Don’t Take the First Offer the Insurance Company Gives You after a Car Accident
As carefully as you might drive, car accidents happen. In fact, each year there are about 14,000 vehicle crashes in Knox County alone. After an automobile wreck, you might be tempted to accept whatever money the insurance company offers so that you can pay your medical bills and get your car fixed. However, you may be selling yourself short.
Insurance companies in Tennessee tend to be primed to pay out as little as possible on car collision claims. However, as experienced attorneys, we anticipate this and we seek to obtain a higher payment from insurance adjusters. At the Law Office of Joshua S. Reed, we wait to make a demand on the insurance company until we have a clear picture of the total costs of your property damage and personal injury treatments. Our office is situated in Knoxville and we proudly serve the surrounding communities.
How Insurance Companies Respond to Car Accident Claims
Contacting the insurance company yourself may be a less than pleasant experience. You may need to leave several messages before ever receiving a call back from someone who is authorized to handle your car accident claim.
While speaking with the insurance company, they may attempt to record your statement and then use that information to create a lowball offer. They are motivated to have you settle quickly because they know that over time, your bills may increase leading to more expenses that they could be obligated to cover.
Although it might be tempting to accept the money they offer so that you can pay what bills you have already accumulated, it is more prudent to hold out until you know the full extent of your expenditures. For example, you may find that your injuries take longer to heal than you anticipated or that you require more time away from work than previously thought.
What Is Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI)?
Instead of negotiating with the auto insurance adjuster right away, legal counsel can help you make a more appropriate demand based on your Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI). You reach your MMI when medical professionals have determined that your personal injuries have improved as much that they likely will.
Knowledgeable personal injury lawyers can request final medical bill balances from your healthcare providers and then make an informed damages demand on the insurance company.
How Do You Receive Your Money?
After compiling and sending a demand letter to the automobile insurance company based on your Maximum Medical Improvement, the next step is to call the adjuster. Although there may be a specific dollar amount stated in the demand letter, experienced personal injury attorneys can help you negotiate an even higher settlement.
There are times when settlement negotiations do not end with payment for your damages. When this happens, you can ask your attorney to file a lawsuit in the Tennessee courts on your behalf.
Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys In Knoxville, Tennesee
After a serious car crash, it is often tempting to accept whatever money is offered in order to get your vehicle fixed and pay costly medical bills as soon as possible. However, it might be worth the wait to forego the insurance company’s initial settlement offer for your damages.
If you have been in an auto accident you deserve fair compensation for your damages. At The Law Office of Joshua Reed, we have the experience and expertise to guide you through the claims process. We will not make a demand on your insurance company until you have made your Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI). Call now to schedule a free consultation with a knowledgeable personal injury attorney.