Is it true that auto insurance want to settle out of court for injuries?
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 at
6:57 am
Quasi asked:
A passenger and myself were backed into while in a rental car. We have injuries, dont want to deal with lawyers..Will the other persons insurance pay for ER bills and offer any kind of settlement? I have neck and back injuries and my passenger has a cast on her arm.
Just looking for some heads up advice.
Thanks.
A passenger and myself were backed into while in a rental car. We have injuries, dont want to deal with lawyers..Will the other persons insurance pay for ER bills and offer any kind of settlement? I have neck and back injuries and my passenger has a cast on her arm.
Just looking for some heads up advice.
Thanks.
Tagged with: Auto Insurance • Neck Injuries • Pay Bills
Filed under: Auto Insurance
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If you are hurt they want to settle out of court in a heart beat.
contact their insurance company, if not joy call your insurance company
Auto Insurance Companies love settleing out of court because the save money and offer the person less than they would have gotten most of the time. You need legal council.
You need legal council.
You must demonstrate your willingness to sue, and then most will negotiate directly with you because they think they can get a cheaper settlement because you will not consider things like possible future medical care for your injuries. a reasonable settlement is one in which they pay all direct expenses of every sort and then figure in about 3 times the medical bills to cover pain and suffering. You can negotiate that on your own, but if the company is convinced that you will never do any to protect yourself, they will offer nothing. To start, contact the insurer. They are not likely to contact you first.
I understand you don’t want a lawyer, but keep in mind the insurance company doens’t want you to ahve one either. It means they actually have to do everything they are responsible for. Without an attorney, the chances of you beign compensated for lost wages and other incidental expenses are slim. They will often offer you a flat amount to cover everything, and that may not even cover your medical bills.
The best thing you can do is have them pay the hospital directly and you should have signed that you were not financially responsible for the bills at the hospital, but you probably didn’t.
Your best bet is to consult an attorney. They will tell you everything you are entitled to and help you settle quickly. They don’t want to go to court either, but they will fight for your rights.
Heads up. You are talking about injuries and possibilty high and long term medical bills, plus the insurance to cover the rental damage. Don’t rely on the other person’s insurance to be nice because they want out CHEAP. Even your own insurance will be less than friendly to save money.
Make sure your insurance company has been advise of the accident including a copy of the police report which hopefully you called the police!!!
Start keeping a record/copy of every place you go for medical treatment.
I would get a lawyer who is on a contingency to help. They know how to get things done fast and correctly. Did you realize that each state has a different “time factor” of when you must put in and settle a claim. Some are two years, others three, etc. Most lawyers who do personal injury will give you a free initial talk and then charge about 22% or more of the final settlement if you don’t go to court. But NO the insurance companies will not pay you more to settle out of court.
This is NOT the time to be cheap. I have been there twice, once a rear end and another a roller over, both with injuries but one that required serious surgery and long-term treatment with permanent disability.
There are things like medical bills but also pain and suffering, lost of income (paycheck), lost of consortium (if you are married your spouse has lost your intimate time), and so much more. And, did you realize that many times the lawyer can also sue you own company for underinsured motorist.
GO see a lawyer and save yourself headaches, frustration and the best way to get the most. Yes, you will lose some money but in the end you will be glad you did.
Been where you are and used a lawyer both times and never regretted their help nor the cost of their time!
It’s going to depend on what state you live in, and what kind of coverage they have.
If all you’re looking for is medical payments, depending on your state laws, they may pay, or you may have to go through your own policy.
yes but they will try to get off cheap. i would talk to a lawyer first to get an idea of what amount you should ask for. you need to think about medical bills down the road and the possible inability to work
Caffeinated Content
So…if someone BACKED into you….how fast could they have been going???
Sure you can get an attorney but you would be better off by letting the other company pay you and get on with your life. An attorney can hold this up for years……and you could end up getting LESS than you would have.
Soft tissue injuries go away. Take Tylenol and go back to work and quit sitting around thinking that you’ve hit the jackpot!
Good luck and I hope this helps!