In the days following a car accident caused by someone else and their negligent driving, a phone call with the offer of a check sounds like an appealing notion. Why wouldn’t you take the check the at-fault driver’s insurance company is offering and run with it before they change their mind? Because they’re low-balling you, you have no idea what kind of medical bills you might incur, and you probably don’t even know how much damage really occurred to your car at this point. Don’t take the check. It’s tempting and very enticing, but don’t do it. There are a few reasons an immediate settlement offer should be an immediate refusal.
Call An Attorney
Before you accept a check from anyone or settle for anything, call an attorney to find out what options you have, what rights you have, and what you might not know. The law works in favor of the best interest of those who are innocent, and it’s easy to think you know your rights. Our office never charges a fee for the initial consultation. This means if you have no case and we aren’t retained for your services, you walk out of our office with free legal advice,
If you do have a case and we can help you, you’re still not charged for the first meeting and we don’t charge you until we win the case. This means now is the best time to seek legal advice regarding the settlement offered to you. Call us to find out your rights, and to find out if the settlement being offered to you is a good one.
Complications with Accepting Immediate Settlement
If an insurance adjuster has issued an estimate for the cost of your car repairs, the at-fault driver’s insurance might call with an offer. There are a few complications with the acceptance of this offer. The first is simple. If you take money from the insurance company as a settlement offer, you cannot seek more compensation if you find out your bills are higher.
You don’t know yet what kind of injuries you might live with. If you’ve only been to the doctor to find out you have injuries but the extent of them is as yet unknown, you could end up with lifelong health issues that require frequent doctor visits, special equipment, or more. Can you afford to pay for those things if you settle before you know what you need in the future? If you are recovering and have no long-term effects from the injuries you sustained, you might assume you’re just fine until the doctor calls to tell you your X-rays showed complications and surgery is a requirement. If you’re out of work and lose your paycheck as a result, now you have no way to collect lost wages.
If your car is being repaired and the mechanic finds more damage once they get into the car and the mechanics of it, you don’t have the additional funds to repair the car. If your car needs more work and more money, can you afford to pay that out of your own pocket? You never know what might happen, and taking money from the at-fault driver’s insurance company means you might not receive additional compensation.
Let us help you determine your next step. The settlement offer might sound appealing, but it’s low. You have the right to come back to the insurance company with another offer that’s higher and more realistic. Remember that insurance adjusters want to give you the lowest amount of money possible, so they’re always starting on the low end with offers. You have the power to negotiate, and they have the power to offer a higher settlement. Let us help you find the most compensation for the injuries and damages you suffered.
We can determine whether a lawsuit is necessary, and we can help you find the best care in the area to help recover from this accident. You are not to blame for what happened, so don’t let another driver’s insurance company protect them over your rights.