Personal Injury: 3 Tips To Help You Settle With Insurance
If you're in the midst of personal injury negotiations with the insurance company, you may be wondering what you can do to improve your chances of receiving the compensation you deserve. If you're serious about receiving compensation for your injuries, consider the three tips below.
Know What Your Injury Case is Worth
An insurance company may offer you a low settlement amount in the beginning because they likely assume you don't understand how personal injury cases are valued. If you're working with an experienced personal injury lawyer, however, they'll have provided you with all of the information you need to understand what your case is really worth.
While some aspects of your injury case may have exact dollar amounts, such as medical bills and property damages, compensation for other aspects, such as emotional pain and mental anguish, aren't so easily decided. Insurance companies use a formula to help them determine compensation for pain and suffering, but because pain and suffering can be subjective, you may feel the insurer is offering you too little. Before beginning negotiations, go over the calculations with your attorney and find a minimum compensation amount that you're comfortable with.
Only Correspond with Insurance Through Your Attorney
If you're working with a personal injury attorney, all correspondence between the insurance company and you should be through your attorney. Sometimes, however, an insurance company may try to catch you off guard.
If the insurance company calls you, emails you, or otherwise contacts you and your attorney is not aware of the communication, refer them to your attorney and leave it at that. All of the information that the insurance company needs can be provided by your attorney, and you don't want to have your words twisted in the insurance company's favor.
Be Prepared to Go to Court
If the insurance company is unwilling to work with you during negotiations, be prepared to take them to court to get the compensation you deserve.
As mentioned above, the formulas used by insurance companies to determine compensation for pain and suffering can be subjective. If you've provided the insurance company with proof that your pain and suffering was more than what they think, but they continue to offer low amounts, consider going to trial. When you work with an experienced personal injury attorney, your attorney will know what kinds of compensation others with similar injuries have received. If they believe that the insurance company is seriously low balling the offers, you may want to take the chance in court.
To learn more about the negotiation process, consult with an experienced personal injury attorney today.
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