Car accidents can result in any number of damages, from relatively minor injuries like whiplash to truly severe trauma like damage to the spinal cord, and traumatic brain injury. As well as physical injuries, these accidents can result in some truly severe financial and property damages as well. Often, victims of these incidents can rely on insurance to receive compensation for the damages they have endured, but there is no guarantee that this compensation will always change everything. For this reason, it is in your best interest to understand how to increase your settlement amount for a car accident, and how best to negotiate for an injury settlement. While you can do this alone, it is highly recommended that you seek legal guidance from a skilled and experienced legal expert. At Normandie Law Firm our car accident attorneys can help you get an increase on the settlement value of your case and can walk you through the process of negotiating with your insurance claims adjuster, or even an at-fault driver. If you have any questions after reading this article, please feel free to reach out to our law offices for a free consultation by one of our well-versed legal advisors.
Increasing An Auto Accident Settlement
Often car accident victims ask our attorneys a wide variety of questions regarding increasing the value of their car accident case. While each one of these questions has their solution, it is helpful to understand some recommended steps you can take to increase your car accident compensation. Some examples of these frequently asked questions include:
- How do I increase an auto accident settlement?
- How can I increase the compensation payout after my car accident?
As stated before, the best way to increase an auto accident settlement is to consult a skilled attorney to help guide you through the process. However, it is still helpful to understand the process itself and some key elements that can help you get a fair settlement for your injuries. Listed below are some steps you could take to ensure that you receive the compensation you require to cover your damages:
Conduct A Complete Investigation
It is highly recommended that you collect witness statements, police reports, medical reports, and anything else that could be related to the accident as soon as you can. It may also be helpful to hire a private investigator as they can help gather added evidence. It is likely that the defending party’s insurance company will collect any evidence they can use against you. You might be at a severe disadvantage if you aren’t able to do the same.
Gather photographs of all the important elements in your case
As part of the evidence that you should gather, it is vital that you collect photographs of every detail of the crash. That includes the car that hit you, your car, and your injuries.
Don’t show medical records to the defending party’s insurance company
It is highly recommended that you don’t make the fatal mistake of signing a release for the other party’s insurance company. Doing so can result in your opponent receiving access to your medical records when they should not be able to see them. Releasing your medical records can directly hinder your ability to increase your settlement amount
Have the insurance company set up a high reserve amount
Insurance companies can establish a reserve account to cover all the costs they expect to pay for your claim. The amount that the insurance company puts on reserve depends on the facts the insurance company has after the accident. If the amount deposited into this reserve account is larger than your damages, you shouldn’t have too much trouble collecting compensation your damages.
Keep your insurance adjuster informed about your injuries
It is recommended that you keep your insurance adjuster updated on the state of your injuries so that if they grow worse, the adjuster can increase the amount on your reserve account.
Don’t let an insurance adjuster pressure you to settle early
Often insurance adjusters will do whatever it takes to get you to settle for as little compensation as possible. They do this through a variety of methods and practices, and you should go by whatever means make sure that you don’t give in to this pressure.
Keep a daily record of your injuries
Keeping a day to day record of the changing status of your injuries can assist you in receiving an adequate settlement amount. If your case ends up in court, you may need to tell the jury how many days, weeks, or months the condition persisted.
Be aware of all of your damages
Keeping track and being aware of all of your damages can truly make the difference in your eventual settlement amount. These damages can include, the cost of medical treatment, pain and suffering, loss of wages, and even the cost of hiring an in-home nurse.
Keep track of all bills and receipts that relate to your accident
Keeping a paper trail of all of your damages can help support your claim. This paperwork can include doctor bills, pharmacy bills, and any other bills that you had to pay as a result of your accident.
Know all of your injuries
Many victims don’t completely evaluate their health status and believe that if they don’t feel pain, then there were no injuries. However, many car accident injuries don’t show symptoms for days or even weeks after the accident. So it is highly recommended that you seek a full medical evaluation to understand the entirety of your injuries.
Know the available sources for insurance coverage
In some instances, victims can collect from a variety of different insurance policies at the same time. However, many accident victims don’t know how to do so. If you reach out to our law offices, one of our attorneys can help guide you through this process
Stay under your doctor’s care until you are released
In most cases, car accident victims will stop going to their doctor once they begin to feel better. However, there is no guarantee that their condition is healed completely. For this reason, it is in your best interest that you stay under the doctor’s care until they release you.
File Your Suit As Soon As Possible
After your primary care physician has released you, it is important that you quickly prepare to file your suit. Often insurance companies aren’t in a rush to settle a case unless they can either settle the suit for far less than its worth, or they feel the pressure of an approaching court date. In most cases, insurance companies begin to take settlement seriously when they realize they may have to start paying lawyers to defend your case.
Seek skilled legal consultation to help evaluate your case
An attorney that can properly evaluate your case can make a huge difference in the cases’ outcome. A skilled attorney will look at the police report, doctors’ statements, medical bills, time lost from work and other pertinent information.
Choosing the right attorney
If you decide to file a suit, you should seek representation from an attorney that isn’t afraid to fight for your case in court. A committed and aggressive lawyer will usually get more money for their clients than those who are willing to settle the case quickly.
As stated before, one of the best ways to guarantee a positive outcome for your case is to seek legal assistance from a skilled attorney. While not every car accident case may require legal representation, it is still helpful to have a legal expert that knows and understands the ins and outs of insurance companies, and the best steps you can take to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve for your damages.
How Normandie Law Firm Can Help
If you or a loved one has suffered serious injury from a car accident and are looking for the best way to increase the settlement, you may be eligible to seek legal guidance from one of our experienced car accident attorneys. Our attorneys at Normandie Law Firm are committed to ensuring that all of our clients receive the resources they require to either settle their case or fight for an adequate compensation in court. If you decide to file a claim with our law firm, you may find some if not all of the following damages compensable to you:
- All of you medical and hospitalization costs
- All of your future medical care and treatment
- A loss of income and loss of future earnings due to long-term recovery or permanent disability due to the accident
- Compensable economic damages include loss of property or damaged property.
- Compensable non-economic damages include emotional distress, trauma, PTSD resulting from the accident, pain and suffering and anxiety.
Victims of car accidents seeking legal representation or guidance for their case can contact our law offices to learn more about how to receive compensation for their injuries. While our law firm is based in Los Angeles, our attorneys also practice in Oakland, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Orange County, Riverside, Fresno, and throughout the state of California.
Free Second Opinions
Other attorneys will sign you up for their firm but will disappear once your name is on the paper as they are busy signing up more cases. In these instances, their business is based more on volume and will attempt to sign up as many cases as possible. In turn, they will spend less time on cases resulting in severely reduced settlements. Our firm will not treat you like a number. We will be in communication with you throughout our lawsuit and will treat you like family. So if you already have an attorney don’t worry, we’ll give you a second review of your case 100% free of charge.
Zero Fee Guarantee-No Upfront Fees Ever
If you contact our law offices today, we can walk you through the complicated process of filing your claim completely free of charge. As a show this commitment to you and your case we offer our clients the benefits of a zero fee guarantee policy. Under our zero fee policy, all clients don’t pay for our services until their case is won. If you feel in need of a second opinion, second opinion case reviews are also free under this policy. Please, feel free to give us a call, and we can guide you down the path of receiving proper compensation for your damages.
