How to Speed Up a Personal Injury Settlement
After a serious car accident, injured victims need financial compensation. They usually have expensive medical bills, as well as lost income or wages. It’s hard for the typical car accident victim to afford their daily expenses. A timely settlement is helpful. Unfortunately, many settlements are delayed for various reasons, and many people are pushed to the brink of financial ruin. Below, our car accident lawyer identifies some steps you can take to accelerate your personal injury claim. Call Davis & Snyder Injury Attorneys for help.
Why Are Settlements Delayed & What Can You Do?
Disputes over fault are probably the prime reason settlements are delayed. If the defendant isn’t at fault, or if a victim is partially to blame, the defendant can avoid paying compensation.
Anyone who is hurt in an accident should take some steps to reduce the likelihood of delay:
- Avoid giving statements to insurance claims adjusters. They might be searching for evidence that you are at least partially to blame for your injuries, which will allow them to pay less. If you are mostly at fault, the insurer can avoid paying any settlement at all.
- Don’t post about your accident on social media. You could say something you regret and undermine your rights. Insurance companies usually scroll through public profiles, so make all profiles private.
- Do not try to negotiate your own claim. That’s a good way of making the process drag on. Instead, schedule a consultation with an attorney. We can usually negotiate much faster.
Your lawyer can gather evidence to better understand what happened and then explain to the defendant why they are to blame. Even when fault is not in dispute, common mistakes can slow down a claim. For example, you might not get medical information to your legal team in time.
We further recommend that you organize all documents showing how much your injuries have cost you. Keep medical bills and receipts. If your car was repaired, then hold onto the bill showing the cost.
Also update your contact information with your lawyer. Did you change your phone number or email address? Call and let your lawyer know. If they need to contact you, then having inaccurate contact information will only delay the case.
Remember to get requested documents to your lawyer as soon as possible. A lawyer needs information to effectively negotiate on your behalf. As an example, we usually need copies of medical bills to support any demand for compensation.
Also, never accept a settlement without first showing a lawyer. It is hard to back out of a verbal agreement accepting a settlement.
By following these steps, you empower your legal team to represent you effectively. You can also speed up the claim.
Schedule a Consultation with a Qualified Lawyer Today
Reach out to schedule a free consultation. A Greenville car accident lawyer at Davis & Snyder Injury Attorneys can discuss your accident and medical care. If hired, we can negotiate with the defendant and fight for fair compensation. You get one shot to obtain meaningful compensation from the at-fault defendant, so do not waste it.