You’ve been injured because of someone else’s mistake, and you’re pretty sure you’re entitled to compensation—but how much? If the insurance company is pushing you to accept a settlement even as you go through treatment, you’re not alone. Insurance companies save the most money when they get injured victims to sign off on a low settlement before they know how much their injuries will cost.
You don’t have to put up with this treatment or go through the settlement process on your own. Call Reeves & Mestayer at 228-300-2754 to talk to our team of attorneys about your legal options.
Injuries Can Be Unpredictable
If you’re thinking about accepting an offer but your injury hasn’t yet healed, remember that injuries are incredibly unpredictable. A simple bone break may suddenly triple in cost when it fails to set properly or follow-up imaging reveals that you actually need surgery for a full recovery. A minor traumatic brain injury could cost you far more than expected once you discover that it has impacted your memory, limiting your ability to work.
The insurance company’s settlement offer will not account for any situation in which your injury becomes more expensive. Their settlement is based on the idea that your recovery will go as smoothly as possible, with no extra expenses or delays. Unfortunately, that’s not how life works.
When, then, should you consider a settlement offer from the insurance company?
Maximum Medical Improvement
You’ll want to hold off on accepting an offer until you have reached the point of maximum medical improvement. This means the point at which you have recovered as much as you ever will, and no further healing is expected. For many accident victims, this happens when they make a full recovery from their injuries. For others, a full recovery isn’t possible, and maximum medical improvement happens once all treatment options have been fully expended.
Maximum medical improvement differs for everyone and every injury, so it’s important to work closely with a doctor you trust as you seek treatment. They will be able to recommend appropriate therapies and treatments that will help you recover, as well as let you know once you have reached maximum medical improvement.
Expenses Related to Your Accident
You may wonder why you shouldn’t accept a settlement offer until you have reached the point of maximum medical improvement. Basically, you can’t possibly know how much your injuries will cost you until they have reached that point.
You’ll continue receiving treatment until you reach maximum medical improvement, and at that point, you’ll be able to see how much your treatment has cost you. You will also know how much your injury will continue to affect your life moving forward, and consequently, how much compensation you need to adjust to those permanent life changes.
Avoid Pressure from the Insurance Company
It’s easy to say that you shouldn’t accept an early settlement offer, but it’s a lot harder to resist growing pressure from the insurance company. Insurance adjusters know that once you know how much your injury is worth, you will not be willing to accept less. That’s why they put so much pressure on you in the beginning. They might claim that their offer is only available for a limited time or that waiting will cause you to lose any chance at compensation.
Don’t listen to these tactics, and in fact, avoid communication with the other party’s insurance company completely. When you work with a personal injury attorney, they take care of this communication on your behalf.
Your attorney knows the wide range of tricks used by insurance adjusters and how to keep them from damaging your claim. While you focus on recovering from your injuries and getting back to normal, let your attorney negotiate with the insurance company and take care of your legal needs.
Choose Reeves & Mestayer for Your Accident Claim
The quicker you connect with the team at Reeves & Mestayer, the quicker we can start building a case for you. Set up a time to talk to our attorneys, go over your claim, and explore your options. Just call us at 228-300-2754 or fill out our online contact form to get started.
