By Getting injured is never a nice thing to go through, and there are about as many different types of personal injury claims as there are different ways to be injured or hurt. If you have been hurt through no fault of your own and have suffered physically, emotionally, and even financially as a result, you should definitely file a personal injury claim. Depending on the severity of your injury and the impact which it has had on your day-to-day life, you could be compensated thousands or even millions of dollars. We’ve put together some handy tips to help you ensure that you not only win your personal injury claim, but also to make sure that you get the best settlement option available.
Tip #1. Get an Attorney
Hiring an experienced injury attorney is the best choice to make when it comes to winning your claim and getting as much compensation as possible. If you are demanding compensation for serious injuries and pain and are expecting to be entitled to beyond just a few thousand dollars, having an attorney to handle your case is essential in order to ensure that you win and get the compensation that you need. Often, insurance adjusters do not take unrepresented claimants as seriously as they would a claimant who had an attorney from the start.
Tip #2. Have a Settlement Amount in Mind
When you write your settlement demand letter, you will have determined a range when it comes to what you believe your claim is financially worth. This will account for a number of different expenses, including any medical expenses caused by the injury, wages lost from taking time off work as a result of the injury, compensation for a loss of life quality or decline in mental health, and compensation to cover the costs of any future treatments.
Tip #3. Don’t Accept the First Offer
In personal injury claims, it’s very common for insurance adjusters to offer a very low amount for their initial offer, or in some cases, even denying liability altogether. This tactic is a very clever one, as the adjuster will also use it in order to discover whether or not you are aware of what your claim is worth, and to try and settle the claim at the lowest possible cost. When the first offer is made, you should determine whether or not it is a reasonable offer for your claim. If the amount is much lower than you expected, it is most likely the tactic mentioned above. Usually, a lot of bargaining will be needed to get the final settlement offer that you want.
Tip #4. Make it Personal
A personal injury claim is just that – personal. When discussing why you believe you are entitled to whatever amount you are claiming for your injury, it’s important to make sure that you mention any strong emotional points that support your claim. If you have recently been injured or are currently recovering from an injury that warrants a lawsuit, document the changes the injury has made to your life.
Consider the points we have outlined carefully when settling a personal injury case.
