About Me

My Legal Aspirations

For as long as I can remember, the legal field has always fascinated me. While my friends watched sitcoms and cartoons, I chose to watch courtroom dramas and real life trials unfold. There was never really any question as to what I wanted to be when I got older. The only profession for me was that of a trial lawyer. Unfortunately, a serious car accident several years ago changed all that. Now, my injuries prevent me from leaving my home most days. However, my love for the law has never went away. While I may not be able to realize my dreams of becoming a trail lawyer, I still wish to help people with their legal problems. That is why I decided to start this blog. It is my hope that the information contained in these pages will help other accident victims like me when filing their personal injury claims.

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Negotiating For A Top Personal Injury Settlement

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When a car accident turns your life upside down, things may seem as if they will never be the same again. You may need to take legal action to ensure that you are paid the money damages you are owed. In some instances, your legal efforts may be rewarded faster than you think. Read on to find more about negotiating for a top personal injury settlement.

How Do Things Get Started?

Your lawyer will review your medical bills, repair estimates, income, the accident report, and more and come up with a figure to aim for. After that, you will be letting the other side know about what you expect to get from them. While filing a lawsuit is one way, there is another easier and quicker way of making your demands known.

Sending the Demand Letter

You might be slightly surprised to find that a simple letter could result in a settlement offer. The letter informs the at-fault driver and their insurance carrier about your intention to file a lawsuit against them unless they pay you a certain amount of money. In most cases, this letter gets the negotiations underway.

How Much to Ask For

The dollar figure you name in your demand letter is not pulled from thin air – it is based on your actual money damages. You will find that the settlement you demand is based on these factors:

  • Medical treatment expenses, including any future predicted expenses.
  • Lost wages from your job.
  • Repair or replacement of your vehicle and other personal property losses.
  • Pain and suffering.

The Negotiation

You will work with your attorney to come up with not just the starting settlement demand, but the bottom-line minimum amount you will accept. As the negotiation process begins, keep the following in mind:

  1. The counter-offer from the other side will likely be very low. They are judging your level of desperation with this low offer.
  2. Often, the negotiations reach a point where a time-out is needed. There is no need to try to get everything resolved in a single day.
  3. When the negotiations come to a standstill, find out why. In some cases, the other side is alleging that you share fault for the accident. If that is the case, you may need to adjust your expectations in order to come to an agreement and accept a settlement offer.
  4. If the settlement differences are unresolved, you may have to see the other side in court. Speak to your auto accident attorney to learn more.

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23 January 2019