Coping with an auto accident injury is stressful enough—but when you face additional challenges like wondering how you’ll afford to pay your medical bills or battling with the insurance company to honor your claim, feelings of frustration and anxiety can escalate quickly. The unfortunate reality for most auto accident victims is that insurance adjusters will make a lowball settlement offer, hoping that you’ll accept this amount in your eagerness to get on with your life. However, remember that you have the right to reject this offer and push for a more equitable settlement. Here’s how.
Why Auto Insurance Adjusters Try to Lowball You
Although auto insurance companies claim that they can provide you financial benefits after an injury, they care about their bottom lines. Conditions like whiplash or other soft tissue injuries tend to be treated with more skepticism, and medical treatments from physicians are generally considered more valuable and credible than those from chiropractors or alternative medicine practitioners. It’s in their best interest to pay you the lowest amount of compensation they can, so they will make a lowball initial settlement offer to see if you’ll simply accept the offer and move on.
Pushing Back Against an Unfair Settlement Offer
When you receive an initial settlement offer, approach it with caution. Even if the amount seems enticing after weeks or months of waiting, consider whether it will cover your medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses resulting from the auto accident. Even if you want to accept the offer and move on quickly, pushing for a more substantial settlement is almost always in your best interest. Don’t worry that rejecting the offer will hurt your chances of obtaining an equitable settlement; while adjusters try to settle claims as quickly and cheaply as possible, they also want to avoid costly legal battles. They will listen to what you have to say and work with you to arrive at a fair settlement offer.
Work With a Trusted Temecula Auto Accident Lawyer Today
While many auto accident victims navigate the insurance claims process on their own, enlisting the support of an experienced auto accident lawyer can ease the recovery process and ensure you obtain the settlement amount you deserve. Your attorney can handle all communications with the insurance adjuster and push for an equitable settlement on your behalf. Instead of wasting your recovery time on stressful phone calls, you can trust that your lawyer will protect your best interests and negotiate a favorable settlement on your behalf.
To learn more about negotiating a fair settlement offer following an auto accident in Temecula or Murrieta, call Hales & Associates, A Professional Law Corporation today at (951) 489-3320.