If you were injured in a car accident, one of the ways you may be compensated for your injuries and damages is through insurance companies. It could be through the other party’s insurer or your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or Medical Payments (MedPay) coverage. Contrary to what you may be expecting, dealing with insurance companies after a car accident in Katy is not an easy affair. They are for-profit businesses, like any other venture. The only way they make profits is by paying out less money than what they take in insurance premiums. One way of maintaining their profitability is by lowering the amount they pay in claims or denying them altogether.
This is why our Lone Star Injury Attorneys advise our clients to be cautious when dealing with insurance agents. While their goal will be to protect their interests, ours has always been to protect yours by getting you the full settlement you deserve. Our experienced car accident attorneys believe that the best thing you can do after an accident is leave the handling of the insurance companies to us. With that in mind, you should be wary of the following.
No matter how friendly or helpful the insurance adjuster seems to be, the truth of the matter is that they are expert negotiators. They often are persuasive and entice injured victims to accept their terms without objecting. Remember, the insurance adjuster’s job is to safeguard the interests of their employer and not make sure that you receive full justice for your injuries.
You may be quick to think that giving an account of your story (a recorded statement) will make things easier for you. This is often far from the truth. Anything you say to Katy insurance companies after a car accident can and will be used against you. For example, you may not know the traffic laws and think that you may be partially at fault, and if you state this to the insurance company, it may end the whole settlement process and your claim will be denied. It’s always in your best interests that all communications between you and the insurance company be handled by an experienced attorney.
After a car accident, you will be desperate for money to pay your medical expenses or repair damaged property. Insurance companies know this too. They will persuade you into accepting their terms through the initial settlement offer. This comes a few days after notifying them about the crash. You may not realize the full extent of your losses when you accept the offer. And once you do, you sign off your rights to further compensation in the future. Even after negotiating back and forth over several weeks, it’s unlikely that the insurance company would be willing to give you the full value of your car accident injuries.
Just because you were injured by someone else’s negligence doesn’t mean you will be settled promptly or fairly. Even if the defendant admits liability, insurance companies will still engage in tactics meant to prolong the settlement process. They may even deny liability for your claims, even when the party at fault cooperates. Such acts of bad faith should be met with the full force and wrath of an aggressive car accident lawyer. Most insurance companies avoid scenarios where they have to deal with the plaintiff’s attorney because they are aware of what lies in waiting for them.
Negotiating with insurance companies is always the first shot at recovering monetary compensation after a car accident. Although most cases settle here, you don’t need to go through this process. You may be eligible to file a formal complaint in court. The best thing about an out-of-court settlement is that it takes less time to settle than a court process. It’s also very cheap compared to the numerous legal expenses that come with a court process. If you are unsure on whether to settle or proceed to litigation, you should speak with a seasoned attorney. With their experience, you will understand the facts around your case better before you make an informed decision on the course of action to take.
Don’t peg the success of your case on any personal injury attorney you find. You need a legal team that is trial-tested and has the resources and expertise to further your goal of full compensation. Dealing with insurance companies after a car accident in Katy requires tenacity and expertise, and it’s important that you hire the right attorney. Our firm has won several awards from SuperLawyers and the National Trial Lawyers Association for our unmatched expertise when it comes to personal injury law. Contact us or fill our online contact form to schedule a FREE consultation with the experienced legal team from Lone Star Injury Attorneys.
