Car accidents are never pleasant. They come with painful injuries, expensive medical treatments, and of course, the predicament of settling an amount with your insurer. In most cases, getting your insurer to agree on a fair compensation is nothing short of a nightmare.
Insurers use various tactics to get you to settle for a low amount or find ways to blame you for not reporting the accident earlier. When dealing with claims of permanent or serious injuries, it’s always best to hire an experienced car accident attorney.
However, if you want to obtain the maximum insurance amount possible, the following are some key steps to take.
Instead of debating whether the accident was serious enough to take action, report it immediately. This will stop your insurer from scaling down the amount because you took too long to report. There’s always an insurance policy that states you need to report the accident immediately if you want to qualify for compensation.
However, while reporting, make sure not to make any claims that expose your faults or make you the culprit. At this point, every word you say carries weight, so narrate your accident wisely.
This is your time to set some boundaries. Always keep an estimated amount that you think the claim is worth. You can consult a car accident attorney to help you decide a minimum settlement. This will prevent you from giving in when your insurer tries to exploit you for a lower amount.
Never reveal this figure to your insurer and use it to guide the negotiation instead. However, if the insurer points out any factors that you might not have considered, it’s okay to settle for a lower amount – as long as it sounds fair.
This tip is very important. The best way to backup your car accident insurance claim settlement is to provide solid evidence. If you know you were not at fault during the accident, then go all in with security footage cameras, eyewitnesses, and even black box data of the other vehicle.
You can work with an attorney to access these sources. Perhaps, the offender was drunk while driving, was already booked for violating traffic laws, or the police report already cleared you of any faults. Narrating all this information will give your negotiation an undeniable edge.
Your insurer might offer an amount that’s ridiculously low. But because you’re unaware whether the offer is reasonable or not, you might impulsively agree. Ideally, you should consult a car accident attorney to find out if the claim really is reasonable or not. If your insurer can’t justify the low offer, you have some bargaining to do.
And, lastly, seek legal protection in all cases. When you hire an experienced car accident attorney, you will have the help of a professional who will negotiate and compile evidence on your behalf.
A professional car accident attorney can help you put each clause of the settlement in writing. This will serve as important proof in your favor. Get in touch with a reliable attorney in your area today!
