Insurance companies frequently handle routine car accident claims, the majority of which involve property damage only. In most cases, you can handle a property damage claim on your own and come out o.k.
However, when personal injuries are involved, you’ll benefit from an attorney. We frequently find that insurance companies offer low ball settlements. We’ve found that we can almost always get better settlements compared to when clients represent themselves.
When offering a low ball settlement, the insurance adjuster will always do so with a smile. They want to give you the false impression that they are your friend and on your side. Unfortunately, that’s rarely true. They are trying to get you to settle for as little as possible. Here is a list of things that should trigger getting an attorney:
- The insurance company won’t pay the full cost of property damage, medical expenses, lost income, psychological pain and lost prospects.
- The insurance company delays settling a claim.
- The insurance company denies a claim (Sometimes the insurance company of the other party involved in the accident will claim their insured was not at fault or that the insured’s policy did not cover the accident.)
- The party at fault does not have insurance.
Regardless, you will benefit by using an attorney. An attorney can employ negotiating techniques with the insurance company that you cannot use on your own. Please review our post, How to Negotiate With an Insurance Company, for more details.
Our team of auto accident attorneys stands ready to help. Call or chat for more information. We hope to hear from you.