Should You Settle with Your Insurance Company after a Car Accident?

If you’ve been injured in a car accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, it’s only natural to want to put the whole mess behind you and to allow the insurance company involved to do its job and compensate you for your damages. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the best answer. In order for you to fully recover, you need to be fully compensated, and without an experienced NYC personal injury attorney on your side, this can be very difficult to accomplish.

The Insurance Company

Yes, the insurance company is paid to cover your damages, but the insurance company is also a business that is motivated by profits, so its initial inclination isn’t to offer you a robust settlement offer that covers all your losses in their entirety. So, in answer to your question about accepting a settlement offer from your insurance company, you definitely should not accept an early offer without first consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney. The fact is that such an offer is probably a reflection of the insurance company’s informed interpretation that settling early will help them bypass compensating you for damages that are likely to develop in the future. The injuries associated with car accidents can morph into even more serious injuries and can lead to secondary health complications in your future. If these eventualities aren’t taken into careful consideration, you’re unlikely to be adequately compensated by the insurance company’s settlement offer.

Will Your Claim Settle?

The vast majority of cases settle before they go to court, which means that it’s very likely that your case will also settle. This does not, however, mean that you should settle for less than the amount to which you are entitled. This is where having a dedicated personal injury attorney on your side comes in. Your attorney will help ensure all of the following:

• That your claim moves forward in a timely manner and comports with all applicable laws and regulations
• That the circumstances of your accident are well documented and are provided to the insurance company in a cogent fashion
• That you have the expert witness(es) that you need
• That the documents you submit to the insurance company or court are accurate and complete

Without the compensation you need to cover the full extent of your damages, it can be very difficult to move forward post-accident. Skilled personal injury lawyers have extensive experience negotiating with insurance companies and hammering out settlements that support their clients’ best interests. Your dedicated personal injury will help you make the important decisions regarding when – or if – you should settle. 

An Experienced New York City Personal Injury Attorney Can Help

If another motorist leaves you injured in a car accident, the dedicated personal injury attorneys at Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman in NYC are committed to skillfully advocating on behalf of your case’s best possible resolution – whether that involves accepting the right settlement offer or taking your case to court. We’re on your side, so please don’t hesitate to contact or call us at 212-285-3300 today.