Legal Question in Insurance Law in Ohio

Re: personal injury

You ask: "The passenger has whiplash and had to go to the hospital twice and has to follow up with a doctor. How much can the passenger expect from a settlement out of court?"

Each case is evaluated on its individual merits, that is, the extent of permanency, degree of disruption of lifestyle, etc. You should know that the main insurance companies target these types of cases for a hard-line approach, that is, "take-it-or-try-it" type offers. For instance, Allstate's manual shows a likely recovery at trial of $8,000 for a soft tissue injury, but they will possibly offer a non-negotiable amount of $3,000. Their own statistics, which they will not tell you, show that claimants represented by legal counsel on average recover three times the amount recovered by unrepresented claimants.

I urge you to secure competent legal counsel to work up your case, advise you on the value, and negotiate on your behalf, and to try the case if necessary.

Good luck!