US Car Crashes Cause 2.42 Million Injuries and $559 Billion in Costs

Car crashes can impose costs well beyond vehicle repairs, including ambulance and other medical bills, lost wages, and higher insurance premiums. Bodily-injury claims are a substantial part of insurers’ payouts, and the average such claim reached $28,278 in 2024. The financial toll may continue long after an initial hospital visit: rehabilitation, future treatment, emotional distress, and reduced independence can make recovery costs difficult to predict or capture in a claim. Keeping medical records and documenting how injuries affect work and daily life can help establish the full extent of those losses.