5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Accept the First Settlement Offer After an Accident
An insurance company may quickly offer you a settlement if you’ve been injured in a car crash. While it might be tempting to accept the amount they put forward and move on, doing so can be a disadvantage to your long-term financial health. Here are five reasons why you should never accept the first settlement offer without careful consideration and a conversation with a Boca Raton personal injury lawyer.
- The First Offer Is Usually Too Low
Even when you connect with a kind, helpful insurance adjuster, you need to remember that insurance companies are businesses, so their bottom line matters. Because of this, their initial settlement offer may be much lower than what your case is truly worth. Adjusters count on accident victims accepting quick cash before they fully understand the extent of their damages.
- You May Not Know the Full Extent of Your Injuries
Some injuries, such as whiplash, concussions, or spinal damage, may take days or even weeks to manifest. If you accept a settlement before fully understanding your medical condition, you risk being left with unpaid medical bills and ongoing treatment costs that the settlement won’t cover.
- Future Expenses Aren’t Considered
It is also true that some car accident victims require long-term medical care, rehabilitation, or even future surgeries. An initial offer typically only covers immediate expenses and fails to account for ongoing costs, lost future wages, or diminished earning capacity.
- You Lose the Right to Seek Additional Compensation
To accept a settlement, you sign a release of liability, preventing you from pursuing further compensation, even if you later discover additional medical complications or financial losses. This can leave you struggling to cover expenses that arise later.
- Negotiation Can Lead to a Better Outcome
With the help of an experienced lawyer, you may be able to negotiate a fairer settlement. Legal professionals who have worked on similar cases to your own and achieved maximum settlements for past clients can put a true value on your claim. Then, they can push back against lowball offers, ensuring you receive compensation that fully covers your damages.
Don’t settle for less than you deserve. Instead of being rushed, take time to connect with professionals who can review your claim and assess its full value. Injury attorneys can also gather evidence to strengthen your case and handle negotiations with insurance companies.
If you’ve been injured, in a traffic incident, patience and proper legal guidance can make a significant difference in your financial recovery. Contact a Boca Raton personal injury lawyer to discuss your options and ensure you receive the compensation you need to pay off accident-related expenses, fully heal, and put an upsetting and painful event behind you.
Do you need another set of eyes on an offer you’ve received? Making an informed decision is essential, you don’t want to accept a settlement that is far lower than an amount you could have access to with legal support. Talk to the attorneys at Leifer & Ramirez to learn more. Call 561-660-9421 today.
