Being in a car accident can be a very scary experience. You’ll most likely be dealing with both the physical impacts of the accident and financial ones, too. Hopefully, you’ve hired a reputable attorney to help you with your case. But during a car accident case, many people wonder whether or not they should accept the first car accident settlement offer — this article is going to discuss a few important things to know about settlement offers to help you make the right decision.
The first offer is most likely too low
Insurance companies often offer a low settlement right from the start in hopes that the person will simply accept it and move on. While this isn’t always the case, insurance companies usually aren’t trying to make sure people receive proper compensation — they want to handle a claim as quickly as possible and without having to give a lot of money. So, it’s important to remember that insurance companies do not have your best interest in mind and will probably offer a low settlement first.
From there, your personal injury attorney can determine whether or not the settlement is fair and begin negotiations if it’s not. And when you work with a reputable law firm, like Lawsuit Info Center (find more information at lawsuitinfocenter.com), you can rest assured that your attorney won’t settle for anything less than you deserve. Choosing the right lawyer is the most important step in any car accident case because they will always fight to get you fair compensation.
Know your injuries before accepting a settlement
Once you accept a settlement, it’s final — this means you sign a release of liability and you cannot ask for any more compensation from the insurance company. This also means you cannot file a claim with the court and go to trial for further compensation. With that in mind, it’s absolutely essential that you know about and understands your injuries and the extent of your medical treatments. Because if you accept a settlement too soon, you may find yourself still dealing with medical procedures and further expenses that you won’t be able to receive compensation for. So make sure you’re at a point where you understand the extent of your injuries and any medical treatments you may need in the future. In doing this, you and your attorney can ensure you are receiving a fair settlement.
Negotiating is often better than a trial
Receiving the first settlement offer can be intimidating because insurance companies may make it seem like it’s the only offer they’re going to give — but this certainly isn’t the case. Attorneys know that when a settlement is offered, it’s now time to start the negotiation process. When an initial settlement is rejected, your attorney can tell the insurance company a fair number and the insurance company will then offer another settlement. This can go on for a while, especially if the insurance company doesn’t want to offer a fair settlement. However, most insurance companies would prefer the negotiation process over going to trial, because a trial can be much more time-consuming and expensive. But you should always be prepared to go to trial — hopefully, you have some photos of the crash saved in your free photo storage for evidence. Having important files and photos saved in cloud storage is always a great option because you know they’ll be safe if you need them for your trial. Saving important evidence is crucial, so choose your photo storage service wisely.
Knowing when to accept or reject a settlement can be complex when it comes to class-action lawsuits. But hopefully, this information has given you some peace of mind and you’ll choose the best attorney possible to help with your case to help make these important decisions.
