Should You Accept the Insurance Company’s Offer After Your Car Accident?

Insurance Company’s Offer After Your Car Accident

The short answer is no. Car accident injury damages typically consist of: lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering.

If your accident was very minor with little to no harm or injury to yourself or your car, then there probably isn’t much a car accident lawyer will be able to do. Any damages would most likely be a cosmetic fix to your vehicle and there wouldn’t be much to fight over.

But if your car accident is more than just a tap, then it’s possible you’ve had to miss work, seen a doctor, and your car had significant damage. We recommend not accepting the first (or any offer) until you’ve spoken with a car accident lawyer. While you may be trying to concentrate on recovery, the insurance company is trying to resolve the claim as quickly as possible for as little as they can. Many people start hearing from the insurance company looking for resolution within 24 hours of their accident.

What should you do when the insurance company makes an offer?

Accidents are headaches. Not only are you hurt, sore, and have doctor’s appointments, but your car is in the shop for weeks. You may be limited in being able to go to work, general physical activity, and even mental ability to function. Getting better and returning to a normal life is all that’s on your mind. But with car accidents come medical bills and possible time away from work. The financial pinch is something that makes things difficult. And unfortunately, insurance carriers are well aware of this and try to take advantage of it.

Among the many tricks insurance companies use, one is making you think the offer must be accepted and by a certain time or it’s no longer available. This can be intimidating. But there’s nothing requiring you to accept their offer. In fact, almost all car accident lawyers offer free consultations orcase evaluations . Our firm is no different. This meeting is designed to aid in determining your options. Insurance companies give their adjusters extensive training and procedures to handle claims. They know exactly what to do and look for when speaking with an unknowing car accident victim. They also know that when an attorney isn’t involved, they’re much more likely to get out of the claim paying less.

Another reason that insurance companies will try to settle claims quickly is because there is almost no way you’ll know the full extent of your expenses or injury. You may think that you’re feeling ok or just a little sore, but that’s your body’s natural defense to trauma.

When you settle a claim, the insurance company will send what is called a “release” along with the check. This means that you release the insurance company from all future liability, no matter how injured you are. So if you need surgery or other medical care down the road because of the accident, you won’t be able to claim those damages.

We recommend at least speaking with an accident attorney before speaking with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. If you don’t, we recommend informing the insurance company you won’t accept their offer until you’ve had proper medical care and been able to assess your damages. When you retain a car accident attorney, they will immediately become the point of contact with the adjuster and you shouldn’t continue to receive calls from them.

How a car accident attorney can help

Insurance companies have spent billions of dollars making people think accident attorneys will only hurt their claim, they’ll get less money, or countless other lies. And it’s worked. We understand being hesitant to hire a car accident lawyer. The entire process can be intimidating. Our goal is to treat every client like they’re our family and get them compensated for the consequences of someone else’s negligence. We will handle your claim from top to bottom and let you focus on your recovery. There is never an out of pocket cost to you and we only get paid when we win.

San Diego Car Accident Lawyer

My name is Daniel Hanecak and I am a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer. I know from personal experience how stressful and time consuming a car accident can be. When you call Hanecak Law Inc., you will speak with me directly. It is my aim to provide you with free and friendly advice. Call me today at 858-206-4DAN for a free case evaluation.

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