Personal Injury Attorneys: Getting What You Deserve

What Makes Up Your Personal Injury Offer?

27 July 2020

Laurie Flores

After you've been injured in a car accident, you may be offered a sum of money to settle the case. It's important that accident victims understand what goes into an offer and how to know when they are being taken advantage of. Read on to find out how offers work, how much you should be paid, and how to ensure you don't get ripped off in the process.

Settlement Offers and What to Know

In most cases, if fault has already been decided and the other side is seeking a settlement., you may be contacted soon after an accident and offered money by the at-fault driver's insurance company.  If you accept the offered sum, the case is closed and you cannot change your mind and seek more money after you sign the agreement. A settlement can be a good thing as it gets things over with quickly and nobody has to go to court. However, it can also mean that victims are not paid what they deserve, unfortunately.

How Much You Should Be Paid?

In all likelihood, the first offer is not as much as you deserve. The insurer is not trying to be fair, they are a for-profit business. You must look out for your own interests when dealing with an insurer, so it helps to understand damages and how they are paid. Below is a list of common car accident damages and how they may be calculated:

• Medical expenses – While you ought to be paid for every medically-related expense, the total of all medical expenses is pertinent to another damage category, as detailed below.
• Lost wages – All income lost due to the wreck and medical treatment should be paid.
• Pain and suffering – Most often this category is only paid if you threaten to take legal action and is based, in part, on the amount of your medical expenses.
• Personal property – This category covers your vehicle and any other losses like clothing, handbags, cell phones, child car seats, etc.

How to Protect Your Interests

In the stressful time after an accident, it's easy to be too hasty. It's only natural that accident victims don't want to deal with the insurance company and just want everything to be over. That's why the best chances of being paid what you deserve mean speaking to a personal injury lawyer. They can evaluate your losses and ask the other side for what you deserve and need. They can handle those tricky negotiations with the other side and they know when it's time to take action and file a lawsuit. For additional info, speak to a personal injury lawyer today. You have nothing to lose and thousands of dollars to gain.

Share  

Search