Should You Accept the First Settlement Offer?

The insurance company might give the victim a first settlement offer after they’ve been in a car accident. However, accepting it could cause many different consequences, which are explained in this guide.

The Problem with the First Settlement Offer

Car accidents can be very traumatic and troublesome, especially if the victims sustained important injuries. Additionally, everyone involved has to go through a very specific legal process, which might make them feel stressed.

Considering the stress levels and issues that the involved parties might be experiencing, the victim may believe that accepting the first settlement offer is the best idea. They wouldn’t need to keep dealing with the whole ordeal, and they might be able to finally feel some peace.

However, things are not as straightforward as they seem. The money that the victim receives in their settlement is immensely important, particularly if they sustained injuries during the accident.

A settlement offer is supposed to cover a number of different things, for example, the person's medical bills, vehicle repairs, missed wages, and more. In the most severe cases, the victim might be in pain for years after the accident.

Therefore, the best thing the victim could do is to hire an experienced lawyer such as the experts at Powell Law Firm, the top accident law firm in St Louis MO, and deny the first settlement offer. Instead, they must work with the attorney, evaluate all factors, and ensure they're getting a fair amount of money for the accident they were in.

Why People Must Never Accept the First Settlement Offer

If someone is in a car accident and they suffer from injuries, they might be in extreme pain and under a lot of stress. Once the insurance company contacts them, the agents may offer them a specific sum, and even tell them they could have it right away.

Due to desperation, many clients might impulsively agree and accept the money. However, the truth is that insurance companies stay in business by offering the smallest amount possible to car accident victims.

Thus, although insurance company representatives might know the victim's injuries are worth $20,000, they may offer $3,000 instead to see if the person takes the money and they're able to spend less. In many cases, you should be able to get more, which is why getting a lawyer's support is immensely important.

Even though victims go through a lot of stress after car accidents and want to end the process quickly, they should keep all factors in mind and think about the long-term consequences of accepting the first offer.

What to Do Instead

On many occasions, accepting the first settlement offer might sound tempting, but victims should understand that it's the worst decision possible. Instead, they must hire an experienced attorney and get legal help to ensure they get the outcome they deserve.

Knowledgeable lawyers at Powell Law Firm are prepared to help people through their process. Since they have years of experience, they can passionately defend their clients and ensure they get the amount of money they deserve for the pain they're going through.

Once the client contacts the lawyer, they must be prepared to start a process that is complicated sometimes. However, with professional help, everything can be smoother, especially because attorneys understand the pain the person's going through, and they want to help ease it by aiding them in getting a fair outcome by settling or going to trial.

In most cases, hiring a lawyer is the only option that makes sense. Victims are going through enough stress already to also worry about negotiating with insurance companies. Therefore, all they need to do is trust the professionals at Powell Law Firm – the situation could change completely with their help.

The lawyer's job is not only to negotiate with the insurance companies, but also to explain the process to the victim. Thus, they might tell them the pros and cons of accepting the settlement offer they're getting, which may allow the person to make a better choice.

Conclusion

When faced with the question “should you accept the first settlement offer?” victims sometimes say yes, especially when they want to end the process quickly. Nonetheless, lawyers at Powell Law Firm might offer different and better suggestions, which is something they should keep in mind if they want to get a fair amount of money.