You’re the driver involved in a car accident, and you’ve been offered a settlement by your insurance company. But what happens if this is only the first offer? How do you counter it? And how do you know if they’ll actually accept it? Here’s what to expect from this process:
Get the facts.
Get the police report. You should have this before you speak with the adjuster and may want to get it now if possible. The police report contains information about what happened and when, as well as any statements made by witnesses or victims of the accident.
Get medical records from both you and your insurance carrier that include any treatment received after being involved in an accident (e.g., stitches). This can help show whether or not your injuries were caused by another party’s negligence.
Talk to a lawyer
If you’re not sure whether your car accident settlement offer is fair and reasonable, it might be time to talk to a lawyer. A personal injury lawyer in Bolton can help you get the facts straight.
Talk to someone who has experience in dealing with insurance companies (like yourself). They may know what questions they should ask at an interview or during negotiations over compensation for medical bills or other expenses related to your injuries.
Get all relevant information on how much money was claimed by each party involved in the accident when determining damages; how much was paid out by each party before being claimed by another; what kind of work was done on damaged property before filing for compensation; whether there were any other claims made against either party besides those listed above such as pain & suffering from physical injuries sustained during impact due their own negligence (which would lower maximum award amounts)
Tell your story to the insurance company
Remember to include the date, time and location of the accident. Include as many details about other drivers and their vehicles as possible. Make sure you include any injuries you may have sustained in this incident along with what medical bills need to be paid out of pocket before we can start working on getting some money from your insurance company.
Counter with a settlement offer based on your claim.
You can’t just accept the first offer. If you have a strong case and your insurance company is willing to pay out of pocket, then go for it! But if they aren’t willing to do that, don’t take their word for it. Ask them why they’re not offering enough money for what happened—and ask them if there are any other settlements or offers that might be more suitable for your situation (for example, maybe an attorney could explain how only one side of the car accident was involved in this particular incident).
Now that you know the basics of how to counter an adjuster’s first offer, it’s time for you to get into negotiations with your own insurance company. They’ll probably want proof that you were at fault in the accident before they will pay out a large settlement on behalf of their insured. If this applies to your case, then take pictures or video evidence from the scene so they can see what really happened.