If you have suffered injuries in an accident because of another party’s negligence, you may be entitled to financial compensation from the responsible party or their insurance company. To secure this compensation, you need to bring a personal injury claim against this party. But to maximize your possible settlement value, you need a Murphy Trial Law personal injury attorney to advocate for you.
As you try to get the most money for your injury claim settlement, keep in mind that insurers will limit your possible payout or even do everything to deny your claim. These companies only care about their bottom line. However, you need to concentrate on recovering maximum compensation to cover your medical costs, lost income, and other damages. To get the highest amount of settlement, here are steps you can take:
Determine the Full Value of Your Claim
The compensation amount you could get from your injuries and damages is limitless. Your claim settlement will cover emotional damages, loss of bodily functions, use of limbs, and others. It is important to assess the damage categories as they relate to your case. This way, you can determine your claim’s full value. Your personal injury attorney will consider factors such as the extent of your injuries, the income you have lost because of them, how your injuries affect your everyday life, and others when determining this value.
It’s not your obligation to take the first claim evaluation from the insurance adjuster. Until you sign anything or accept an amount, nothing is final. You can negotiate for a higher settlement to cover the cost of the damages you have suffered. When you calculate the amount you might need to recover from your injuries, consider the cost of your ongoing treatment, emotional trauma, pain and suffering, and loss of consortium. Take your personal injury case from several vantage points. This way, you can be sure when you should accept a settlement.
Seek Prompt Medical Attention
After an accident and a personal injury, you must see a doctor as soon as possible. You want to get a fair payment for the harm caused to you. You can make this happen by knowing the extent of your damages. A doctor will thoroughly examine your body to identify injuries and document them. From here, they can create a treatment plan. By having medical documentation of your injuries, the other party may be encouraged to make a higher settlement offer.
Make a Journal
Document all your experiences after the accident through journaling. You may not remember the details of your discomfort in the days or weeks after the accident. However, by documenting your recovery journey such as the worst episodes that involve medical problems, you can collect the related facts that can increase your chances of getting a more favorable settlement.
Decide on a Settlement Amount
As you put together your demand letter, your attorney will have determined how much your claim is worth. Before you communicate with an insurance adjuster about your demand, decide on how much settlement you would accept within a certain range. If the insurance adjuster highlights facts you failed to take into account, this can weaken your claim and your settlement can be reduced. But if the adjuster starts with a low offer, consider revising upward. You need to support your claim with sufficient evidence to ensure you have the upper hand during settlement negotiations. Evidence you can gather includes accident scene photos or videos, medical receipts or imaging scans, police reports, and more.
Following the accident, you may need to interact with the at-fault party and exchange information with them. This investigative process can be quite productive if you have an attorney by your side.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
