In California, you can file a claim for damages after a personal injury accident even if you do not have a lawyer. Even if you are within your rights to accept an insurance settlement without a personal injury attorney, you should only do so if you have sustained just minor damages and injuries or if you have expertise representing yourself in court.
Insurance company negotiations can be arduous and take up to a few months. A low settlement offer from the insurer after this time may not be acceptable to you. It is important to remember that insurance adjusters will do anything they can to minimize their clients’ claims and payouts. This means that you could not get compensated fairly for things like medical expenses, missed wages, and pain and suffering, whereas a personal injury lawyer from grothlaw.com can help.
Difficulties You May Face If You Try to Settle a Personal Injury Claim on Your Own
Most instances involving personal injury require the services of an attorney to help collect evidence, understand the law, construct a case, and deal with insurance companies. Among the most difficult obstacles are:
- Insurance Companies Will Fight to Reduce Payouts.
Insurance companies frequently use strategies that minimize claims. The insurance adjuster will likely start the settlement negotiations with a lowball offer or an amount that is significantly lower than you deserve. Unfortunately, some claimants settle for these meager sums in order to compensate for lost income and mounting expenses. Insurers will scrutinize your personal injury claim for any holes they can find.
- Your non-economic losses will almost certainly be contested.
Let us say you have been hurt physically and emotionally, causing you to lose out in ways money can not compensate for. You must include these in your application for compensation. Due to the difficulty of proving such damages, you might expect opposition from insurers. Insurers will rapidly deny your claim for non-economic damages even though there are multiple ways to calculate them.
- The State of California Will Evaluate Your Individual Responsibility
For individuals wounded in California, the use of the comparative negligence concept could result in a negative outcome. The contributory negligence of all persons involved in a personal injury accident shall be considered under this rule. If you were also partially responsible for the accident, your financial compensation will be reduced.
Insurers will use this to their advantage and attempt to blame you for the accident wherever feasible. Hire a personal injury attorney immediately to ensure your rights are protected.
Until you have legal representation, the insurance company may not take your claim seriously.
It may appear simple on paper to file a personal injury claim and secure an injury settlement after an accident. However, unless you hire a personal injury attorney, your claim may be delayed or dismissed for unknown reasons.
