If you are injured in a car accident that someone else caused, you should expect that person's insurance company to call you to settle the matter with you. The insurance company will most likely offer to pay you a certain amount of money if you settle, and the amount might appear attractive at first; however, you should realize that you might be able to get a much higher amount if you wait to settle your case. Here are a few things to know about this:
Insurance Companies Want to Pay the Lowest Amount
Insurance companies are great at settling cases, and they know that they can settle for lower amounts if they can settle quickly. To do this, they make offers that seem higher than what victims expected, and this often encourages the victims to accept.
If you agree to accept the offer, the insurance company will send you a form you must sign. Once you sign the form, you lose the right to negotiate and ask for more money, so you should not sign anything until you are certain you are ready to settle. In fact, you may even want to talk to a car accident lawyer before settling.
You Can Get More by Talking to a Car Accident Lawyer
Car accident lawyers also know how to settle cases, but they are skilled at settling for the highest amounts possible. Because of this, you should talk to an attorney and hire him or her to represent you.
When you do this, you will most likely have to agree to pay your attorney a certain percentage of the settlement you receive; however, did you know that this method will still usually result in receiving a higher amount of compensation? This is because car accident lawyers know the law and how to get the most money from car accident cases because they know all the different types of compensation they can ask for.
Your Lawyer Will Request Compensation for Everything the Accident Caused
While an insurance company may agree to pay the damages for your car and give you a little money to cover your medical bills, your attorney will ask for other types of compensation. This can include a loss of future wages if you will not be able to earn the same amount of money as you once did. Your attorney will also ask for compensation to cover emotional trauma, but the insurance company will probably not offer this.
If you want a good settlement from your accident, don't settle without the help of an experienced car accident lawyer. Contact a law office like Clearfield & Kofsky for more information and assistance.
Share