Top 5 Reasons a Car Accident Attorney Will Get You a Bigger Settlement
Being involved in a car accident is never fun, especially when you end up with a personal injury. Many car crash victims rush to put the whole situation behind them by settling with the insurance agency as quickly as possible. The problem is that insurance agencies typically offer a low settlement amount that may sound reasonable to you but that may not actually cover your expenses. You want the settlement to account for things like ongoing physical therapy or lost wages due to time off of work to recover. A car accident attorney is fully prepared to negotiate with insurance agencies, often reaping settlements several times bigger than a person could get on their own. The best part is that it costs nothing to hire a personal injury lawyer; you pay for their services through a portion of the settlement.
Top 5 ways that a car accident attorney can get you a bigger settlement
- Notify the insurance agency
If you were just involved in a car accident you may be too busy trying to recover physically to even contact the insurance agency. A personal injury lawyer will take this task off of your plate by notifying the insurance agency about the accident promptly. They will also provide all the necessary details on your behalf.
- Gather evidence and conduct interviews
You do not want the insurance agencies to be the only parties completing an investigation and interviewing witnesses because their interest is in keeping settlements as small as possible and settling as quickly as possible. Your car accident attorney has your benefit in mind when they gather evidence and conduct interviews on your behalf. He or she will work with the insurance agency to handle the investigative work.
- Identify a fair value for your claim
Your car accident lawyer will look at all aspects of your accident and personal injury including how it has impacted your quality of life and the financial costs that you have and will incur. Your insurance agency will try to value your claim for as little as possible and may leave out important expenses such as lost wages.
- Write a formal “Letter of Demand”
Most people who are not a personal injury attorney have never even heard of a “Letter of Demand” and yet it is a critical part of the settlement negotiating process. A good car accident attorney will not only take care of this for you but it will use professional terminology and tactics that will be the most effective. A “Letter of Demand” is a letter stating a legal claim and demand for payment/restitution to settle the claim.
- Negotiate with the insurance agency
Perhaps the most important thing that your personal injury lawyer will do for you is to negotiate the settlement on your behalf. Car accident lawyers know how insurance agencies work and how to get the highest settlement possible.
If you have been injured in a car accident it is in your best interest to seek appropriate medical care and then contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
If you or a loved one is dealing with an accident or injury, you have enough on your plate. Let an experienced accident attorney fight for the justice and compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times bigger with the help of a lawyer. Call the caring accident attorneys at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
