Say you were involved in a car accident. You were driving along, following the rules of the road, when another driver ran a red light and slammed into the side of your car. You went to the emergency room, your car was severely damaged, and bills started piling up. Soon after that, the other driver’s insurance company contacts you with a settlement offer. You need the money. It’s tempting to accept the offer. But should you? Is the offer fair? Can you do better?
Don’t Accept a Settlement Without Getting Legal Advice
Initial settlement offers are usually not fair. Remember that the insurance adjuster who contacts you doesn’t have your best interests in mind. He or she works for an insurance company and wants to save that company money.
If you were hurt in an accident, you may have costs that will last for a very long time. You may, unfortunately, continue to need medical care for your injury for longer than you expect now. You may lose more time from work than you thought you would. It’s important that you get a fair settlement now so that you are protected into the future.
The best thing you can do when you get a settlement offer from the other driver’s lawyer is to talk to a personal injury attorney. This attorney will be working for you, not for an insurance company. The attorney’s only goal is to get the best possible result for you. An experienced personal injury attorney will know:
- How much your case is really worth.
- Whether a settlement offer is fair or not.
- If you should settle or go to trial.
- What experts to call and how to collect and present evidence.
- How to negotiate effectively to get a fair settlement offer.
GCW Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help
If you are a do-it-yourself kind of person, you might be tempted to try to negotiate with the other driver’s insurance company by yourself. You are allowed to do that, but you would be putting yourself at a disadvantage. The insurance company will have lawyers who know all about personal injury law. When you have a personal injury lawyer working for you, then it becomes a fair fight. Your lawyer can keep the insurance company from taking advantage of you and will tell you when you should pass up a settlement offer because it is too low.
At GCW, we want to help if you or a loved one has been injured in an accident. We have more than 30 years experience with car accident cases. Even if you were partially at fault or if the other driver didn’t have insurance, we want to talk to you. You don’t need to pay us anything up front. We don’t charge a fee until you get compensation for your injuries. Contact us at for a free consultation, and we would be glad to discuss any settlement offers you may have received.
