In a personal injury case, unfortunately, having the law on your side isn’t everything. You may have been injured through no fault of your own, but when it comes to getting a fair price for your case, it depends less on the circumstances surrounding the accident and more on the ensuing negotiations.
The insurance companies can be relentless in their pursuit of a lower settlement. Those without adequate legal representation often end up settling the case for much less than it is worth. For legal representation that will push for a fair settlement for your injuries, contact Greene Broillet & Wheeler for more information.
These are just some of the strategies you and your legal counsel can employ to push for a fair settlement and ensure you receive adequate compensation in your personal injury case.
Thoroughly Documenting the Scene
Meticulous documentation of the accident scene will ensure you have adequate supporting documentation to verify your version of events. This means taking photos of the accident scene, photographing the damage to your vehicle, photographing any signals or lights at the scene, documenting the precise position of each car both before and after the accident, photographing any injuries you and other passengers suffered, and documenting the weather and traffic patterns at the time of the incident.
Having photographic evidence of these conditions will prevent the other party’s insurance company from disputing fault and mitigating the blame.
Keep Track of Hospital Visits and Medical Treatments
Documenting any doctor’s visits and medical treatment will help increase the value of your case. Treatments from specialists are often given higher value, as are continued medications. Your documentation should also track any psychological treatment you had to receive following the accident, as well as any physiotherapy.
Don’t Accept the First Offer
The first offer should be the benchmark from which negotiations begin. They are, under no circumstances, the final negotiation. Insurance companies always offer a low settlement amount as their low offer. They do it to assess your understanding of the value of your claim. People that don’t know how much their claim is worth are often impatient and jump at the first offer when holding out for a higher settlement will always produce a higher settlement. To tackle such situations, it is best to hire a car accident lawyer as they are well-versed with the legal laws and hence, can easily negotiate with the insurance adjuster. You can also go through this website to know how these lawyers help build your case and help you get the claim you deserve.
Get the Adjuster to Explain Their Offer
One of the best ways to determine how low the adjuster’s offer is is by getting them to explain it. They should outline several reasons why their offer is low, for example, because there was limited or no emotional damage etc.
This then gives you the opportunity to directly address their points and return with a higher counter-offer supported by specific evidence to demonstrate why your case is worth more.
Be Patient
Holding out for the highest settlement is part of the negotiation process. Being patient and not reducing your settlement demand until the adjuster has responded with a counter-offer and given precise reasons why they are seeking a lower settlement is essential.
Settlement negotiations can be slow. However, keeping these strategies in mind and staying patient is the best way to secure a fair settlement price for your car accident injuries.
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