After you filed a personal injury claim, you need to do everything you can to get the most compensation. It is not easy to get compensation but with the help of some people, you can build a strong case.
You first need to deal with insurance companies or carriers. These companies handle personal injury claims and settlement on behalf of the at-fault party. Since you have to deal with the insurance company, it is crucial that you understand how they work so you can get the most compensation.
Here are the things that you need to know about personal injury insurance companies:
- They will not pay money willingly: you must understand that an insurance company will not pay money willingly. With this, you should expect a thorough investigation of the facts pertaining to the accident. If you do anything to compromise the claim, it will surely diminish its value.
- They will send adjusters: the insurance company will send along adjusters who will investigate the facts and determine how much is the case worth. The objective of adjusters is to keep the payouts low as possible to keep the insurance company profits. Their ultimate goal is to avoid a lawsuit. If the case does not settle, you have the option of going to court and filing a civil lawsuit. This is the time that you need an attorney like farar
- They will make a lower offer: if your case makes it to trial, the judge or jury will decide who is liable. This is risky for the company because they might end up giving very high settlement. Typically, the adjusters will decide on how much they are willing to pay out – sometimes it will be 25 to 50% lower than the maximum settlement. This is how they negotiate during settlement talks.
- They keep records of all claims ever made: the insurance company keeps a record of all claims ever made and they share it with each other through their comprehensive database. As soon as the adjusters have your identifying information like name, date of birth and SSN number, they will find any claims related to you. This could compromise your settlement if they find something incriminating.
Now that you know things about insurance companies, it is time to determine what you can do to fortify your case. Your attorney is a big help in strengthening your case. It is critical that you advise your attorney of any prior accidents and pre-existing injuries. Aside from that, you need to provide your attorney with the names and addresses of all doctors and other healthcare professionals who have treated you.
When you visit doctors, do not hesitate to tell them about all your complaints. The value of your claim will largely depend on the diagnosis and treatment plan by the doctor. In line with that, you need to keep a record of all prescriptions or medicines taken, as it will further strengthen your case.
More importantly, you need to keep a diary of all the limitations on your physical activities. This will help you remember the details when it is time to testify about how your injuries affected your daily life.