4 Reasons You're Getting Offered So Little For Your Injury
Posted on: 4 November 2017
If you have been injured due to the fault of another, of course filing a personal injury lawsuit is the best way to receive compensation for your medical bills. However, many times people find that they aren't receiving the amount in compensation that they feel their case is worth. In fact, many people often end up settling for much less than what they should've. Here are four main reasons this happens so often:
- ​Discussing the Accident With the Insurance Company Freely: The insurance companies know that soon after the accident has occurred, you are emotional and high-strung enough to want to talk about your injuries. For this reason, they end up calling so that you talk free and openly and, hopefully, make a mistake that can lead to them giving you a lowball number for a settlement agreement. To avoid this, it's better to talk with an attorney before you talk with the insurance company. Your attorney can talk to them for you so that emotions are not involved and that way, it's much less likely something is going to be held against you.
- Talking About the Claim Before Knowing the Extent of Injuries: You don't want to discuss anything with an insurance agent until you know the extent of your injuries. Most of the time, this isn't until much later after all of your doctor appointments have been filled. Otherwise, you could end up saying that your injuries are much more subtle than they really are, thus leading to a lowball offer for compensation.
- Going at it Alone: Handling a personal injury case on your own is generally a huge reason why people end up accepting a lower offer than what is deserved. Keep in mind that the insurance company is only looking to protect themselves, not you. This means that your best interests are not being looked out for by anyone. When you have a lawyer, however, this is not the case.
- Hiring a Bad Lawyer: Finally, while you do want a lawyer on your side, it's much better to do your research and hire a good lawyer rather than just any lawyer you can find. Your lawyer should be someone who has handled cases that are specifically similar to your own, which lead to successful outcomes.
When you know some of the reason people are not offered a high amount for their injuries, you can avoid these mistakes yourself so that you are properly compensated for injuries that were inflicted upon you by another party. Contact a law firm, like Gelman Gelman Wiskow & McCarthy LLC, for more help.
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