Insurance Settlement

After a car accident, the injury victim has to deal with the pain and stress of medical treatment, recovery, and figuring out how to provide for their family. Dealing with the insurance company can be frustrating and only adds to the stress. The insurance company may try to delay payment, deny your claim, or try to blame you for causing the accident. Learn how to increase settlement with an insurance company.

When dealing with the insurance company, there are some insider tips that can help make sure you don’t get taken advantage of by the insurance company and get the maximum compensation. At Mandelaris Law, LLC, we fight for drivers and their families in dealing with the insurance company after an accident.

How To Increase Settlement With An Insurance Company

The car insurance companies are in the business of making money. Their goal in handling an auto accident claim is generally to get away with paying out as little as possible. The insurance adjuster may seem sympathetic when they first contact you but the adjuster may be trying to get you to say something they can use against you in denying your claim.

Instead of worrying about saying the wrong thing to the insurance company, you can just refer them to your Colorado auto accident attorney. The insurance company understands that when they are referred to your lawyer that you are someone who takes the situation seriously. Having an attorney on your side can increase the likelihood that you’ll get a higher settlement offer.

Auto Insurance Providers In Colorado

Most auto insurance policies are provided by a handful of insurance companies. These private passenger auto insurance companies represent the majority of auto insurance policies in Colorado:

Trucking Company Insurance Providers In Colorado

Insurance policies for commercial transport companies, buses, and trucking companies are different than personal auto insurance. These insurance policy limits are generally higher and more complicated. For an injury victim injured in an accident with a semi-truck, it can also mean it is more difficult to recover fair compensation for your injuries without the help of a lawyer. Trucking accident insurance providers include:

  • Progressive
  • Classic Plan
  • Esurance
  • AIG
  • Northland
  • National Indemnity
  • Mercury
  • Maxum
  • Lexington
  • Carolina Casualty
  • BBT Insurance
  • Ohio Casualty
  • Americsafe
  • PMA
  • CNA
  • Chubb
  • Continental Western Group
  • The Hartford
  • Zurich
  • Travelers
  • Old Republic

Settlement Offers From The Insurance Company

The insurance company may make a settlement offer after your accident. The settlement also acts as a release of your legal rights and claims against the insurance company and other parties involved. As soon as you accept the settlement, you will give up your rights to sue the other driver in court.

One of the ways insurance companies try and get away with a small payout is to make a fast offer, hoping that the injury victim will accept it without taking the time to consider the full extent of their losses. Another method may be to keep delaying an offer, leaving the injury victim facing mounting medical bills and lost wages, hoping they will accept any offer they can get. Do not let the insurance company dictate how much your claim is worth.

Even if the insurance company makes it seem like their offer is final, you can try to negotiate with the insurance company to get a better offer. However, understand that negotiating settlement offers is what the insurance company does and they have a lot of tricks and ways to get you to accept an offer that may be less than your case is worth. Before accepting the offer, talk to an experienced lawyer about your case and whether your case may be worth much more.

How Much Is My Case Worth?

For some accident victims, $5,000 or $10,000 may seem like a lot of money. However, when you calculate the full extent of your injuries and losses, the settlement may not cover a portion of your expenses. Your losses in an accident may include more than just car repairs and medical bills. Damages in a car accident may include:

  • Surgery
  • Emergency medical treatment
  • Continuing medical expenses
  • Medications and medical supplies
  • Physical and occupational therapy
  • Home nursing care
  • Lost wages
  • Loss of earning potential
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of support
  • Compensation for disfigurement
  • Compensation for loss of a limb

Talk to your Colorado accident injury lawyer before you accept a settlement offer to make sure you are getting the maximum compensation for your losses.

Do I Have To Accept The Settlement With An Insurance Company?

You do not have to accept a settlement offer. You may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit after an accident to claim full damages and increase settlement with an insurance company.  However, most lawsuits are eventually settled before going to trial. A personal injury lawsuit can reach a settlement after a demand letter or just before trial, or at any point along the way.

If you do not want to accept the settlement, your case may go to trial. From the time a lawsuit is filed until a trial can take years. However, you may be able to get more money from a jury verdict. The downside of going to trial is that there is no guarantee of how the jury will decide the case. Talk to your lawyer about the benefits and drawbacks of accepting a settlement offer now or taking the case to trial.

Your lawyer may negotiate with the insurance company to try and get the maximum compensation for your injuries. Ultimately, it is up to the injury victim whether or not to accept the settlement or take your case to court.

Denver Attorney To Negotiate a Settlement With an Insurance Company

An experienced injury accident lawyer knows the tricks that the insurance company tries to use to minimize your claim. Your lawyer will be able to deal with the insurance company, negotiate to get you the maximum compensation, and if necessary, take the insurance company to court to get damages. Call Mandelaris Law at (303) 357-9757 today and schedule a free initial consultation with our highly skilled Denver attorney.