Personal injury legal assistance. Here are some tips for improving your chances. Don’t be surprised if the insurance company offers you a settlement shortly after your injury accident. Typically, this means they know you have a viable claim. They might offer you a small settlement, hoping you will take a quick payout, even though the value of your claim could be significantly higher. Once you accept that settlement, you will give up your rights to recover any further compensation.
Insurance company private investigators have been known to carry concealed tape recorders to interview claimants and their friends or acquaintances. You should never discuss your case with anyone other than your attorney and your treating doctors or therapists. It is extremely important that you advise your attorney of any PRIOR ACCIDENTS, PRE-EXISTING INJURIES or PRE ACCIDENT PHYSICAL COMPLAINTS. Many good cases are compromised or lost because the injured person forgets or conceals previous injuries or history of physical complaints from his or her own attorney.
“Personal injury” is a type of tort lawsuit in which the person suing (the “plaintiff”) has suffered physical, emotional or financial harm due to the actions of the person being sued (the “defendant”). A personal injury lawyer is a lawyer who provides legal representation to those who claim to have been injured, physically or psychologically, as a result of the negligence or wrongdoing of another person, company, government agency, or other entity. Find additional details at Find Personal Injury Attorneys by State.
It is standard practice for insurance adjusters to begin negotiations by first offering a very low settlement amount — or, sometimes, denying liability altogether. With this tactic, the adjuster is trying to find out whether you understand what your claim is worth and to see if you are so impatient to get some money that you will take any amount. When a first offer is made, your response should depend on whether it is a reasonable offer but too low or whether it is so low that it is just a tactic to see if you know what you are doing. If the offer is reasonable, you can immediately make a counteroffer that is a little bit lower than your demand letter amount. That shows the adjuster that you, too, are being reasonable and are willing to compromise. A little more bargaining should quickly get you to a final settlement amount you both think is fair. In these negotiations, don’t bother to go over all the facts again. Just emphasize the strongest points in your favor — for example, that the insured was completely at fault.
A personal injury can bring losses both immediately and long into the future. You might not fully recover from your injuries before your case goes to trial. It’s crucial to make considerations about future recovery when negotiating a settlement amount. You can include future damages as a part of your claim. In some cases, future damages might even comprise the majority of your losses. You need to work with medical professionals to document these losses and include them in your claim.
Find the Personal Injury Lawyer Catalog. Discover the best personal injury attorneys and motor vehicle accident lawyers. Find top Personal Injury Lawyers that handle all serious accident issues resulting from auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, bike accidents, slip and falls, boating accidents and all other serious injury accidents. See additional info at Find Personal Injury Attorneys.
