An individual with no legal experience will have trouble determining whether an injury settlement offer is too low. A complimentary consultation with a Minneapolis personal injury attorney provides clarity. These attorneys are knowledgeable about the compensation that should be expected for various kinds of physical harm. They also can research previous similar case histories.
Relevant Statistics
Injured persons with legal representation receive about 3-1/2 times more compensation than those who try negotiating on their own or simply accept the first offer. That’s according to a study by the Insurance Research Council.
The difference as a dollar amount can be substantial. Consider an insurance company offer of $10,000 that might be tripled with the help of a Minneapolis personal injury attorney. The contingency fee for these lawyers usually is one-third of the money received. The client receives a total of $20,000, which is $10,000 more than he or she would have without legal representation.
Maximum Medical Improvement
After a person has been severely injured due to someone else’s negligence, the insurer might make a settlement offer relatively quickly. A lawyer, however, advises clients not to accept any offer until maximum medical improvement has been reached. Until then, it’s difficult to know the amount of medical and related expenses that could continue to accrue.
Concluding Thoughts
Attorneys understand the finer details of negotiating with adjusters. Insurers may start taking a claim more seriously after contact from a lawyer because they do not want to go to trial. The possibility of a trial increases significantly after a claimant has legal representation. Now, the insurer offers a higher settlement, hoping to end the case.
