Search
big-Kuvara_2022_Logo_Long-with-1800-text-boxwhite.png

Request Your Free Consultation

340131 Updated Car Settlement Post 122018 01 1TITLE 122018 2

Soon after a car accident, you may be contacted by the negligent driver’s insurance company. A settlement may be offered. Many car accident victims simply accept the settlement and move on with their lives, thinking that is how the process is supposed to work. It is important to be aware that this is not the only option. In fact, it is rarely ever the best advisable option.

Insurance companies spend millions of dollars in advertising trying to convince the public that they’re on your side. Some claim that when you work with them you’ll be in good hands or that they’ll always be there for you like a good neighbor. However, many drivers are shocked to find that an insurance company is rarely willing to help when they’re needed most. Even when help is offered, settlement offers can be far less than what is necessary to fully recover from an accident.  

Consider the nature of the business you are dealing with. Make no mistake, insurance companies are businesses, and businesses do not like to give money away. To protect their bottom lines, insurance companies may start by offering the lowest possible settlement. They realize that many car accident victims will not know how much their case is actually worth, and many people do just accept the first offer. Moreover, there are several other tricks insurance companies will use to try do reduce the value of a claim or deny it.


What Tricks Do Insurance Companies Use To Reduce Or Deny Claims?

Auto Insurance Scams

Auto insurance has existed since 1897 and many providers have been around for over half a century. Insurance companies have had a lot of time to perfect their craft and many have mastered the art of providing the lowest settlements possible. Adjusters will use a number of common tactics to reduce or deny claims. Tactics include:

  • Denying liability for the accident
  • Disputing coverage of medical bills
  • Trying to tell you that you are not entitled to damages you really are entitled to
  • Delaying the claims process as long as possible to try to get you to settle for less
  • Tricking you into giving a recorded statement that will harm your claim
  • Monitoring social media to try to prove that you aren’t really injured

While the tactics above are considered to be some of the most common tricks insurance companies will utilize, that is by no means an exhaustive list. You should be very wary about any initial settlement offer an insurance company provides you with.


Is My Settlement Offer Fair?

340131 Updated Car Settlement Post 122018 03 122018

You have the right to know what compensation you are entitled to. In order to determine if your settlement offer is fair, you’ll need to weigh the offer against the full value of your claim. You should get:

Money for your medical bills – This includes not only the ones you have already accumulated, but  any bills that you incur in the future due to the injury.

Money for your lost wages – This includes the paychecks you have already lost, as well as those you stand to lose going forward, not to mention any money you lose if you are not able to return to work at all.

Money for your pain and suffering – This is a non-economic damage that can be difficult to calculate, which is why it is often overlooked.

So, how much is your case worth? The exact answer to that question is only possible after a careful review of your case, which a personal injury attorney can provide for free.


How Can A Lawyer Help Me Receive A Fair Settlement?

How A Lawyer Can Help After An Accident

Just as insurance companies have spent decades refining techniques to reduce accident settlements, personal injury attorneys have spent decades refining negotiation and investigation techniques to effectively fight for fair settlements. Your attorney will be able to help conduct a complete investigation of your accident to gather evidence and build a case that will earn you the compensation you deserve.

Your attorney will also help you calculate the full value of your claim and fight until every penny is received. It helps tremendously to have someone on your side who understands what a fair settlement would be and how earning a fair settlement can be achieved. Even if you don’t decide to hire an attorney, it’s worth getting legal advice to understand your legal options for recourse after an accident. Without any legal advice, it’s easy to make mistakes that could reduce or destroy your claim. Most attorneys offer a free initial consultation and you can’t beat free legal advice.


Do You Need Compensation Now?

Perhaps you are worried that if you contact a lawyer, it will take too long for you to get the compensation you need to address the costs that are piling up now. That is not necessarily true. Not every lawyer wants to drag you through years of litigation. Look for someone who is able to leverage negotiating skills to get fair compensation after a car crash.

At the Kuvara Law Firm, we are committed to getting fair compensation fast. One glance at our record will show you that we tend to recover settlements far faster than our competitors, without sacrificing dollars. Contact our firm by calling 1-800-4-INJURY or filling out a contact form to schedule a free initial consultation.

Schedule Your
Free Consultation

    SAN RAFAEL OFFICE