I have an offer from an insurance company. Why would I need a lawyer?

After an accident, it is not uncommon for an insurance company to try and close a case relatively quickly through lump-sum settlement offers. Insurers are keenly aware of just how desperate some people’s circumstances are. Many individuals who are struggling to pay medical bills or are dealing with lost wages will be in urgent need of money. The insurance company knows this and will often offer a settlement that is much lower than you’re owed to get you to accept it and go away.

Insurance companies may even try to convince the same people that accepting a quick settlement offer without consulting with an attorney will allow them to keep more for themselves. Many people learn all too quickly that the early settlements they accept are not enough to cover the full expenses they will incur due to their injuries. When you are offered a quick solution, consider not just what you need now, but what you might need in the future.

How a Lawyer Can Help

You need to remember that signing a settlement releases a negligent party from any further liability claims, meaning that you will have absolutely no legal recourse when the money runs out. You should let an attorney handle all of your settlement negotiations for you. A lawyer is going to be far more likely to have an accurate idea of not only how much you will require, but how much you are entitled.

Agents for insurance companies will try to be very friendly when they are extending these settlement offers because they want you to think that they are on your side. An insurer is only committed to pleasing its stockholders by always increasing profits, and paying large amounts to settle injury cases does not help achieve that goal.

A lawyer, on the other hand, has a legal obligation to only take actions that serve your best interests. An attorney is expected to place your interests before their own.

Too many people, when offered settlements by insurance companies, only focus on current bills for medical expenses, but there are so many other factors that deserve to be considered when negotiating a settlement to an injury case. You will want to make sure that the impact an injury has on your ability to work and operate in daily life is thoroughly compensated.

Some settlement offers are extended to people by claims adjusters assigned to investigate the cases for the insurance companies, and you have the right to ask a claims adjuster how a settlement offer was determined. The claims adjuster could offer justifications for their offer, and you may be inclined to try to argue why the amounts should be increased when the reasons are not particularly compelling.

Don’t Be Fooled by the Insurance Company. Contact an Injury Lawyer To Discuss Your Rights

If you’ve been hurt in an accident, don’t let the insurance company trick you into accepting less than what you’re rightfully owed. By consulting with an experienced attorney, you’ll have a qualified advocate on your side, fighting for the full amount that will help to make you whole again. Because most attorneys, like the skilled Danville injury lawyers of Spiros Law, P.C., represent clients on a contingency fee basis, you won’t have to pay anything upfront for quality representation. Instead, your lawyer will only collect a fee when they win money for you.

For help understanding your rights to compensation after an accident, contact Spiros Law, P.C. at (217) 443-4343 today.