After you suffer an injury from an accident, you have a big job ahead of you that no one can do but you — the hard work of recovery. While many people with important skill sets can help, there are some aspects of your rehabilitation that only you can do, and it is usually pretty hard work.
What you should not have to do all alone is fight for a fair settlement offer from an insurance company while also fighting to heal from your injury. Many individuals who suffer injuries think that all they have to do is get the treatment they need and let the insurance companies handle the rest, but that is not always the wisest course of action.
Aren’t insurance companies on my side?
In theory, this is exactly what an insurance company should do, and many of them settle claims fairly without too much hassle. However, insurance companies are also businesses motivated to maintain profitability, and many times that means offering less on an injury claim than the claim deserves.
If you recently suffered an injury, you owe it to yourself to make sure that you get everything that your injury entitles you to. Unfortunately, the process of following through with an injury claim and truly getting the most out of it is both complex and time consuming, especially for people without much experience dealing with insurance claims.
A personal injury attorney is a strong ally in your fight for fair compensation, one who can help you create a strong strategy for facing the insurers handling your claim. An attorney can also help ensure that you focus on recovery rather than chasing rabbit trails in an effort to obtain compensation you already deserve.
How do I know how much my injury is worth?
Estimating the value of an injury is difficult without knowing the specifics of your circumstances, but you can easily get a grasp on the primary factors that influence the value of a claim.
Four general categories affect a claim’s value
- medical expenses
- wages lost because of injury
- permanent disability
- pain and suffering
While there are subtle variations within each of these categories, they are the main elements that an insurer considers when putting together an estimate.
Medical expenses and lost wages (and permanent disability, to an extent) are fairly straightforward to calculate. These factors are relatively simple to document and add up. What is not so simple is determining how much your suffering is worth. A skilled attorney can help you understand the true value of your time spent suffering and recovering from your injury.
In most cases, like the majority to professional negotiations, the insurer’s first offer is not the best they can do. Even if you think that their offer is reasonable, it is highly possible that you can negotiate better terms.