Dealing with the Insurance Company: 3 Common Mistakes to Avoid
Everyone should be aware of these three common mistakes to avoid when dealing with the insurance company after an accident. Unfortunately, we often encounter potential clients who have been offered lowballed settlements after major accidents. Why does this happen? Insurance companies have a strong incentive to offer small settlements in an effort to make accident claims go away. When injured victims accept the small settlements, the companies protect their bottom line. Our firm has the in-depth knowledge of how these large insurance giants operate, so we fight for fair compensation on behalf of our clients.
1. Don’t Accept a Small Settlement Before You Get Legal Advice
The first mistake we often see relates directly to insurance companies’ bottom line. Accident victims often want to move on, so they agree to relinquish their right to sue in exchange for a token payment from the insurer responsible for their claim. This could be a big mistake! Your case may be worth much more than you realize now. Or giving up the right to sue could hinder you later on, if your injuries cause lasting physical or emotional damage. It’s simply too big a risk to take a lowball settlement offer now, without proper legal advice.
What can a lawyer offer you? A levelheaded assessment of the true damages you suffered in comparison to what the insurance company offered, according to the many state laws that apply. The insurer won’t advise you about your rights or help you seek evidence to prove your damages. Only a lawyer will do that. Once you get legal advice, you may quickly realize that you deserve much more than you thought.
2. Don’t Admit Fault to Insurance Representatives
In accident cases, admitting fault could hinder your ability to recover damages. Why? It could be used against you when negotiating a settlement or hurt your chances in court. Unfortunately, insurance representatives can disclose any information you provide to their employer. If they call you to ask about the accident, you are not required to talk about whether you believe you or the other driver was at fault. Instead, you can refer them to your lawyer for any questions. Please get in touch with our office if you don’t have legal representation and are receiving calls from insurance regarding your accident.
Further, Florida law requires a jury in a personal injury case to apportion fault among the different people involved in an accident. An admission of fault to an insurance representative could hurt your case later. If you’ve been injured, we urge you to get a lawyer before you discuss the facts of your case with insurance.
3. Don’t Forget to Factor in Lost Wages and Other Damages
Sometimes, we hear from accident victims who receive settlement offers from insurance that sound impressive. An offer may cover all the victim’s numerous medical bills, with a small amount left over. When medical expenses are mounting, an offer like this might sound very attractive. But wait – what about past lost wages, future lost wages, and other types of damages? A settlement offer like the one described will not help the victim in those areas. Yet the law allows accident victims to seek to recover lost wages and other types of damages such as for emotional distress.
If you accept a settlement offer that does not account for your lost wages, you are missing out. Accident victims may miss work while healing from injuries. Further, accident victims may miss work in the future, earn less money, or have to stop working due to their injuries. Our legal team ensures that we include these important types of damages when assessing your claim. You may have only a short time to sue in court, so don’t wait any longer to get legal advice. The Law Office of Cary Woods II offers the insight you need to get the compensation that you deserve.
Struggling to deal with the insurance company after a serious accident? Call the Law Office of Cary Woods II to find a personal injury attorney who will fight for you from the start. With a winning combination of deep knowledge about the giant companies our clients face and a commitment to superior client service, our Miami-based firm finds success for injured Florida clients. You can schedule a free consultation with the Law Office of Cary Woods II by calling (786) 750-7872 or filling out our convenient contact form.
