Hiya: Having handled injury claims for years...the one thing I can tell you is that attorneys are really nothing more than a middle man. You can negotiate for yourself and here are some things to help you out. First - ideally you should not be trying to settle UNLESS you are DONE treating! Now that that s out of the way: Know how much your bills are. Keep track of ALL of your mileage (to and from doctor, physical therapy...to go get medications refilled...EVERYthing) If your doctor hasn t done so - ask for an impairment rating when you are DONE treating(some doctors may not do this) - This will be an indicator of what - if any - permanency you may have. If you have any permanency - your claim is worth more. Keep track of all of your time off of work for appointments, etc. Now.... If they ve offered $8000...without knowing more I d say one of two things: 1 - your bills are included in that $8000 which means they are likely under $4000 or 2 - your bills are not included - in which case the real offer is $8000 plus your bills (Unless you assigned a lein) Does it include your mileage, medications, time off of work? Can t really say without knowing more so it s hard to say if it is a fair offer. So, gets your ducks together, educate yourself and call the adjuster back with an outline to SUPPORT what you THINK you should get paid. But - keep in mind - just because you want a million dollars...doesn t mean you re going to get it. Goodluck! ~jifr!
My husband was just in an accident. We hired an attorney right away. Most personal injury attorneys don t charge you a fee until they win the case. And they can usually get a lot more out of an insurance company than $8,000. I wouldnt accept that. You have been suffering for more than 3 months. If you have any lost wages from this accident, you can get that back too. My attorney will get a percentage of what he wins for us. Which in the long run will be a hell of a lot more than we would have gotten on our own. If I were you, I d call an attorney and see what they think. It usually takes a lot longer than 3 months to seek any medical or personal injury damages. They just want to screw you over, and figure if they offer you a chunk of money, you ll go with it and take it. but do not take any money without speaking to an attorney first. They don t charge fees for the initial consultation for personal injuries. good luck!
$8k is fairly generous for a fractured wrist. If you get a lawyer and try for more you might see a couple extra $ in about 5 years or so. If you re lucky. If they won t go any higher, take the money and run.
I really really encourage you to get a lawyer. Make sure you have all of your documentation from the hospital, doctors, etc. You need to have proof of your injury. I would at least call a lawyer and get advice. It couldn t hurt! If you are very patient, you could get more money from your settlement by hiring a good attorney. You will have to pay the attorney, of course, when you win the case. You can find a lawyer who will take your case on contingency- meaning that you won t have to pay the lawyer unless you win your case. However, it won t be cheap. The lawyer may take about 40% of the total settlement amount. But let s think about it: If the insurance company agrees to give you $20,000 for your pain, suffering, medical bills, etc- that would mean that you would actually get $12,000, and your attorney would get $8,000. You just have to prove that you sustained a serious injury. I would not recommend that you go it alone. Find a reputable lawyer. Good luck to you.
best thing to do is talk to a lawyer..most give free consultations...you want to make sure that all of your medical bills are paid for by the at fault driver...then ask for pain amp; suffering. If the $8,000 will cover your medical bills and there is some left over...then take it...other then that you will have to get a lawyer
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