Every day, car accidents occur, injuring more than three million people. Two million of those vehicle accident victims have lifelong injuries that will continue to cause them suffering for the remainder of their lives. The sooner your vehicle accident claim is resolved, the sooner you can concentrate on your rehabilitation.
If you’re like the majority of people, you’re probably questioning if hiring a car accident attorney is really required. Here’s how to settle a vehicle accident claim without hiring a lawyer, so you can make the best financial and personal choice possible.
When Should Self-Representation Be Considered?
It is undoubtedly feasible to represent oneself in a personal injury claim after an accident and get a favorable outcome. This is particularly true if you have prior experience resolving legal issues on your own and are capable and ready to advocate for yourself and your cause.
How severely were you injured? If you slip and fall at a shop and get a few bruises, the business may not fight you and may give a speedy settlement to pay your medical fees and compensate you for your inconvenience.
However, if you were involved in a catastrophic car crash, have had extensive medical care, have lost a large amount of income, and have suffered significant pain and suffering as a consequence of your injuries, you may choose to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney. When losses are substantial, the stakes rise for everyone—for you, since you want appropriate reimbursement for your injuries, and for the defendant (often an insurance company, health or car insurance), which does not want to pay a high settlement sum. This is when things get contentious, and it is also when you need someone who is familiar with the (often nasty) back and forth of litigation.
However, as with the severity-of-injury issue outlined above, you should anticipate a more contentious battle if it is not immediately evident that the defendant caused the underlying accident. The defense may even throw the blame back at you, claiming that you were not paying attention to your surroundings when you fell, or that you were driving too quickly and could have prevented the automobile accident, or that you tripped down some steps while on your phone (not because the stairs were faulty). If the case is complicated then don’t be shy to contact the best lawyer in Houston for car accidents.
Determine The Amount of Your Losses
Before you can begin negotiating a settlement, you must first establish an accurate estimate of the losses you sustained. This is in addition to the physical damage to your car and any injuries sustained. A car accident lawyer in Texas can help you with that. Add up all of the costs you’ve spent since the accident occurred. Include all expenditures, from automobile repairs and medical bills to revenue lost due to missed work.
Bear in mind that determining the precise amount of your losses might be challenging. You must consider every conceivable expenditure in order to get the maximum settlement. There is no harm in first being too demanding, as long as you are willing to discuss the settlement amount.
Talk With The Car Insurance Adjuster
Before you can begin negotiating a settlement, you must talk with the insurance adjuster to ascertain the amount of coverage they are prepared to provide after the filing of your claim. They’ll assess the extent of the damage to your vehicle and any medical bills incurred as a result of the collision. They’ll utilize this information to determine a payment amount that, in their opinion, is reasonable. It is uncommon for such payments to be sufficient from the start.
To maximize the value of your settlement, you’ll need to bargain with the insurance company. Put your emotions on hold whenever you talk with the insurance provider. You must maintain your composure, cool, and collected demeanor while speaking with them in order to pay attention to what they say and spot any issues with their viewpoint as they arise.
Write Your Demand Letter
After determining the insurance company’s willingness to pay, it’s time to create your demand letter. This is your opportunity to explain why the insurance company’s settlement offer is inadequate and why you want more funds. Take care to specify the degree of your injuries and losses, if possible, using exact figures.
Demonstrate why the other motorist is liable for those extra expenditures and why their insurance company is obligated to compensate you. Though it is uncommon for a demand letter to be sufficient to boost your payment amount to the desired level, it is a beginning point. It communicates to the opposing insurance company that you are willing and prepared to battle for what is rightfully yours.
They will respond to your letter with a counter-offer. You now have the option of accepting the counter-offer or continuing to negotiate. If you accept the settlement, you are finished and may concentrate on reestablishing normalcy in your life. However, if you continue negotiating, you will almost certainly need to take the matter to court if you want to get the maximum amount of money.
In the next article we will explain and compare between the best and cheap car insurance companies (State Farm, Progressive, Geico) so stay tuned.
