When a person is injured in a car accident caused by a negligent driver, within a day or two following the crash, the other driver’s insurance company will call that victim. The insurance adjuster’s main purpose for this call is to do all they can to either minimize the amount the company is going to have to pay or deny the claim completely. The last thing the insurance company wants you to do is to speak with a Virginia personal injury attorney before speaking with them. If they can get you on the phone before you consult with an attorney, they may even offer you a settlement right away.
Although the offer may sound like a good one on face value, do not accept the offer. If you do, it could end up being a very costly decision. Speak with an attorney and find out what your claim is really worth.
Where Does the Insurance Company Come Up with Their Figures?
When the insurance company receives a car accident claim from one of their customers, the first thing the adjuster assigned to the claim will do is look at the facts of the accident and try to estimate how much a jury would award the victim if the claim ended up going to court. They take that amount and then come up with a settlement offer – usually a small percentage of what they think a jury award would be.
Typically, unless a person has actually been injured in a car accident before, most people are unaware of all the damages they are actually entitled to in a car accident claim. And this is exactly what the insurance company is counting on.
For example, the initial offer they make may cover the victim’s immediate medical expenses, however, it likely will not include the lost wages the victim has from being unable to work while they recovered and future medical expenses if it turns out that their injuries are worse than initially diagnosed. The offer will also probably not include compensation for non-economic damages like pain and suffering, scarring, and any permanent disabilities.
Contact Our Office Today
A seasoned car accident attorney will be able to calculate the amount of financial compensation you should be receiving. Insurance companies who may be eager to take advantage of an unrepresented party can quickly become more reasonable when they are negotiating with an attorney.
If you have been injured in an accident caused by another party, contact a Virginia personal injury attorney to find out what legal options you may have. The legal team at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp has almost 40 years of experience advocating for injured victims and their families and will help you get the financial compensation you deserve.
Each attorney at our firm is a skilled negotiator, but each one also has extensive experience in litigation should the insurance company fail to negotiate in good faith, like a $30,000 jury award for one client who suffered a whiplash injury in a chain reaction accident.
Call our office today for a free and confidential case evaluation.
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