Should I Take the Insurance Company's Offer After an Accident?
If you’ve been injured in an accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you’ll seek fair compensation for your physical, financial, and emotional losses by filing a claim through the at-fault party’s insurance provider. The goal is to reach a just settlement that covers your legal damages and supports your fullest recovery. Just because the involved insurance company makes an offer, however, does not mean it’s a fair offer. In fact, it’s always in your best interest to discuss the matter with an experienced Greenville personal injury attorney before signing off on anything the insurance company sends your way.
The Insurance Company’s Position
The insurance company is paid specifically to cover claims like yours, but this isn’t the end of the story. While the insurance company handling your claim wants you to believe that they are the final authority and that the offer they’ve made is as high as they can possibly go, the truth is that the law makes the final decision, and you may be entitled to considerably more than the settlement amount they’ve offered.
The bottom line is that insurance companies are profit-based, and they take whatever actions they can get away with to keep their profits high and their settlements low. An early settlement offer is generally a sign that the insurance provider is hoping to finalize the claim before the claimant recognizes the extent of their losses.
Calculating Your Damages
Your car accident settlement should address the full scope of your covered losses, which include each of the following categories:
- Property damage, such as to your car and its contents in a traffic accident that was caused by a drunk, distracted, drowsy, or speeding driver
- Your medical bills, which can be extensive and ongoing
- Your lost income, which can include losses related to earning potential
- Your physical and emotional pain and suffering, which can be more considerable than your other damages combined
Accepting a settlement before you’ve accurately assessed each category of loss can leave you with far less compensation than the amount to which you’re entitled.
How an Attorney Can Help
You’ve been injured by someone else’s negligence, and obtaining just compensation can make a serious difference in your ability to recover. A practiced personal injury attorney can help in all the following important ways:
- Gathering and knowledgeably compiling all the available evidence
- Proving the other party’s fault in the matter
- Demonstrating the full range of your covered losses
- Skillfully negotiating with the insurance company for a just settlement
- Helping you avoid the kinds of common mistakes that can weaken claims
- Being well prepared to take your case to court when doing so is called for
Discuss Your Claim with an Experienced Greenville Personal Injury Attorney Today
The formidable Greenville personal injury attorneys at Fulton & Barr Attorneys at Law dedicate their practice to skillfully guiding challenging cases like yours toward favorable resolutions that compensate our valued clients fairly. The outcome of your case is important to your ability to fully recover and to your future, so please reach out and contact us online or call us at 864-235-3154 for more information about what we can do to help you today.
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