If you have been injured in an accident, you may want to prioritize returning to your normal life as soon as possible. You focus on healing, wish that you can return to work, and avoid dealing with insurance providers. All of these can happen when you reach a quick settlement. Unfortunately, insurance companies are not as friendly as they are portrayed in the commercials. And they may not make a fair settlement offer. Before you accept any offer from them, consult with Palmdale Lancaster personal injury lawyers first to know if you are doing the right thing.
Should You Accept the Initial Offer?
As you deal with an insurance company to try to settle your personal injury claim, you must be aware of some things. The most important of these is that an insurer will not put your best interests first. So, when you get a quick settlement offer from them, just decline it. This offer will not reflect the true value of the damages you suffered. Keep in mind that the insurer won’t calculate your losses when determining an amount to offer. Also, they are making this offer to try to settle before you can clearly understand your injuries’ long-term effects.
When to Accept a Settlement Offer?
Your attorney can negotiate a settlement with an insurer that offers fair compensation for your economic and non-economic damages. To know when to accept an offer, you should consider a lot of information including who is to blame for the accident, the amount you need to pay for your injury-related medical needs, the length of time you will be jobless due to your injuries, other financial losses you may incur, as well as your pain and suffering. Your attorney will use these pieces of information to present a strong case and negotiate based on facts and figures.
What Happens When the Insurer Does Not Make an Offer?
If your attorney has presented all related evidence to the insurer and you still do not get an offer from them, you may want to consider taking your case to trial. Although most personal injury claims are settled outside of court, some need to be argued in court. Before the trial date, your attorney will continue to negotiate a settlement with the insurer. If these attempts still fail and your trial date arrives, the insurer will need to pick between making a fair settlement offer and defending their position in court.
