Being involved in a car accident can result in significant injuries, causing you to rack up piles of medical bills and other damages. While recovering from your injuries, you might also miss work and lose wages. All these factors can put an enormous strain on your financial condition. Additionally, you may need to deal with emotional trauma from the accident too.
The good news is that you have the right to seek compensation from the insurance company of the at-fault party. If the settlement offer by the insurance company seems too low, you have the right to reject it and demand the compensation you want. An attorney can help you with the process. Speak to Palmdale Lancaster personal injury lawyers today.
Steps to take when the insurance company offers a low settlement offer
- Analyze the offer.
When the insurance company makes an offer and it seems lower than what you expected, make sure you analyze the offer properly before contesting it. Sometimes the insurance company may offer a lesser amount because they do not have enough information about your damages. In such a situation, review the information sent to the insurers to check if you have missed anything. There are chances they might rethink their offer.
- Ask questions.
Once you have analyzed the offer and it still seems low, ask a few questions to the insurers. Ask them what method they used to calculate the damages and ask them to break down the offer based on the information they have. The insurance company must give you proper reasons as to why they have offered that exact amount. They cannot think of any random amount and go with it.
- Make an offer.
An attorney can help you create an estimate of your damages by analyzing your case. If you have a specific figure in mind, you have the right to present it as a counteroffer. You should consider all your damages and losses when you make the offer, but make sure the amount you demand is slightly higher than the exact amount. This way, if the insurance company makes another counteroffer, the amount won’t be too low.
- Take them to court.
If you have sent the insurance company all the information about your damages and they still won’t settle for a reasonable amount, you can take your claim to court in Palmdale Lancaster. You can file a lawsuit and allow the court to take the decision on your behalf. However, that would also mean that you could lose your case and have an additional expense of litigation.
