How to Handle a Lowball Insurance Settlement Offer

For many victims of personal injury, there’s a lot to deal with after the incident has occurred. Dealing with insurance adjusters is no exception.

After a personal injury—whether it be from an auto accident, medical malpractice or other negligent behavior—it usually doesn’t take long for the negligent party’s insurance adjuster to start making calls to the victim to offer a settlement, which is an official agreement between both parties intended to resolve the injuries sustained by the victim with a set amount of money.

Although it may appear like a lot of money at first, many people don’t realize that these offers are almost always lowball insurance settlement offers. Their injuries and recovery time can end up costing them so much more in the long-run. If you or a loved one is experiencing this now, here’s what to do when an insurance adjuster wants to settle right away after an accident:

 

Do Not Say “Yes” Just Yet

 

The first thing that’s crucial to understand is that insurance companies have one objective: to settle cases for the least amount of money possible.

Insurance adjusters are paid to assess the damages of an accident and then determine a settlement amount to offer that (unfortunately for victims) is less than the amount that may otherwise be owed by the insurance company for years to come. When they see that there is potential for ongoing physical therapy, surgeries, special medication and other expenses that may come as a result of the accident, it’s their job to determine a settlement amount to offer that appears high, but ultimately is much less than what the victim might have to pay long-term.

When an adjuster calls you (and they will), hear what this lowball insurance settlement offer is and know that your claim is likely worth much more than that. Whatever you do, do not accept their first offer. It’s important for you to have time to become educated on what your options are.

 

Speak With an Attorney About Your Options ASAP

 

Unlike insurance adjusters, personal injury attorneys have your best interest in mind. Our goal at Cohen and Cohen Law is to get you the recoveries you rightfully deserve after dealing with the pain and suffering that resulted from another person’s negligent behavior.

There are, however, deadlines associated with personal injury claims. For example, Florida’s PIP coverage requires a medical assessment of injuries to be completed by a licensed physician within 14 days of the incident. That’s where our team steps in. We are mindful of any and all possible time constraints that could be associated with your claim, and we’re dedicated to helping meet them.

Speaking with an attorney means getting the best advice about what to do—whether that means negotiating a fair settlement amount with insurance adjusters or proceeding with legal action.

And remember: hiring an attorney is always your choice. It’s never a requirement. It’s up to you to decide whether or not you’d like legal representation for your injuries. Either way, a trustworthy law firm will have someone assess your situation and help educate you on what your best next steps might be.

 

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Want to learn more about how an attorney can help you handle insurance adjusters?

Schedule your free consultation with us today to see how we can serve you.