Explore average settlements and court awards for rear-end car accidents in Arkansas. Find real case examples similar to yours.

Rear-end collisions are the most common type of accident in the United States, accounting for 29 percent of all car crashes.

The average settlement for a moderate rear-end collision in Arkansas is $39,500. Actual payout amounts ranged from $2,000 for minor soft-tissue injuries to $300,000 for severe injuries.

Average Payouts for Arkansas Rear-End Collisions

Average Payout by Severity of Injury
Minor Injury	$6,100
Moderate Injury	$39,500
Severe Injury	$270,000
Payout Range by Type of Injury
Neck and Back Injuries	$2,000 - $300,000
Head Injuries	$5,500 - $78,600

Factors Affecting Arkansas Rear-End Settlement Amounts

The extent and severity of injuries is the primary factor in the amount of compensation. Medical bills, lost income, out-of-pocket expenses, and an amount to account for the victim’s pain and suffering are included in settlement calculations.

Other key factors include:

• Crash Type: Insurance adjusters (and juries) are influenced by the circumstances of a rear-end collision. Higher compensation will be offered for injuries from a speeding tractor-trailer rear-ending the victim’s car, than for a low-impact rear-end collision with minor damage to the cars.
• Shared Fault: Arkansas is a modified comparative fault state, meaning that if you are 49 percent or less to blame for causing the crash, your payout can be reduced according to your percentage of fault. If you are equally or more to blame than the other party, you may be barred from receiving compensation.
• Coverage Limits: Arkansas law requires minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. The minimum coverage won’t be enough to cover severe injuries.
• Multiple Claimants: Even when the at-fault driver or car owner has higher coverage limits than the minimum required by law, it may not be enough to go around when multiple people are injured in a crash.
• UI and UIM Coverage: Insurance companies are required by law to offer uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage to Arkansas policyholders, who have the right to decline those coverages. Without uninsured motorist coverage, there may be no funds available after an accident caused by a hit-and-run or uninsured driver.
• Venue and Jurisdiction: Some courts have a history of large jury awards to car accident victims. In these venues, the adjuster may offer you more to keep your case from going to trial.
• Punitive Damages:  Punitive damages can only be awarded by a judge or jury in a court trial. Arkansas law limits punitive damage awards to $250,000 or three times the compensatory award, not to exceed $1 million, whichever is more.

Neck and Back Injury Case Examples

Neck and back injuries are very common in rear-end collisions. The force of impact makes the head and body jolt forward and then slam back against the seat, often resulting in whiplash neck injuries. The same forces affect the entire spine and back, potentially resulting in sprains, strains, and disc herniations.

Drunk Driver Hits Several Cars, Victim Suffers Neck and Back Injuries

Type of Injury: Soft tissue back injuries
Award/Settlement Amount: $8,200
Case Summary: Defendant was traveling on a roadway attempting to exit on an off-ramp. He subsequently attempted to reenter the roadway, struck a jersey wall, entered the lanes of travel, spun around and struck two or three vehicles. Plaintiff, who was traveling behind defendant at the time of the accident swerved to avoid colliding with defendant’s vehicle and rear-ended a third party’s vehicle. Defendant was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. Plaintiff claimed he suffered soft tissue neck and back injuries. Defendant admitted liability, but contended that plaintiff was exaggerating the extent of his injuries. Jury awarded plaintiff $8,200. Per defendant’s counsel, the fact that plaintiff did not have copies of all of his medical bills to support his claim significantly impacted the outcome.
Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas
Case Name and Docket Number: Archer v. Russell, G159848

Low-Impact Rear-End Collision with Neck and Back Pain

Type of Injury: Soft tissue back injury with pain in neck and back
Award/Settlement Amount: $4,000
Case Summary: Plaintiff was a passenger in a vehicle operated by a third party. Defendant was driving in the same direction behind plaintiff’s vehicle. Defendant rear-ended plaintiff’s vehicle. Plaintiff suffered soft tissue neck and back injuries in the collision. Defendant contended that: she was traveling only 5 m.p.h. at the time of impact; neither vehicle sustained visible damage; and plaintiff was not injured in this minimal impact collision. Case settled for $ 4,000.
Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas
Case Name and Docket Number: Bradley v. Bordihn, G409832

Chain Rear-End Crash with Neck and Back Injuries, Bulging Disc

Type of Injury: Soft tissue back and neck injuries; abnormal bulging in one disc in back
Award/Settlement Amount: $8,000
Case Summary: Plaintiff was stopped in traffic when defendant rear-ended a third party’s vehicle, forcing it into plaintiff’s vehicle which was forced into a fourth party’s automobile. Plaintiff said he suffered injuries to his neck and back as a direct result of the accident. Further, he suffered abnormal bulging in one disc in back which resulted in muscle pain. Plaintiff claimed $2,572 in medical specials and $2,570 in lost income. Plaintiff also claimed $150 a week lost income for 23 weeks. Defendant contended that he was forced into the lane where the accident occurred by an aggressive driver and that plaintiff’s disc abnormality was not caused by the accident. Jury returned a plaintiff verdict for $8,000.
Location: Washington County, Arkansas
Case Name and Docket Number: Watson v. Akin, CIV-95-963

Driver on Cell Phone Leaves Victim with Neck and Shoulder Injuries

Type of Injury: Soft tissue shoulder and neck injuries.
Award/Settlement Amount: $5,000
Case Summary: Plaintiff was stopped at a traffic light when defendant rear-ended his vehicle. Defendant was talking on her phone at the time of the accident. Plaintiff suffered soft tissue shoulder and neck injuries. Plaintiff argued that defendant was negligent in failing to pay full time attention to the operation of her vehicle and that it is negligence per se for one to talk on a phone while operating a vehicle. Defendant contended that plaintiff suddenly pulled in front of her vehicle and that she was unable to stop in time to avoid a collision. The case was initially tried in District Court resulting in a verdict of $3,500 for plaintiff. Defendant appealed. Jury returned a verdict if $5,000 for plaintiff.
Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas
Case Name and Docket Number: Lendermon v. Erbsamen, CV2006-649

Low-Impact Accident with Minor Neck and Back Injuries

Type of Injury: Soft tissue neck and back injuries
Award/Settlement Amount: $2,000
Case Summary: Plaintiff was stopped at a stop sign. Defendant was stopped behind plaintiff. Defendant, believing plaintiff had begun to move forward, took her foot off the brake pedal, causing her vehicle to strike plaintiff’s vehicle. The impact was minimal, resulting in no property damage to either vehicle. Plaintiff said she suffered soft tissue neck and back injuries as a direct result of the collision. Defendant contended that: her vehicle merely rolled into plaintiff’s vehicle; neither vehicle sustained property damage; and plaintiff was not injured in the minimal impact collision. Jury returned a verdict in favor of the Plaintiff for $2,000.
Location: Washington County, Arkansas
Case Name and Docket Number: Rutherford v. Mid-Delta Community Service, G165267

Victim Sandwiched in Chain Collision with Neck, Upper Back Injuries

Type of Injury: Soft tissue injuries to her neck and upper back and TMJ dysfunction
Award/Settlement Amount: $10,000
Case Summary: Plaintiff’s automobile was the third vehicle in a line of traffic stopped at a traffic light. Defendant rear-ended one of the vehicles in the group of vehicles, causing a chain reaction. Plaintiff’s vehicle sustained front and rear-end damage. Plaintiff said that she sustained soft tissue injuries to her neck and upper back and TMJ dysfunction as a direct result of defendant’s negligence. Defendants contended that plaintiff had a pre-existing condition and that the impact was slight and, therefore, could not have caused all of plaintiff’s complaints. Case settled for $10,000 on the first day of trial.
Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas
Case Name and Docket Number: Davis v. Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services, 60-CV-2013-03103

High-Speed Crash Spins Car, Leaves Victim with Herniated Disc

Type of Injury: Back injury-Herniated disc
Award/Settlement Amount: $50,000
Case Summary: While driving, a truck kicked up a rock and cracked Defendant1’s windshield. Defendant 1 stopped in the road in order to get the truck to pull over. Traffic behind the stopped vehicles was forced to stop. Defendant 2 rear-ended plaintiff’s stopped vehicle at a high rate of speed, causing the vehicle to spin around and strike two other vehicles. Plaintiff claimed he suffered a herniated disc as a direct result of the collision. Both defendants contended that the negligence of the other defendant was the proximate cause of the accident and that plaintiff’s injuries were not proximately related to the accident. Jury returned a verdict of $50,000 in favor of plaintiff. Per plaintiff’s counsel, the nature of the accident and the severity of the impact significantly impacted the outcome.
Location: Washington County, Arkansas
Case Name and Docket Number: Henry v. Berry, 72CV-09-3290

Three-Car Rear-End Collision with Neck and Back Injuries

Type of Injury: Soft tissue neck and back injuries.
Award/Settlement Amount: $15,000
Case Summary: Plaintiff was operating the first vehicle in a line of vehicles. Defendant rear-ended the vehicle behind plaintiff, pushing it into plaintiff’s vehicle. Plaintiff claimed that he suffered soft tissue neck and back injuries due to defendant’s negligence. Defendant contended that she was unable to stop due to slippery road conditions; the intervening vehicle was the proximate cause of the damage to plaintiff’s vehicle; and the extent of her liability was uncertain. Per counsel, case settled on the first day of trial for $15,000.
Location: Saline County, Arkansas
Case Name and Docket Number: Battles v. Morehead, CA-07-1176

Six-Car Collision with Spine Compression and Herniated Cervical Discs

Type of Injury: Back injury-Compression of spinal column and nerve roots; Neck injury-herniated cervical discs
Award/Settlement Amount: $240,000
Case Summary: Plaintiff was driving his vehicle north during morning rush hour. Defendant rear-ended a vehicle in front of his vehicle and started a chain reaction. Plaintiff’s vehicle was the third vehicle in the six-car collision. Plaintiff suffered compression of spinal column and nerve roots in back requiring emergency surgery to relieve further compression and herniated cervical discs in neck requiring fusion. Defendants contended that the accident was unavoidable among other affirmative defenses. Plaintiff settled with the defendant drivers for $240,000 prior to trial.
Location: Drew County, Arkansas
Case Name and Docket Number: Sullivan v. Hartsell, CV 2003-0233-1

Truck Starts Chain Collision causing Herniated Discs, Soft-Tissue Injuries

Type of Injury: Back injury-herniated disc; Bruises to shoulder, arm and legs; lacerated knee
Award/Settlement Amount: $300,000
Case Summary: Plaintiff and Defendant1 were traveling in opposite directions. Defendant1 stopped to make a turn and a third party stopped behind Defendant1 without incident. Defendant 2, an employee of Defendant 3, was operating a large truck and he struck the third party’s vehicle which subsequently struck Defendant1’s vehicle, forcing it head-on into plaintiff’s vehicle. Plaintiff suffered bruises to shoulder, arm and legs, lacerated knee, and herniated disc requiring laminectomy with residual pain and weakness in back. Plaintiff claimed $13,212 in medical specials, $25,000 in past lost income and $121,000 in future lost income. Defendant 2 contended that Defendant1 contributed to the accident. Defendant1 contended that her negligence was not the proximate cause of the accident. The case settled for $300,000 prior to trial.
Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas
Case Name and Docket Number: Hardy v. Osinowo, 3:10-cv-00204-JMM

Head Injury Case Examples

Head injuries, ranging from headaches to traumatic brain injuries, are often caused by rear-end collisions. The head can be violently jolted forward and back from the crash impact, at times hitting the window or other hard surfaces inside the vehicle. High-speed crashes caused by larger vehicles are more likely to result in extensive injuries.

Headaches and Soft-Tissue Injuries from 3 Rear-End Accidents

Type of Injury: Neck, back, and shoulder pain; headaches
Award/Settlement Amount: $14,500
Case Summary: Plaintiff was involved in three separate motor vehicle accidents. In the first, plaintiff was a passenger on a bus when defendant rear-ended the bus. Plaintiff claimed she saw a doctor for headaches afterward and was under a doctor’s care for approximately a month. In the second, Plaintiff’s automobile was struck from behind by defendant 2 at an intersection. Plaintiff said this time she was treated for neck and back problems. In the last collision, plaintiff claimed she was a passenger in an automobile that was rear-ended by defendant 3. She argued that as a result of that accident she had headaches and neck and back pain. In their separate answers, defendants denied all allegations. Defendants subsequently agreed to settle the claims for $14,500 prior to trial.
Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas
Case Name and Docket Number: Chandler v. Penn, 3:12-cv-00104-BRW

Tractor-Trailer Rear-Ends Pickup Causing Head and Neck Injuries

Type of Injury: General head and neck injuries
Award/Settlement Amount: $78,616
Case Summary: Plaintiff’s pickup truck was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler tractor-trailer driven by an employee of defendant. Plaintiff claimed head and neck injuries and $21,544.60 in lost wages as a result of the accident. Defendant did not seriously dispute liability but vigorously disputed the extent of Plaintiff’s claims of lost wages. Defendant moved for a directed verdict contending that there was insufficient evidence to calculate past and future wage loss. But the Court denied the motion. The Jury ruled in favor of the Plaintiff, awarding damages in the amount of $78,615.80.
Location: Washington County, Arkansas
Case Name and Docket Number: Thurmond v. Peterrie, 00-CIV-958

Passenger Suffers Traumatic Headaches and Neck Strain

Type of Injury: Cervical strain in neck and post-traumatic headaches
Award/Settlement Amount: $5,500
Case Summary: Defendant rear-ended a vehicle in which plaintiff was a passenger. Plaintiff claimed that she suffered chronic strain in her neck and post-traumatic headaches as a direct result of the collision. Defendant admitted liability but contended that plaintiff’s injuries were proximately related to prior and subsequent accidents. Jury returned a plaintiff verdict for $5,500. Per counsel, plaintiff’s credibility and the credibility of her treating physician were an issue in the case. Plaintiff had been involved in a prior motor vehicle accident and her treating physician had stated that she would have permanent neck pain and headaches from that accident. He subsequently testified that the prior injuries had fully resolved.
Location: Pike County, Arkansas
Case Name and Docket Number: Turley v. Young, G121524

Methodology

We researched and analyzed real Arkansas car accident cases to get the payouts and settlement ranges detailed above. Many cases settled out of court, while some cases went to trial and won a monetary award. Our group of cases did not include wrongful death claims, or cases that were lost at trial.

Averages are calculated by adding all the payouts in a group of cases and dividing the total by the number of cases in the group. In cases with more than one plaintiff, we used the highest settlement awarded to one victim to represent the payoff for that case.