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Negligent drivers and insurance companies almost always try to trick car accident victims into receiving less compensation than needed. Accepting that and preparing for it helps victims deal with the situation in a better way. Because of that, car accident victims must be ready to make a counter-offer after they receive an unfair initial one. Doing that can take some time, though.
No one should let negligent drivers or insurance companies take advantage of them, so victims need to do all they can to get to a fair settlement for themselves. Vehicle accident attorneys can help them with that, so hiring one is always a profitable option for anyone involved in a legal case.
Regardless of that, hiring a lawyer is useless if the victim hires one who is not fit for the job. While there are many qualified lawyers in the country, many others don’t offer their clients a service of at least decent quality. Fortunately, there’s no need to worry about that as long as they hire the Powell Law Firm.
The following article covers some tips to counter-offer a car accident settlement:
Have a Counter-Offer in Mind
As it was mentioned before, negligent drivers and insurance companies may try to deceive victims to make them think they can’t get more money from their lawsuit. The best way to avoid that is to have a counter-offer in mind before negotiating with the other parties.
People hire lawyers to address those issues, so they can tell their clients what the defendant’s next movements may be. If the plaintiff deduces what the negligent party wants to try, turning down their schemes gets easier. That’s the reason victims must prepare to negotiate with the defendant and their lawyer.
Trying to settle a case without being prepared is like doing it blindfolded, and it mostly ends with the victim not receiving what they wanted in the first place.
Regardless of that, all the parties involved in a settlement must be as polite as possible to each other. Being aggressive or rude to the other party can jeopardize the one adopting that behavior, and some lawyers even try to provoke people to do that. However, everything’s fine as long as victims don’t let them get into their heads.
Explain Why the Initial Offer Is Unacceptable
The plaintiff must be prepared to go all over the facts again and show evidence of what happened in the accident. When the negligent party makes an initial offer, the victim must tell them they can’t accept that offer and explain why it’s unacceptable.
Victims need to show the other party evidence of all the expenses they need to make to recover for the damage they suffered from. Thanks to that process, they are justifying that the money they are asking for is the exact amount they need to avoid a major loss. Apart from that, showing that evidence can scare the defendants off.
The reason negligent parties prefer to settle is that losing a trial would mean losing all the money the victim is asking them to cover.
When the defendant sees the victims have proof of everything, they could say that if they don’t accept a fairer offer, they would have to take the case to a trial. If they see the victim is confident about going to trial, they may prefer to make a better offer.
Avoid Doing Anything Without a Lawyer
Most insurance companies try as hard as they can to avoid paying victims what they deserve for their pain and suffering. To do that, an insurance company can approach the victim while they are alone and offer an unfair settlement for them.
Those deals are almost always unfair for the victims, so the company offers it to them when lawyers can’t advise them. The best way to offer that is to not talk about the matter with anyone unless a lawyer.
Bottom Line
Making a counter-offer is not that difficult when the victim is prepared to do it. Everything should go well as long as they are with their lawyer and have all the evidence of what happened.
Victims in search of a lawyer can always contact the Powell Law Firm to hire professional, qualified, and top-notch lawyers who can deliver the best settlements for them.