How to Respond to a Low Settlement Offer from an Insurance Company
Are you trying to file a personal injury claim for an accident? If so, you are probably dealing with a lot of uncertainties. The legal process is difficult for the average person to take on. That’s why so many personal injury victims get help from a lawyer when filing an injury claim in Richmond, Virginia.
One of the issues that might come up when filing your claim is how to deal with insurance companies. The insurer is likely the party that will be paying out on the claim, so dealing with insurers is part of the deal.
But how do you handle insurance negotiations? How do you respond to a low settlement offer from an insurance company?
Dealing with an Insurance Company
Insurance companies are not easy to deal with. Insurers care most about one thing: profits. They view injury victims as profit losses, and they will try to minimize their losses if at all possible. For instance, if they think they can lower your payout, they will try.
Many insurance companies offer low settlements to injury victims because they hope you will agree to the money, no questions asked. Once you agree and are paid, you likely won’t be able to pursue compensation again, even if you later find out you were really owed more money.
But what if you know the insurance settlement offer is low? How do you respond?
Responding to a Low Settlement Offer from an Insurer
When responding to an insurer’s low settlement offer, remain calm. Use evidence to back up your requests for a higher offer. First, show the insurer why the money they offered you is unacceptable. Using evidence, show the insurer how their offer doesn’t equal the suffering and loss your accident caused you.
The more evidence you—or your lawyer—have, the easier it will be to convince the insurer to increase the settlement offer.
If the insurance company continues to refuse to pay you a fair settlement amount, talk to a lawyer from our firm if you haven’t already. A lawyer can often get the insurer to play ball. The insurance company knows a lawyer can’t be taken advantage of. Your lawyer will know the laws and the true value of your claim.
Our firm will do all we can to see that you get paid fairly. If not, we can always take the insurer to court. Insurers often start opening their pocketbooks when they realize court could be an option. They like to avoid court if they can.
Partner with a Top-Rated Richmond Personal Injury Lawyer
If you’ve been hurt in an accident in Richmond, you might be thinking about filing a personal injury claim. You can get experienced legal help with all of the steps to the injury claim process, including dealing with insurance companies.
Talk to a personal injury lawyer from Halperin Law Center, a top Richmond law firm, to get a better idea of what it takes to get compensation for your accident. Fill out the form below or call 804-527-0100 to schedule a free consultation with us.
