After an automobile accident or any other personal injury case in California, the victim is likely to face expensive medical bills, loss of income, and pain and suffering. Typically, if you have been a victim of an accident where you have suffered injuries and damages, you are likely to file a personal injury claim. Once you decide to pursue a claim, you would want to do everything in your will to maximize the claim amount. On the one hand, economic damages involve medical bills and loss of income, and they are relatively easy to calculate. On the other hand, putting a value on non-economic damages such as mental agony and pain and suffering can be a challenging task. 

Can the complexity of calculating economic and non-economic damages be a reason for a lowered personal injury claim amount? Learn more about appropriate compensation from our experts at Sarraf Law Firm. 

 

What can happen in a settlement? 

When you are willing to recover the damages you have suffered following an accident, you may fail to understand that dealing with the insurance company can be an arduous task. As an accident victim, filing a personal injury claim is certainly not an easy activity.

However, interacting with the insurance company on a personal injury claim can be more tedious and stressful. Even if the insurance company stipulates the liability of another party, the actual negotiations start once the subject of compensation comes up.

 

Insurance company strategies

When you are trying to negotiate your personal injury claim with the insurance company, it is best to leave the task at the hands of a skilled personal injury lawyer. Still, there are a few things you need to understand if you receive a low settlement offer in the initial phase and how to respond to make a realistic counter-offer. 

If you are handling your personal injury claim yourself, you will have to deal with the insurance company and their strategies like a lowball settlement offer. Mostly, the insurance company may attempt to implement strategies that reduce the amount they must payout on a personal injury lawsuit. Facing a lower claim amount even if your injuries are grave enough? Talk to us. As a personal injury law firm, we guarantee to deal with the insurance company in your best interest. 

 

The initial settlement amount

In most cases, the initial settlement that the insurance company will offer you might mostly be a lower settlement amount. They may even try to defend the lower amount by claiming that you were partially at fault for the accident and injuries you suffered or that your injuries aren’t severe enough to warrant a higher amount. What you can do is question their offer and not accept it unless it seems a fair deal.

Additionally, you can seek legal representation from a personal injury lawyer who would help you deal with the insurance company more effectively. 

 

So what can you do? 

When you reject the initial settlement offer, you create a counter-offer to the insurance company. Keep in mind to discuss the acceptable claim amount with a personal injury lawyer. This is because when you make a counter-offer that does not match the degree of your damages, it is likely to get rejected outright. Once a final offer is made, retrieving the actual amount can be challenging. 

 

Wrapping up

At Sarraf Law Firm, we understand that rejecting the initial offer can be difficult, especially when you are already under financial stress. However, you may be overlooking the fact that your injuries can be worthy of a higher settlement amount. Don’t settle for less. Talk to us and get the best out of your personal injury claim.