Victims of car accidents need to be fully compensated for the injuries they incur. Unfortunately, most defense attorneys and insurance companies will always take any possible opportunity to pay as little compensation as possible regardless of how serious the injuries are.
In this article, we’ll be taking you through essential tips on how to get the best settlement with the help of a car accident lawyer in Bakersfield, Ca. d
Getting The Best Settlement
If you have been involved in a car accident, and the injuries and property damage were as a result of someone else’s negligence, you may have a claim. But, there are few tips to consider for your settlement. They include:
- Never be in a hurry: Immediately after your injury, insurance adjusters will offer you some small amount to settle your claim. In most cases, the extent of the losses or damages remains unknown for several months. Therefore, it is never advisable to accept any offer until you are sure what the future is in terms of your recovery. Never decide before consulting your car accident lawyer.
- Ensure you have proper documentation of economic losses and life impacts: No insurance company will take your word for any aspect of your claim. You need to have proper documentation. The pain, suffering, and impact on the quality of your life should form the most significant part of the claim. It is appropriate to keep a calendar or diary of how you feel daily after the injury. Also, keep a record of all the missed activities or work. Make sure you inform your physician whenever you miss work. Again, never forget to keep receipts of out-of-pocket expenses like housekeeping, prescriptions, etc. All these will help in building your insurance claim.
- Promptly follow through with medical treatment recommendations. Victims have a duty of mitigating, or lessening, their own damages in personal injury law. That means one has to take responsibility for minimizing their losses and effects of an injury to the extent possible. Whenever you fail to abide by any recommended medical treatments, the insurance firm can claim you worsened your own injuries by not following the doctors’ recommendations. You may want to refuse atreatment recommended by the doctor if you feel it does not make sense to you, but if you do so it is best to seek out a second opinion from another doctor first. Be sure the physician documents the choice you made by noting it in the medical record. For example, if a doctor recommends surgery and you are simply not willing to go through with it, make sure you ask the doctor to document the recommendation and your choice not to get the surgery. Your choice may change one day in the future as things develop.
Get an Attorney in Time
Although it is possible to negotiate a personal injury claim on your own, keeping track of all the things to be documented can be pretty demanding. Insurance companies will typically offer far less to someone who represents themselves. You would likely be better off seeking help from a skilled car accident lawyer. Without an attorney, no insurance company will take you seriously when making a settlement offer.
To ensure you increase your chances of getting the best settlement, you should hire a professional attorney. The attorney will be responsible for identifying and collecting all the evidence for your claim and helping to ensure you get the most compensation. It does not matter if your accident was caused by a motorcycle, car, truck, or a bike; a personal injury lawyer will always seek the best for you.
Young Wooldridge, LLP is a full-service law firm serving Bakersfield, California and all of Kern County. Our firm is recognized as a leader in the community, and we offer and extensive and wide variety of legal services including, but not limited to water law, personal injury, business law, employment and labor law, estate planning, real estate, and much more. Please reach out today to talk to a member of our team.
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