If you’ve been injured in car accidents in Las Vegas, you may be dealing with insurance companies and thinking about negotiating your own settlement for your damages. After you file a claim, the insurance company might even approach you about a settlement. However, there are some good reasons to steer clear of attempting to negotiate the compensation you receive yourself. A personal injury attorney in Las Vegas can help you to fight back and protect you against insurance companies trying to drive down your compensation.
You may be tempted to deal with your claim to save time and money, but it could be a significant mistake that costs you more in the long run. Insurance companies are not in business to pay out large sums in compensation; they are interested in reducing your compensation and maximizing their profits. This means that they may work hard to get you to accept a settlement offer that does not adequately address your losses caused by the crash. Here are some reasons that you may want to hire a personal injury lawyer to protect your interests and fight for everything you deserve.
Insurance adjusters are often not your friend
You may receive a call or letter from insurance company representatives while you are still recovering from the crash. An initial settlement offer may accompany this. In almost all cases, car accident victims in Las Vegas receive less in these initial offers than they would if they negotiated a settlement. In fact, the offer is likely to be much lower than what they might obtain through a lawsuit. Insurance companies often aim to lock you into a low settlement offer early on; after signing, you lose your right to seek more compensation later. For more on this, check out our post on what to do if an insurance company ignores your car accident demand letter.
Even if the insurance adjuster seems friendly or concerned, remember that they do not work for you. They may attempt to get you to make statements against your interest or request a recorded statement. You are not obligated to comply with these requests if you are represented by an attorney. Insurance representatives aim to protect their company’s profits, not your rights. Understanding what to do after a car accident is critical to avoiding mistakes when dealing with insurance companies.
Your claim may be worth more than you think
In almost all cases, insurance companies start by offering you the lowest possible settlement. Even if they have budgeted more internally, the initial offer is often designed to be the minimum amount you might accept. This is why having a personal injury attorney on your side is essential. Your lawyer will have experience negotiating settlements and securing significant verdicts for other accident victims. To learn more about the value of your claim, take a look at our post on how a car accident may affect you physically.
One reason to work with an experienced personal injury attorney in Las Vegas is that you can place your trust in someone who has successfully negotiated settlements and won significant verdicts for other car accident victims. Your attorney can pursue negotiations aggressively, taking the same approach of demanding more than you expect to pressure the insurance company to stop low-balling you. Besides, you may not know how much your claim is worth, unlike an experienced personal injury attorney who has dealt with many similar cases and knows what type of compensation may begin to address your physical and mental suffering adequately.
Make sure you know the extent of your injuries
Insurance companies often try to settle quickly, but doing so could hurt you in the long run. You may not fully understand the extent of your injuries, medical expenses, or time away from work until much later. If you accept a settlement too soon, you won’t be able to return to the insurance company for additional compensation. This is why it’s essential to thoroughly document your injuries and medical treatment. To see how this can play a significant role in your claim, visit our blog on how to properly document a car crash.
Aggressive negotiations may be important
Many people engage with insurance adjusters who call them on the phone and want to be pleasant, nice, and understanding. You may find yourself agreeing to statements or answering questions in ways that you do not fully understand but that the insurer later attempts to use against you to drive down your settlement. For example, you may be accustomed to minimizing your pain and suffering when talking to others. Doing this when talking to an insurance adjuster, however, can be dangerous! They can use it to try to say that your claims for pain and suffering are exaggerated.
With a personal injury lawyer on your side, your experienced attorney can handle communications with the insurer. Your lawyer knows what to say and what not to say when dealing with insurance company representatives and can protect you from this type of scrutiny. In addition, you may need to marshal evidence for your claim. The insurance company may try to shift the blame for the accident to you, in part or in full. Pursuing your claim may require a significant amount of work, including collecting medical records, interviewing witnesses, looking into surveillance footage, and potentially consulting experts. Your lawyer has the knowledge, skills, and experience to lead this kind of investigation and protect your rights successfully.
A personal injury lawyer can help you
At The Schnitzer Law Firm, we work with you to represent your interests and protect your rights. We’re on your side, not that of the insurance companies. Jordan Schnitzer has a strong track record of aggressive representation and substantial settlements and verdicts for the accident victims he represents in Las Vegas. To find out more about how we may help you fight for the compensation you deserve, call our offices at 702-960-4050 or contact us with our online form to set up an initial consultation.