Most lawyers will tell you that you’ll be visited by an insurance adjuster immediately after you were involved in a personal injury accident. However, it is important not to try and negotiate on your own with the insurance company but allow the lawyer to handle it on your behalf.
What makes the insurance adjuster tick?
A lawyer will tell you that it’s the insurance adjuster’s job to make sure that you get the lowest settlement amount possible. This saves his or her employer a lot of money. That said, insurance adjusters are aware that you will probably take the case to court if you’re not happy with the settlement that he or she offers you out-of-court.
There is a chance that you may be awarded a high settlement by the courts. This and the fact that trials are expensive gives the insurance adjuster a strong incentive to make sure that you don’t sue the defendant in court.
How does the insurance adjuster decide on an offer?
Insurance adjusters look at certain factors before deciding on a final settlement for you. Personal injury lawyer in Waterdown will tell you that some of these factors include:
● Actual and future expenses
● Lost income and lost the ability to earn in the future
● Pain and suffering
● Other injuries
Medical expenses are straightforward and easy to calculate. Pain and suffering are not. It needs the skill and experience of a lawyer to calculate and translate the
Policy limits
If the defendant has an insurance policy with a $100,000 limit the largest settlement amount you can get is $100,000. It doesn’t matter if your personal injury accident cost you $1,000,000. You will have to sue the defendant for his or her personal assets (if he or she has any) to get more money.
How strong is your case?
You are the plaintiff in this situation. Your lawyer will tell you that if you have a strong case, you’ll probably get a larger settlement because the insurance adjuster knows that the chances of your case winning in court and you getting a huge settlement are high.
When dealing with the insurance company
You should do some things to maximize your chances of getting a fair settlement from the defendant’s insurance company:
● Hire a lawyer
● Provide clear evidence showing that the defendant was at fault and caused you substantial personal injuries
● Send a demand letter to the defendant’s insurance company
As you have seen, insurance adjusters can be tricky. This is why you need to have a good personal injury lawyer on your side. However, it is important to hire their services right after you have been in an accident.