Settlement amount averages tend to vary by industry. For example, the classic slip-and-fall situations in retail establishments tend to yield averages of just $2,000. On the other hand, settlements of medical malpractice lawsuits averaged more than $300,000 in 2013. It is important to remember, however, that many physician malpractice cases are for wrongful death, which tend to be at the upper end of the settlement spectrum.