Should I just settle with my insurance company?
When you get into an accident or experience an injury due to someone else’s negligence, you may have to make a personal injury claim with an insurance company. They will often offer you a quick insurance settlement. Don’t take it.
After you make the claim, the insurance adjuster will take some time to look into what happened: he may speak to witnesses, look at photos, go over your medical records, interview police, and more.
After the insurance company has done some looking into your situation, they’ll often come back with an offer for an insurance settlement.
Don’t Take The First Offer
When you’re going through the long, tedious, and often painful process of recovering from an injury or accident, you may feel tempted to take the settlement.
After all, settling means that the situation is over and done with and that you no longer have to deal with your insurance company and all that that entails.
In reality, however, it’s never a smart decision to simply take a settlement without working with an attorney, since insurance companies tend to offer you amounts that are much lower than what you would receive if you would take the matter to court.
Instead of simply settling with an insurance company after you experience an accident or injury, here’s what you should do to make sure you get the fairest and financially beneficial outcome.
Consult with an Attorney Before You Accept An Insurance Settlement
The first thing you should do after receiving emergency medical care for your accident or injury is getting in touch with an attorney.
An attorney can be helpful even while you’re still in the hospital or recovering because they can begin to look into your experience and build a case from very early on.
Speaking with an attorney who specializes in personal injury is a wise move because they know what to look for in the case of an accident, and they also know how to deal with insurance companies.
If you don’t get an attorney right away after your accident: fear not. You have until the statute of limitation in your state expires in order to file a lawsuit, so you can speak with an attorney even if your accident is in the past and you feel fully recovered.
However, it is never wise to wait until you are close to the limit. Many attorneys will not take on a case if it is too close to the statute of limitation. Doctor First, Attorney Second. That’s my motto. Contact your attorney early and often.
Why Should You File a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
In contrast, a lawsuit can help you get monetary compensation for things like the following:
- Lost wages
- The cost of medical bills
- Disability accommodations you had to add to your house or car because of the effects of your injuries
- Emotional suffering
- Physical pain
- and more.
What Will Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit Cost?
If you decide to file a personal injury lawsuit, you will have to pay your attorney to handle the case for you. However, many personal injury attorneys don’t take payment unless you collect money.
When you do collect, they’ll deduct the attorney fee from the amount that you collect in the lawsuit. These fees include charges for things like: your lawyer’s contingency representation fee, filing fees, court reporter costs, the cost of copying records and documents, and more.
Also, your medical bills will be deducted from the money you collect.
If you’ve been injured or in an accident, consider reaching out to an attorney who can help you get compensated fairly by your insurance company.
Smiley Law Firm is an excellent resource for handling your lawsuits for incidents like car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle or bike accidents, construction site injuries, and more.
Our experienced legal team can help ensure that your case is being handled properly and that you’re being compensated as fairly as possible.
