Following a car accident, you may have received an offer to settle from the other driver’s insurance company. If you have not sought legal counsel to handle the claim, this has likely become a challenging process to handle on your own. The first offer from an insurance company is often a low offer, but that you may be inclined to accept anyway to put the situation in your past.
This is the time to contact an experienced personal injury attorney to handle the claim. By entertaining a low offer from the insurer, you may be shortchanging yourself for the future. The insurance company’s settlement offer is to make a final resolution of your claim, for those costs you have now and the ones anticipated in the future.
You cannot return a few weeks after settling to have a few more bills paid. So, it is especially risky to consider a settlement offer before you have sought medical care for potential injuries or begun a treatment plan for injuries incurred. Medical bills alone can quickly add up, especially when ongoing visits are required.
Remember, in most cases, the other driver is liable for a share of all of these costs as well as the wages you lose by taking time off work to seek care.
The following factors are a part of your claim’s settlement value:
- Nature and extent of injuries
- Future medical care
- Cost of future medical care
An experienced personal injury attorney can review evidence from your accident and present it in a favorable manner to the insurance adjuster handing your claim. An attorney who routinely negotiates with these companies will be able to highlight the relevant factors such as major injuries and economic losses in your settlement value to seek a complete recovery for your current and anticipated expenses along with emotional distress and pain and suffering experiences.
If these negotiations are unsuccessful, you have the option of proceeding to trial and having a jury hear your case. If you cannot afford the up-front cost of an attorney, contingency fee agreements are an option, meaning if a settlement is reached or a verdict returned in your favor, your attorney is paid a share of the recovery up to statutory limits.
If you are dealing with the other driver’s insurance company on your own, you do not have to continue being your own representative.
The attorneys of Oldham & Delcamp are experienced personal injury attorneys who are prepared to handle your claim and seek full compensation for your losses. Call us today at 888-737-4129 to discuss your case.