Personal injuries happen all of the time and are simply a fact of life. For example, car accidents are personal injury accidents and happen all of the time. If you are ever involved in a personal injury, you may be wondering how to negotiate your way through them. Well, you can discuss your case with a personal injury lawyer in La Quinta & National City for more accurate legal knowledge and opinions.
Negotiation process
Personal injury lawyers know the general negotiation process that characterizes most personal injury lawsuits all-too-well. They generally consist of the following steps:
● The prosecution asks for a high monetary amount in his or her demand letter
● The insurance adjuster informs the prosecution why the high monetary amount was rejected by the insurance company
● The adjuster will make a reasonable but low counteroffer. If the prosecution is ready to accept this pitiful amount, the negotiation process ends
● The prosecution makes another demand letter which asks for a slightly lesser amount of money
● The adjuster increases the initial offer amount
● The prosecution either accepts the amount or sends in another demand letter
Topics the insurance adjuster will discuss with you
Your lawyer will tell you that an insurance adjuster is legally obligated to discuss the following with you before making a payout:
● Coverage – does the insurance policy cover the accident you have undergone?
● Liability – whose fault was the accident. Also, what was your degree of comparative fault?
● The nature of your injuries. Did you break a leg or did you break your back? Your injuries will be long-term and you could possibly have long-term disabilities if you broke your back in a car accident
● The nature and extent of your medical treatment. Did you really need all of the medical treatment you underwent after your accident? Also, did you have preexisting conditions that contributed to the injuries you sustained?
How to successfully glide through a negotiation
Your personal injury lawyer will tell you to do the following to be successful in any negotiation with an insurance adjuster:
● Be organized – be sure to document everything the adjuster said to you and everything you said to him or her. You can use this as evidence against the defense later on.
● Be patient – you will likely receive the settlement you want if you are patient
● Be persistent – regularly follow up with your claim status. Just don’t be a pest and call too much.
● Be calm and straightforward – if you throw a fit or blow up at the adjuster, this could be used as evidence against you in court!
Negotiations are indeed easy to win provided you know the information discussed above and you have the right legal counsel.