Tips to Get the Most Money for your Personal Injury Claim Settlement
If you have been the victim of an accident and you sustained injuries – and you believe it was the result of negligence or carelessness of another person – then you may be eligible for compensation from a personal injury claim settlement.
Your goal is to maximize your potential compensation. It is important to realize that when you go up against an insurance company, they want to limit how much you receive in a personal injury claim settlement. They are a for-profit company that only cares about maximizing their profits. But you are focused on recovering as much money as you can to cover the cost of your medical bills and restore your life to how it was before the accident.
So, what steps can you take to increase the amount of a personal injury settlement? What you do after an accident matters. That is why we are offering these recommendations that are designed to help you get the most money from your personal injury lawsuit.
7 Ways to Maximize Your Personal Injury Claim Settlement
1) Fully Value Your Claim
The amount you could collect for your personal injury claim settlement is practically limitless. Your settlement will essentially cover loss of bodily functions, emotional damages, use of your limbs, and more.
If your personal injury case goes to trial, the jury will decide your case by examining the evidence. So, the more you can do to preserve evidence, the more likely it is that you will win your case.
Also, be sure to carefully assess the categories of damages as they relate to your unique personal injury case. This will help you know the value of your claim.
2) Seek Medical Treatment
It is important to receive medical treatment even if it isn’t clear yet how severe your accident-related injuries are. Your objective is to receive a fair and just payment for your injuries and other losses. In order to make this happen, you need to know exactly the extent of your damages. You will want doctors and other medical practitioners to document your injuries and, from this, create a treatment plan.
Documentation is vital to have because it has a good chance of motivating the other parties to come forward with a higher settlement.
3) Create a Journal
With the ultimate objective being to maximize the personal injury claim settlement in your favor, it is important that you document everything you are experiencing. An ideal way to do this is by journaling. You are likely to not remember the specifics of the discomfort you endured earlier in the day or week.
But if you document in a journal your accident recovery journey – including the worst episodes involving medical issues – then you will capture all the relevant facts that could improve the odds of you receiving a more favorable dollar amount for the settlement.
You should be warned though that when you do divulge facts, including information from your journal, it could be entered as evidence in court.
4) Have a Specific Settlement Amount in Mind
In putting together your personal injury settlement demand letter, you will have determined a range of what you think your claim is worth. Before speaking with an insurance adjuster regarding your demand, it is best to decide on a minimum settlement dollar amount that you would be willing to accept within that range.
This settlement figure is only for you to know, and be sure not to disclose it to the insurance adjuster. Before the offers and counter-offers begin being presented between parties, it is helpful to already have your bottom line in mind. But also understand that you don’t necessarily have to stay with the dollar amount you initially set for yourself.
If the adjuster highlights facts that you had not considered, then that could make your personal injury claim weaker, and you may have to reduce your minimum dollar figure somewhat. However, if the adjuster begins with a low settlement offer, or a dollar figure at or near your minimum, or if you come upon evidence that makes your case stronger, it would be wise to revise upward.
5) Do Not Jump at the Initial Offer
It is common practice in personal injury cases for the insurance adjuster to launch negotiations by initially offering a low amount. By doing this, the adjuster is attempting to find out whether you understand what your case is worth, as well as test your patience.
When the first offer is presented, your response should be based on whether it is reasonable but too low, or so low that it is merely just a tactic to find out if you have full knowledge of the facts in your case.
If the initial offer is reasonable, you can put forward a counteroffer that is slightly lower than your demand letter amount. That sends the message to the adjuster that you are being reasonable and are open to compromise. Just a little more bargaining will likely get you to a final personal injury claim settlement that both of you believe is fair.
During these negotiations, you don’t need to review all the facts of the case again. But do emphasize the strongest points in your favor.
6) Consider Future Damages
When you have been in an accident that involves any level of injuries, it is important to factor in their short-term and long-term consequences. For example, if you will need medical treatment for the next five years, you want your personal injury claim settlement to cover that. Additionally, if you will lose wages in the future, you should be compensated for that too.
Keep in mind that you may not completely recover from your injuries prior to your personal injury law case going to trial or into negotiations. That is why it is essential to consider future recovery when you enter into negotiations for a settlement amount.
7) Hire an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
If you have sustained injuries in your accident, you are bound to receive substantially more in the case settlement with a highly skilled and experienced lawyer by your side. Having a competent attorney advocating for your interests will mean all the difference when you go up against the insurance company.
You want to scrutinize the level of expertise and skills that an attorney has before you hire them to represent you in a personal injury case. Consider what types of cases the lawyer has worked on in the past.
Roberts Jones Law Is Here to Serve Your Legal Needs During Personal Injury Cases
If you have been involved in an accident and there are multiple parties involved, you need the legal services from an experienced personal injury attorney from Roberts Jones Law. Our attorneys at Roberts Jones Law have the expertise and experience necessary to effectively handle multiple insurance companies simultaneously and to build a case designed to protect your rights and interests.
At Roberts Jones Law, we will provide you with the guidance, care, and support needed to secure the compensation you deserve. If you have been injured as a result of someone’s carelessness, breach of duty of care, or deliberate act, you have rights under the law to seek compensation for your damages.
Trust the attorneys at Roberts Jones Law when you want legal services catered to your individual needs.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not contain legal advice.
