Have You Received a First Offer from the Insurance Company?

In the insurance business, moving fast and being proactive is just bad business. Consider a quickly delivered first offer with caution. The insurance company wants to settle every claim as quickly as possible at the lowest settlement amount they can arrange. 

Accidents and injuries are never planned or expected. Most people will only experience a few over the course of a lifetime. Insurance companies deal with them on a daily basis. That’s their business, and like all businesses, they want to maximize profits and keep losses to a minimum. Getting you to settle quickly and cheaply while surrendering your future rights is smart business for them but bad news for you. If you take the first offer from the insurance company, you’re doing exactly what they want you to do, what they’re counting on you to do.

No one can effectively predict the future, not you, not them. How can anyone know how many days of work will be missed, what the medical costs will be or how long an injury might last? Simply because it doesn’t hurt much, if at all, immediately following an accident or injury, what if it worsens with time? If you’ve taken the first offer from the insurance company, you’ve also signed away the right to any future claims. No matter what sort of bind you find yourself in as result of the unexpected, don’t be tempted to settle without consulting with an attorney.

Personal injury law in Florida is complex. Knowing your rights and the possible worth of your claims is the best defense, and it requires the careful handling of an attorney with both the expertise and resources necessary to meet the insurance company head-on. Lost wages, ongoing care and the possibility of permanent injuries are not matters to be taken lightly. Settling quickly today can have unanticipated or unimaginable consequences tomorrow.

When an accident occurs, pain, suffering and loss may be unavoidable. Settling too quickly for less than you deserve can only add future insults to present injuries. No one deserves that sort of fate in Jacksonville or anywhere else. Body shops can repair most cars. Surgeons are often able to mend broken backs and injured knees. Personal injury attorneys help repair broken lives. If you or someone you care about has been injured, help is available. The insurance company will certainly have legal representation. You should too.

Never settle out of desperation, no matter how dire the circumstances may seem. Call someone. Likewise, if the injury seems minimal, before you sign anything, consult an attorney. Don’t put your future in the hands of someone who may not have your best interests at heart.