Should I Accept the First Offer Of Compensation?

Oftentimes, accident injury victims are faced with a number of problems and decisions after they have sustained injuries. While insurance companies can be notorious, in some cases, they may offer the victim an early offer. The question, however, is whether or not to take the offer.

Flagler Personal Injury Group recommends that accident victims should be careful when dealing with insurance companies as these companies are out to make a profit for themselves and do not care about the accident victim or the extent of the injury suffered.

To better understand the position behind the first offer, you need to first understand the tricks insurance companies play and how to avoid falling for those tricks;

Insurance companies offer may different first-offers, some of these include;

– Pre-medical offers

In this case, the insurance company is quick to offer the accident victim compensation for their injuries even before a full medical assessment of the injuries have been conducted. This offer, however, may be at the detriment of the accident victim because;

– The extent of the injury is yet to be ascertained

– The appropriate treatments for the injuries are yet to be decided

– There is no prognosis for ongoing care

In essence, the insurance company is baiting the victim into collecting a sum that may in the end be insignificant in the grand scale of the medical bills they are to pay to make themselves whole again. Accepting such an offer as this puts the accident victim at a gross disadvantage and can lead to financial or medical complications.

– Early offers

Some insurance companies make a move to offer you an amount that seems too good to be true just after you have been involved in an accident. The idea is to tempt you into collecting the money without a full understanding of the damages that you have incurred. In most cases, the amount offered may just be enough to settle the claim, however, it may not be the amount that your claim is worth.

Accepting such an amount because it appears too good to be true may later bite you in the back and this is because even with a medical report in hand, you cannot truly ascertain;

– The time it will take for you to fully recover thus leading to more lost wages than you may have earlier accounted for

– The possibility of future complications arising from the injuries you have suffered thus translating in more time off work and more money in medical bills

As tempting as the amount offered may be, it is essential for you to seek out an experienced and proven personal injury attorney who understands what it takes will advise you accordingly. Your personal injury lawyer will be in a better position to;

– Familiarize you with the worth of your case and also spot the dubious tactics employed by insurance companies

– Help you to negotiate a better offer that will cater to your medical needs and other losses.

So, should you accept the first offer?

In clear terms, NO!

You should avoid accepting the first offer made by the insurance company after you have been involved in an accident. Consider this, insurance companies do not like to part with money, however, the fact that they are willingly offering you an amount for your injuries is an indication that they are trying to trick you into settling for less, in most cases, your case may be worth multiple times the initial offer.

Can an insurance company revoke an offer?

In most cases, personal injury victims, for the fear that they may not get anything from the insurance company, may be tempted to jump at the first offer.

However, while some insurance companies may revoke an offer in light of new information, it is unlikely that this may happen.

Seeing as car accident cases and personal injury claims can be complicated, the amount that can be won by the victim depends on the extent of the damages suffered as well as the competence of the attorney handling the case. An insurance company that chooses to revoke the first offer may proceed to make a reviewed offer based on the position of the accident victim as well as the amount demanded as compensation.

When should you hire an attorney?

The best time to hire an attorney is as soon as you have been involved in the accident and have sustained the damages. This is recommended because the attorney is in a better position to guide you and recommend steps to take to avoid jeopardizing the chances of winning your accident injury claims.