Personal injury is the most common type of claim filed in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California. When anyone involved has become careless or irresponsible in triggering the injury, they might be entitled to insurance. Those are the basics of California’s personal injury rule.
Yet what remains a mystery to many injured people in California is what needs to be done about the action needs to be taken to succeed in securing a fair settlement for personal injury. The last thing you want is to settle your claim for less than you is entitled to or to receive no compensation whatsoever.
So today, we requested our California Los Angeles car accident lawyer to explain the fundamental guidelines for resolving a personal injury settlement in a manner that maximizes the amount recoverable.
- Contact Your Insurance Company Immediately
Call your insurance company as soon as you can to let them know the accident has happened. Sometimes they will deny any compensation if you wait too long.
It’s also helpful to talk to your insurance company right away, so you can remember all the details of the accident more easily. Don’t admit any fault or give any opinions. Just tell them the facts about it. The only way to truly protect yourself from saying something that will be used against you later is to consult an experienced attorney before talking to anyone about the accident.
- Follow the Claim-Filing Rules
Insurance companies will seek every possible reason to deny your claim or minimize your recovery. Missed deadlines, incomplete paperwork, and inconsistencies with your story are red flags that will allow an insurance company to offer you less or deny your claim in full. Increase the chances of reaching a maximum settlement by following the filing rules of your insurance company. Find out about yours.
- Document Everything
Keep all of your medical bills, car repair estimates, doctor’s visit details lost wages and any other information relevant to the car accident. We can’t stress that enough.
It’s also a good idea to keep a journal of how you feel and how the accident has affected you in many ways to help you calculate your pain and to compensate for your suffering. Having everything documented will help to provide you with proof of your request letter.
- Don’t Be Quick to Settle
Insurance companies make a profit by getting you to settle as quickly as possible and for as little as possible. The worst thing you can do is settle your wounds before you finish treatment or find a fair amount of settlement. It is usually not possible to know the total cost and extent of your injuries until your treatment is over and you have achieved the maximum medical improvement (MMI). Wait until your doctor has cleared you or until you know the amount of all your medical bills and car repairs.
- Calculate all your bills and losses
After you have received all your medical bills and have your car repaired, you can add up the total cost. You will also need to include your lost wages and any other losses in the total.
The part where it gets tricky is when you have to make a difference in things like pain and suffering, future loss of wages and emotional distress. It can be difficult to set a specific amount for these damages, and that’s where a car accident lawyer comes in. They have the expertise they need to be able to look at your case as a whole and to figure out a fair amount.
- Send a Demand Letter
Once all the numbers and documentation are in hand, send a request letter to the insurance company, along with the documentation and any witness accounts. This letter details the accident and the amount of compensation you are requesting (and why).
A request letter is also something you might need to have professional legal assistance put together. You’re likely to have to negotiate an agreement with the insurance company, so your attorney can deal with all of this while you’re focusing on treatment and healing.
Hire an Experienced Car Accident Attorney
The best way to get a maximum settlement from a car insurance company after a crash is to sign a Los Angeles uber accident lawyer or car accident lawyer who will take care of the negotiations for you. Selecting a lawyer with experience working against insurance carriers can strengthen your case and make sure that no one takes advantage of you.
Hire our finest Los Angeles personal injury lawyer in California to assist you negotiate a maximum settlement offer in your specific case.
