You’ve been in a crash, and it wasn’t your fault. Maybe you just had some bumps and bruises, but perhaps your injuries were a lot worse. Either way, it won’t be too long before the insurance company is trying to get your statement and making you an offer of settlement for your injuries and other damages. The offer might sound good initially, especially if you don’t think you were hurt too badly, or money is tight. The insurance companies know you might think their offer sounds good, and they try to use it to their advantage.
Insurance companies are big business. Their advertisements and sponsorships are everywhere, and for one big reason: they take in extraordinary amounts of money, and they want to pay out as little as possible. This is true even of your own insurance company. So, while you might think your own insurance company, which you’ve been loyal to for years or even decades, would have your best interests in mind, that is unlikely to be the case. So why does it make sense to hire a personal injury attorney?
Insurance companies know they are more likely to “get away with” a low, early settlement when an individual is without an attorney. Most people aren’t well-versed or experienced in settling bodily injury matters, which gives the insurance company’s adjuster an advantage in those “negotiations.” Adjusters are trained to make you feel comfortable talking to them, and to make you feel like they are looking out for you and trying to help you. Generally, they are pretty good at building your trust and getting you to buy in. This often leads to success in getting people to accept a settlement before the full extent of injuries is known, getting people to take a settlement which doesn’t adequately compensate losses, or otherwise getting people to sell themselves short.
A personal injury attorney can help make sure you are being fairly compensated for you injuries and the related losses, which might be lost wages, pain and suffering, future treatment needs, or other consequences of the negligent person’s conduct. A personal injury attorney has experience in negotiating, settling, and even trying personal injury cases, so the attorney can appropriately value the case based on your specific circumstances. Insurance companies value cases in specific ways, and an experienced personal injury attorney understands the insurance company’s perspective and tactics. This understanding can be on benefit to you and can help you avoid making a decision you may letter regret.
Beyond providing you with knowledge and experience, your personal injury attorney will deal with the insurance company directly on your behalf, eliminating that stress and frustration for you. Armed with experience in how the insurance companies work and knowledge of your case, your attorney will seek to negotiate a favorable settlement for you. Such a settlement might come prior to filing a lawsuit, after filing one, at mediation, or days before trial. And if a settlement can’t be reached, though uncommon, your attorney will take your case to trial where a jury will determine your damages after hearing about the crash, your injuries, and the impact of the injuries on your life.
Insurance companies have teams of adjusters and lawyers on staff working to protect their interests, so it only makes sense for you to have a team working to protect your interests. We handle personal injury cases on a contingency basis, meaning we don’t take a fee from you until we obtain a recovery on your behalf. If you have been injured by another person, give the injury attorneys at Banks & Brower a call to discuss your case. We can help you navigate the often long process and work to obtain a fair outcome on your behalf.