Car accidents happen with little to no warning. In a matter of seconds, a person’s life can be torn apart. An injured accident victim sometimes finds themselves being victimized by the insurance companies. When the process is not going fairly, injured victims must take control and seek legal assistance immediately.
Tips for Negotiating a Car Accident Claim Successfully
The aftermath of a serious car accident leads to great stress for victims. How will they receive the medical care they need? What about their job? Who will pay? These are questions every injured victim has after an accident. To get the answers they need, victims need to consider getting legal help for car accident settlements. Consider the following tips for reaching a car accident settlement with a fair outcome.
- Injured victims must initiate the claim as soon as possible after their accident. Victims need to report the accident to their insurance company and that of the at-fault driver.
- Injured victims should keep extensive notes and records on their accidents and resulting injuries. From doctor’s appointments to talks with the insurance adjuster, victims should write everything down.
- Calculating the value of the claim is one of the most difficult aspects for injured victims. Injured victims must know how much their claim is worth, so they do not settle for less.
- Injured victims need to send a letter of demand to the insurance company that is highly detailed and lists all the suffered damages.
- An injured victim must not accept the first offer from the insurance company. The first offer is always going to be the lowest. Counter for a better settlement offer.
- Injured victims should get everything in writing. Do not take the word of the insurance company. Keep everything legal by getting it all in writing first.
Should Victims Hire a Lawyer?
A tough decision many injured victims face is whether they should hire a lawyer. Hiring a lawyer may not be necessary in every case. If the car accident was minor and no major injuries occurred, the settlement process will proceed easily. If there are major injuries, victims would be wise to get legal help right away.
Even if the victim is unsure if they need a lawyer, it never hurts to schedule a consultation appointment. Most lawyers provide free consultation appointments, so injured victims will not have to worry about the cost.
How to Prepare for the Consultation Appointment
Preparing for the consultation appointment is one of the most important aspects of the settlement process. The following tips should help ensure victims prepare to discuss their injuries and damages with a lawyer.
- Write down any questions before the meeting so victims do not forget to share. Make sure to bring a notepad to the meeting to take down important information shared by the lawyer.
- Take extensive notes about the accident and any suffered injuries. These notes will help ensure the victim shares all pertinent information with the lawyer.
- Gather any relevant documents. The lawyer may need to see the insurance policy and the police report. Make sure to have these available.
- Make extra copies of everything. Victims can lose records, and having extras on hand is beneficial.
Discover More Information
Dealing with the aftermath of a serious auto accident is never easy. Injured victims must be aware of their legal options for seeking a fair settlement. With help from a lawyer, it is more likely a person will get the settlement amount they deserve.
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