There's no single 'average' car accident settlement that means much on its own — the range runs from a few thousand dollars for minor soft-tissue injuries to well into six or seven figures for catastrophic injuries. What moves the number: injury severity and permanence, total medical bills, lost income, clarity of fault, and available insurance policy limits. A settlement is capped by the at-fault driver's policy limit unless you have underinsured motorist coverage or other assets to pursue.