Should I Accept the Insurance Company's Settlement Offer?

Insurance providers are interested in making profits instead of maximizing payouts to personal injury victims. Many insurers operate under the strategy of “Delay and Deny”, hoping to delay the claims process to push the injured person to accept a lowball settlement offer.

Insurance adjusters rarely want to pay out a massive payout. It's essential to note that you can make a counteroffer when an insurance agent offers a settlement offer. However, you must make an informed decision before making a counteroffer. Here are some questions you should go over with your legal team:

• Is the counteroffer a fair settlement offer?
• Is the insurance company aware of all your medical expenses?
• Is the insurance company aware of the extent of your bodily injuries?
• How are your physical injuries and mental injuries affecting you and your family?
• Has your injury affected your future ability to work?
• How much have you incurred in lost income?
• Does the settlement offer cover the full amount of your personal injury claim?

If the answer to any of the above questions is “I don’t know” or "no", it's best to reconsider accepting the initial settlement offer. However, you must also consider the financial and emotional stress the settlement process will put you through. Ultimately, this is a complex decision that's best addressed by consulting with an experienced attorney.

When deciding if to accept the insurance company's settlement offer compare the offer against your total expenses. You should also ask insurance adjusters what factors they analyzed when valuing your personal injury claim, to see if they missed any information or expense.

If you decide to respond to the settlement offer, you must send in a written request detailing the circumstances of your refusal or acceptance of the offer. This will start a back-and-forth process as both parties continue to collect evidence to support their compensation request.

This is especially true in situations where the personal injuries are severe, as it's complex to accurately quantify a fair settlement amount for injuries that extend beyond the physical.

Refusing the settlement offer will kick start a negotiation process between both parties. Here, it’s incredibly helpful to have a licensed attorney available to ease the stress of this process and make sure that the insurance adjusters aren't cutting corners or intentionally offering a lowball settlement offer.

An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you recover fair compensation to cover vehicle repairs, present and future medical bills, pocket expenses, and non-economic damages, such as compensation for pain and suffering. At Marks Law Group, our skilled Decatur personal injury lawyers have helped thousands of car crash victims recover the compensation they deserve and we can help you, too. To schedule a no-cost initial consultation, contact our Decatur personal injury law firm today at (678) 251-9309. 

Do Settlement Offers Include Future Expenses?

The initial settlement offer from the insurance provider is almost always a low-ball settlement offer. This is because insurance adjusters don't calculate the value of any future financial damages. While the settlement offer might cover some of your economic expenses, such as property damage and medical expenses, it may not cover your future expenses.

Some motor vehicle accidents may cause catastrophic injuries that may require extensive medical treatment long after your personal injury claim is resolved, so getting compensated for any potential future medical costs is crucial. Other future expenses could include loss of earning capacity if you suffered severe injuries that left you unable to work.

Learn more: How much does Uber pay for accidents in Atlanta?

If an insurer offers you a settlement, you need to determine what it may cover in terms of all your past and future economic expenses. This is an issue you can discuss with one of the licensed personal injury attorneys at Marks Law Group.

What Should I Do About an Insurance Company's Settlement Offer?

When recovering from a motor vehicle crash, you're going through a financial pinch. You're racking up medical expenses, which could be stressful. The insurance adjustor know that you need money and therefore, they're ready to make a fast and often lowball settlement offer.

Learn More: What questions to ask a Car Accident Lawyer

You need not accept an initial settlement offer from insurance companies. Don't accept any settlement offers until you speak with an experienced attorney. The goal of insurance companies is to give the lowest amount of money they can because they want to make a profit. Therefore, insurance providers often offer a settlement that isn't fair. 

The insurance settlement offer may not even cover your medical costs and other financial damages. The claims adjuster may send you a check. Don't cash the check because doing so eliminates your ability to seek any future damages. Inform the insurance company you don't accept the settlement offer. However, it's essential to remember under Georgia's statute of limitations, you must file a personal injury claim within a time frame of two years after the injury.

When Should I Accept an Insurance Settlement?

Foremost, never accept an insurance settlement until all of your injuries are fully healed. If you have sustained severe injuries, you may require recurring medical treatment, rehabilitation, and future surgeries not considered in the initial settlement offer. The best personal injury attorneys use medical professionals to value future medical expenses. These expenses can be enormous, and you could be responsible for future medical bills if you settle for less than what your medical care will cost. The most common mistake car accident victims make is settling too quickly.

Insurance companies use minimum standards to gauge how much to pay in motor vehicle accident cases, for instance. Your injuries might not be typical, and they could be more serious than the set standards suggest. You may recover full compensation for the injuries you sustained in the accident. Further, you may also be owed money for other financial damages such as pain and suffering, and lost wages.

FAQ: What does a Personal Injury Lawyer do?

If you suffered a disabling injury, you may also be owed money for the loss of enjoyment of life or other similar financial damages. An experienced Decatur personal injury attorney will protect your legal rights and work to get you the compensation you deserve. At Marks Law Group, our legal team has extensive experience and has successfully resolved hundreds of severe personal injury cases to get injured persons maximum compensation after sustaining injuries in an accident.

Contact Our Skilled Decatur Personal Injury Lawyers Today for Legal Advice! 

If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident caused by another person’s negligence, you may seek fair compensation for your monetary damages through legal action. While you can pursue a personal injury claim without an attorney, working with an experienced personal injury attorney will increase your chances of recovering a larger settlement because an experienced lawyer has the knowledge and expertise to build a solid defense and negotiate with the other parties involved on your behalf. To learn more about the Georgia personal injury claim process and what you can expect given your case’s unique circumstances, contact our Marks Law Group today at (678) 251-9309 to set up your no-cost initial consultation.