After a motor vehicle accident, you will probably be concentrating on healing from your injuries. The negligent driver’s insurance company will reach out to you at some point to take your statement and discuss the details of the accident and often at some point offer you a settlement check. Before that happens, you should speak to a personal injury attorney like McMahon Kublick, PC in Syracuse, New York.
What to do About a Settlement Offer
After a serious accident, you can often feel the financial burdens that can follow. You begin to rack up medical bills that can cause added stress. The insurance company knows this and they know you need money so they take quick action to make you an offer and often it is a low settlement offer.
You do not need to accept any settlement offer from the insurance company. We advise you not to take any offer without first consulting with an attorney. The insurance company wants to offer you the lowest amount they can so they save money. Because of this, the offer they put out is not always a fair offer. Your expenses and damages may cost you more than what the settlement offer is.
It is possible that the insurance company may simply send you a check. If this does happen, do not cash the check because doing so will eliminate your ability to seek any further damages. Call the insurance company and inform them that you do not accept their offer. Your attorney will help you to negotiate a settlement that is fair and prepare your case for trial if need be.
When Should You Accept a Settlement?
You never want to accept any settlement offer until all of your injuries have healed. If the injuries you have are multiple, they may require ongoing medical care, future surgeries and rehabilitation that are often are not considered in a settlement offer. These costs can turn out to be astronomical and you could be held liable for any bills if you settle for less than what your medical expenses cost you. Way too often a common mistake people make is accepting a settlement offer too quickly.
Insurance companies go by standards when determining how much they should pay out in accident cases. The injuries you received may not be typical and could be more severe than what the standards suggest. You want full compensation for your injuries that are a direct result of the accident. You may also be owed money for lost wages, and pain and suffering.
If your injuries are disabling, then you may be owed money for loss of life enjoyment or other similar damages. An experienced personal injury attorney is there to help protect your rights and work to get you the compensation you are owed after an accident. At McMahon Kublick, PC. we have years of experience and have successfully resolved hundreds of cases to get our client the compensation they deserve.