If you have been seriously injured in an accident caused by the negligence of another person, you may be entitled to financial compensation from that person’s insurance company. The insurance company will make you an offer of compensation that you may feel tempted to take. However, you should always ask an experienced lawyer, “Should I accept personal injury offer?” This is recommended whether you think the offer seems reasonable or not.
Unless you are very experienced in dealing with personal injury claims, you may not be able to analyze whether or not the initial offer from the insurance company is as good as it appears. In many cases, you are likely to receive a better financial settlement if you get advice from an experienced personal injury attorney.
Give it Time
Before you accept an offer, wait until you have had time to heal, or at least understand the true nature of your injuries. In the first weeks after an accident, you may be in a state of emotional and physical shock. You may be in pain and you might feel psychologically disoriented. It can take a long time to determine the exact extent of your physical and emotional injuries.
There are often hidden dangers to accepting an initial offer. Long term symptoms are not always apparent at first glance. Although you may appear to be making good progress at first, you may find that over the long term you are affected by chronic pain or loss of mobility. You may find that you are not able to fully return to work due to your accident, and your future financial situation may suffer.
Consider Additional Expenses
You may be faced with additional expenses you did not anticipate. For example, you might have to make physical changes to your home, such as installing a ramp to make it wheelchair accessible. You may need to hire a caregiver on a part time or even full time basis. You may no longer be able to do tasks around the home such as vacuuming or mowing the lawn. You may have to pay someone else to do these jobs.
Negotiations
As an average citizen, it is very likely that you are not experienced in negotiating with insurance companies. This puts you at a disadvantage because the insurance company has specialized attorneys and adjusters on staff. The insurance company will try to pay you as little compensation as possible so they can keep more money for themselves. This is important to keep in mind when you are trying to decide whether or not to accept their offer.
It is best to consult a lawyer when you are wondering, “Should I accept personal injury offer?” An experienced attorney will know how to negotiate with the adjusters from the insurance company. This can help you get the best deal to compensate you for pain, loss of mobility, additional expenses, and loss of potential income in the future. Whether you think the initial offer is adequate or too low, it is still a good idea to have the offer reviewed by an attorney who specializes in personal injury cases.
