Getting A Little Help

If you have been involved in an accident that was caused by another party in which you were injured, you are probably going to want to file a personal injury claim. When you file a personal injury claim, you can bring the case to court to ensure that you receive compensation for your medical expenses, as well as compensation for lost wages because of the time that you have had to take off work to recover from the injuries. Here are three tips to ensure that you receive the best possible settlement offer:  

Set an Amount: 

First off, you want to come up with your own amount that you believe is fair based on hours you missed at work and medical bill statements you have received. This amount that you determine is fair should be the lowest amount that you are willing to accept. However, don't let the insurance company know that this is the amount you are hoping to receive. Instead, you should wait and see what they offer. If they know what you are willing to accept, they aren't going to offer you more than that.

Don't Settle for the First Offer: 

When the insurance company makes the first offer, even if it's more than what you were hoping for, you shouldn't accept. This is because the first offer is always the lowest that the insurance company is going to provide. If the offer is extremely low, ask them to explain why they believe this amount is fair. Be sure to write down what they said so that you can refute the information in a letter to send to the company later. Doing this will often ensure that they come back with a higher offer amount. If the offer is high or at least somewhat reasonable the first time, provide a counteroffer, which they will often times settle on. 

Get an Attorney: 

There are times when you should be able to refute a personal injury settlement offer on your own, but there are other times when an attorney is necessary. For example, if the settlement you are wanting is over a few thousand dollars, you are probably going to want an attorney (such as one from Vick & Glantz, LLP) who can be sure that you are not taken advantage of and actually receive the money you deserve. Also, if there are problems determining whether or not the opposite party is truly at fault for your injuries, the case is probably going to go to court. In this situation, you are going to want an attorney to provide an unrefutable defense for you.    

When you utilize these three tips, you can be sure that the settlement offer you receive is the absolute best.