St. Louis car accident lawyer: What you need to know about making a settlement demand from an insurance company.
Posted By
on Apr 27, 2011 2:15pm PDT
The last thing you want to do after any car accident is rush a settlement from an insurance company. That is exactly what the insurance company wants you to do! As a St. Louis car accident lawyer, I can tell you that every claims adjuster wants to rush a low dollar settlement before you actually understand how serious your injuries are. Soft-tissue injuries such as whiplash and herniated discs rarely make themselves known for days, weeks, or even months after a car crash. The car insurance claims adjuster knows this, and they want you to settle your case before the seriousness of your injuries are actually discovered by a doctor.
As a Missouri personal injury attorney, one of the first things I tell my clients is to get all necessary medical care to treat the injuries from the wreck. And it may not necessarily end with consultation by a primary care physician. Most primary care doctors are not qualified to diagnose or treat the orthopedic or neurological trauma that is almost always caused by a serious car accident. As a rule of thumb, it may be wise to seek a referral to a specialist. For instance, if you have bad whiplash from a rear-end car accident, seek a referral to an orthopedist who specializes in spine trauma. Not only is this better for your good medical care, but the insurance claim adjuster that will eventually review any demand for settlement will respect the opinion of an orthopedist more than a garden variety primary care doctor.
So when the time comes to demand a settlement from the insurance company that represents that at-fault party, your lawyer will want to put together a comprehensive package for the claims adjuster's review. Evidence such as the police report, witness statements, medical bills, medical records, lost wage itemization, and opinion reports should be included in order to paint a complete picture of the claim. Even if the defendant's insurance company uses claims software such as Colossus, the adjuster will review the evidence provided by your injury lawyer.
Never believe the myth that a settlement demand should be 3X what your medical bills are. There is no truth in that formula and it has no place in actual law practice. Contact one of our St. Louis car accident lawyers today and learn more about what it takes to obtain fair compensation when it comes time to submit a settlement demand to an insurance company.