Unfortunately, if you sustain injuries in a motor vehicle accident, you can likely expect to receive a phone call from the other driver’s insurance company within a few days. In fact, you may get such a call while you’re still in the hospital being treated for your injuries. Auto insurance companies are notorious for trying to talk injury victims into accepting a quick settlement.
Why? Because the first settlement offer is invariably a low one. If you accept it, you deny yourself the opportunity to increase the amount since you must sign a release of all further liability when you accept a settlement. Consequently, the insurance company saves money and improves its bottom line.
The Wiser Course of Action
Instead of talking with the other driver’s insurance adjuster yourself, tell him or her that you need to talk with your lawyer before accepting any settlement. If you already have a car accident lawyer, give his or her phone number to the adjuster and tell him or her to direct all further communication to that person rather than to you. If you don’t already have a lawyer, get the adjuster’s contact information and tell him or her that you intend to get a lawyer who will contact him or her in the near future.
Then follow through and contact an experienced local car accident lawyer.
Once you hire a lawyer, you should be free of harassment from the other driver’s insurance company so you can concentrate on getting well and back to the life you love.
Settlement Negotiations
Keep in mind that the settlement negotiations between your lawyer and the other driver’s insurance company lawyers may take quite a while. The precise length of time will depend on various factors, including the following:
- The type and severity of your injuries
- The length of time you will need to be off work recovering
- Whether or not you will have residual effects from your injuries
- The negotiating abilities of your lawyer
- How cooperative the insurance company is prepared to be in order to avoid a full-blown personal injury jury trial
- The state in which you live
As a personal injury lawyer from Daniel E. Stuart, P.C. would agree with, your chances of obtaining the compensation you need and deserve increase dramatically when you have a lawyer in your corner, rather than attempting to deal with the other driver’s insurance company yourself.