• Insurance companies try to minimize your payments. Insurance companies use various negotiations and strategies to minimize settlement payments. Especially if you are filing a claim with another person’s insurance company, the other insurance company will often make it very difficult to get the full compensation you are due.
• Insurance companies do not want you to hire a lawyer. Insurance companies will often tell you they want to quickly process your claim. They want to do this BEFORE you hire a lawyer so you don’t fully know the value of your claim, or understand your rights. Insurance companies often give low-ball offers to claimants who are not represented in the hopes that they can quickly resolve a case without paying fair value. Settlement negotiations can often be a long process in order to get fair compensation. You need to be patient. And often, your medical situation may not be entirely known early on. It is possible your injuries get worse over time. It is important to know the prognosis of your injuries before you settle. Just know that quick settlements are often low settlements.
• You are entitled to many different types of damages. After an accident a number of expenses and damages occur. Medical bills, damage to vehicles or other property, loss of work, and pain-and-suffering are just some of the ramifications of an accident. The law protects people by allowing them to seek compensation from the party at fault.
• You cannot seek further compensation once you have settled. That’s right. Once you have settled with the insurance company, there is no going back to the insurance company for additional monies. The settlement release will close your case for good. This means even if you learn of more serious injuries and damages down the line, you will not be able to pursue them if you have settled. For this reason we highly suggest you talk with a personal injury attorney prior to entering into any settlement with the insurance company. A lawyer can help advise you regarding the value of your case and assist in negotiating a fair settlement for your injuries and damage. There is no question that hiring a lawyer increases your chances of receiving fair compensation, especially when more serious injuries are involved.

The Brick Gentry Trial Team has extensive experience in dealing with insurance companies for personal injury clients. Please feel free to contact us for a free case evaluation.