After you are involved in a car crash, one of the things you’ll need to deal with is the claim through insurance. When you make an insurance claim as a victim, it’s likely that the insurance company will offer a settlement at one time or another. That settlement may seem good, or it might feel like it’s not very good at all.
Whether you’re tempted to take it or not, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t take the first settlement that is offered to you. Instead, it’s worth looking into your legal options to negotiate after determining if that settlement is enough to cover your financial losses now and in the future.
Insurance companies aren’t on your side
It’s important to note that insurance companies don’t always have your best interests at heart. While the agent may be respectful and truly feel sorry for your situation and circumstances, it’s not necessarily their job to give you as much money as you need. Instead, their job is to protect the insurance company’s bottom line and save it money.
For this reason, many people are given insurance settlement offers soon after a collision. People who are trying to deal with their injuries, repair the damage to their vehicle, figure out how to pay their bills and get back to work may accept a settlement that isn’t really fair. They do this because they feel that the settlement is the best they’ll get or because they aren’t familiar with what they need to do after a crash to be sure they’re getting as much compensation as they deserve.
What should you do if you’re offered a settlement?
If you receive a settlement offer after a car crash, you should stop and think about it before you sign anything. It’s smart to review it with your attorney and to compare what you’re being offered with the expenses that you may have moving forward. Your attorney can always negotiate on your behalf so that you have a better opportunity to get the compensation you need, not just what the insurance company is trying to offer to save money.