If you have been injured in a car accident and bring a claim against the at-fault driver, they may try to settle the case before it goes to trial by offering to pay you a certain amount of compensation. This amount is guaranteed to be below what you would receive if you won your case in court. You do not have to accept an offer that is too low, and you should never sign off on any settlement before consulting with an experienced lawyer. If you receive a low settlement offer, you should respond with a counteroffer asking for the amount you think your case is worth.
How Do I Know What My Case Is Worth?
A lawyer with extensive experience with personal injury cases can help you determine a fair compensation amount that encompasses all your consequences due to the other driver’s negligence. It is important to consider how long your injuries will take to heal and if you will be left with any chronic conditions that require lifelong medical treatment. All of these factors are part of calculating what your case is worth.
Insurance companies will often offer a settlement right after you file a lawsuit and before your medical treatment is even finished. Never accept an offer before you know the actual cost of care for your car accident injuries. Once you settle a case and accept an offer, you cannot go back and ask for more compensation if your injuries require further treatment.
Should I Hire a Lawyer?
While you can try to negotiate a better settlement offer yourself, hiring an attorney often gets better results. Insurance companies have teams of lawyers whose sole job is to reduce the compensation they might have to pay to accident victims like you. They know that most people are easily intimidated or do not realize they can reject a settlement offer. To protect their bottom line, they will first make a low settlement offer and wait for you to accept it.
If you hire a lawyer, the insurance company will understand that you mean business. Your lawyer will negotiate on your behalf by presenting detailed evidence of damages for which you should be compensated, including medical costs, property damage, wages lost, and pain and suffering. Your lawyer will also file all the necessary paperwork and ensure you do not miss any deadlines. You can concentrate better on your recovery and getting your life back on track if you have a lawyer to negotiate your car accident settlement.
Talk to a Delaware Car Accident Lawyer at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC to See if You Are Being Offered a Fair Settlement
If you have been injured in a car accident caused by another person’s negligence, be sure the amount you are being offered is fair. Contact a Delaware car accident lawyer at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC. Schedule a free consultation by calling 302-888-1221 or completing our online form. Located in Wilmington, Delaware, we serve clients in Dover, Newark, and Middletown.