–$32,000 | $15,000–$35,000 | $28,000–$70,000 | Pure comparative fault; direct-action statute |
| Maine | $18,000–$30,000 | $12,000–$32,000 | $25,000–$60,000 | Modified 50% bar |
| Maryland | $15,000–$25,000 | $10,000–$28,000 | $25,000–$60,000 | Pure contributory negligence — 1% fault bars recovery |
| Massachusetts | $25,000–$45,000 | $20,000–$55,000 | $32,000–$85,000 | Modified 51%; No-fault PIP $8k |
| Michigan | $22,000–$45,000 | $15,000–$45,000 | $30,000–$80,000 | No-fault PIP (tiered post-2019); modified 51% |
| Minnesota | $22,000–$40,000 | $15,000–$45,000 | $30,000–$75,000 | Modified 51%; No-fault PIP $20k |
| Mississippi | $12,000–$20,000 | $8,000–$22,000 | $20,000–$50,000 | Pure comparative fault |
| Missouri | $18,000–$32,000 | $12,000–$35,000 | $25,000–$65,000 | Pure comparative fault |
| Montana | $15,000–$28,000 | $10,000–$30,000 | $22,000–$55,000 | Modified 51% bar |
| Nebraska | $15,000–$25,000 | $10,000–$28,000 | $22,000–$55,000 | Modified 50% bar |
| Nevada | $22,000–$40,000 | $18,000–$50,000 | $28,000–$70,000 | Modified 51% bar |
| New Hampshire | $18,000–$32,000 | $12,000–$35,000 | $25,000–$60,000 | Modified 51% bar |
| New Jersey | $20,000–$38,000 | $15,000–$45,000 | $30,000–$75,000 | Modified 51%; verbal threshold; PIP $15k |
| New Mexico | $15,000–$28,000 | $10,000–$32,000 | $22,000–$60,000 | Pure comparative fault |
| New York | $25,000–$50,000 | $20,000–$60,000 | $35,000–$95,000 | Pure comparative fault; serious-injury threshold; PIP $50k |
| North Carolina | $15,000–$25,000 | $8,000–$25,000 | $25,000–$60,000 | Pure contributory negligence — 1% fault bars recovery |
| North Dakota | $15,000–$25,000 | $10,000–$28,000 | $22,000–$55,000 | Modified 50%; No-fault PIP $30k |
| Ohio | $18,000–$32,000 | $12,000–$35,000 | $25,000–$65,000 | Modified 51%; non-econ cap $250k–$500k |
| Oklahoma | $15,000–$25,000 | $10,000–$28,000 | $22,000–$55,000 | Modified 51%; non-econ cap $350k |
| Oregon | $22,000–$38,000 | $15,000–$45,000 | $28,000–$70,000 | Modified 51%; PIP $15k |
| Pennsylvania | $22,000–$40,000 | $18,000–$50,000 | $30,000–$78,000 | Modified 51%; full-tort vs limited-tort election |
| Rhode Island | $22,000–$38,000 | $18,000–$45,000 | $28,000–$68,000 | Pure comparative fault |
| South Carolina | $15,000–$25,000 | $10,000–$28,000 | $25,000–$60,000 | Modified 51% |
| South Dakota | $12,000–$22,000 | $8,000–$25,000 | $20,000–$50,000 | Modified slight/gross |
| Tennessee | $15,000–$28,000 | $10,000–$30,000 | $25,000–$60,000 | Modified 50%; non-econ cap $750k |
| Texas | $18,000–$32,000 | $12,000–$35,000 | $25,000–$65,000 | Modified 51%; med-mal cap $250k |
| Utah | $18,000–$30,000 | $12,000–$32,000 | $25,000–$60,000 | Modified 50%; PIP $3k |
| Vermont | $18,000–$30,000 | $12,000–$35,000 | $25,000–$60,000 | Modified 51% |
| Virginia | $15,000–$25,000 | $8,000–$25,000 | $25,000–$60,000 | Pure contributory negligence — 1% fault bars recovery |
| Washington | $22,000–$40,000 | $18,000–$50,000 | $30,000–$80,000 | Pure comparative fault |
| West Virginia | $15,000–$25,000 | $10,000–$28,000 | $22,000–$55,000 | Modified 50% |
| Wisconsin | $18,000–$32,000 | $12,000–$35,000 | $25,000–$65,000 | Modified 51% |
| Wyoming | $15,000–$25,000 | $10,000–$28,000 | $22,000–$55,000 | Modified 50% |
Four states (Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia + DC) follow pure contributory negligence — if you're 1% at fault, you recover nothing. This makes liability defense aggressive in these states and depresses settlement values.
About 12 states follow pure comparative fault (CA, NY, FL pre-2023, KY, LA, MS, MO, NM, RI, WA, AK, AZ) — you can recover even at 99% fault, reduced by your share. These states produce higher settlements for partial-fault cases.
The remaining 33 states use modified comparative fault with either a 50% or 51% bar.
Texas caps medical malpractice non-economic damages at $250,000 per provider. California's MICRA cap rose to $390,000 in 2026. Tennessee caps non-economic damages at $750,000 in most cases. Ohio uses a tiered cap of $250k–$500k. Damage caps can reduce a multi-million-dollar verdict to a fraction of its trial value.
Twelve states require Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage to pay your own injury bills first regardless of fault: FL, HI, KS, KY, MA, MI, MN, NJ, NY, ND, PA, UT. PIP minimums vary from $3,000 (Utah) to $50,000 (New York). Tort recovery requires meeting state-specific thresholds.
Florida requires only $10k bodily injury / $20k per accident — among the lowest in the nation. New Hampshire doesn't require auto insurance at all. California, Texas, and most states require 25/50/25 or higher. Low-limit states cap most settlements at the policy ceiling.
Within each state, certain counties produce dramatically higher verdicts: Cook County (IL), Bronx (NY), Philadelphia (PA), Miami-Dade (FL), Harris County (TX), and South Texas counties. Insurers settle higher in these venues to avoid trial risk.
| Injury Type | National Median | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Whiplash / soft-tissue (Grade I-II) | $10,000 | $2,500–$25,000 |
| Herniated disc (no surgery) | $45,000 | $15,000–$120,000 |
| Herniated disc (with surgery) | $185,000 | $80,000–$500,000 |
| Concussion / mild TBI | $25,000 | $10,000–$80,000 |
| Moderate-to-severe TBI | $500,000 | $150,000–$5M+ |
| Broken bone (single fracture) | $50,000 | $15,000–$150,000 |
| Hip fracture (elderly) | $220,000 | $80,000–$650,000 |
| Wrongful death (working-age) | $1,250,000 | $500,000–$10M+ |
For a tailored estimate using your state's rules: