How Being Partially At Fault Impacts Your Settlement

If you can prove you are completely not at fault for your Illinois car accident then you will receive the full settlement amount in your claim. However, if the judge or jury in your case finds you to be partially at fault for your Illinois car accident, your final settlement amount will be reduced according to your degree of fault.For example, you fail to stop at a stop sign at a 4-way stop and are hit by a speeding driver who also ran their stop sign. Had you properly stopped at the intersection and then continued to where the accident occurred, you would have been completely not at fault. However, since you also ran the stop sign, the judge or jury will most likely find you to be partially at fault for the accident.In a case such as this, the other driver was also at fault, and more so than you, because not only were they found to have run the stop sign, but they were also speeding at the same time. In this claim, you would likely be found to be partially at fault, such as 40%, while the other driver would be 60% at fault. There is no mathematical system to determine fault, it’s purely up to the judge or jury.If your case results in you being found 40% at fault and your settlement is for $100,000, you would then be entitled to recover $60,000 in damages. Your degree of fault reduces the amount of the settlement you can receive by that percentage.For more information on how the degree of fault affects your Illinois car accident claim when you are found to be partially at fault, visit our article library. Your claim isn’t over until a judge rules it so, or you receive a settlement, and a Chicago car accident lawyer can help you manage your case.An experienced Chicago car accident lawyer at The Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. is there to help you with all aspects of your Illinois car accident claim. Contact us today for a free case evaluation. 312-263-1080.