HOW TO HANDLE YOUR OWN PERSONAL INJURY CASE? DON’T DO IT! HIRE AN ATTORNEY.
Earlier this week we received a call from an insurance company adjuster telling us that our client gave a statement over the phone and said things detrimental to the case before our client hired us. We have received numerous calls from persons injured in an accident—from workplace personal injury to car accident to any type of accident you can think of—where the person has tried to settle their own claim and fouled it up. We have taken on some of these cases knowing that we are walking into a hornet’s nest, which means we know the client has done something to significantly hurt their case that we are going to have to clean up. While we have walked out of the hornet’s nest without being stung, we strongly encourage you to contact an experienced personal injury attorney before taking on the insurance company, claims department, or company risk management.
Knowing What to Say Versus What not to Say
What you say matters. Knowing what to say matters. The insurance adjuster or claims representative knows better than you. They are trained and experienced in dealing with personal injury claims. Your experience is limited to your claim you are trying to settle yourself. As attorneys, we know what to say and what not to say when negotiating with defendants or their insurance companies. You don’t!
The insurance adjuster is trained to ask you questions to get you to say what favors the insurance company, and not what favors you. The adjuster will sweet talk you into believing they are your friend. So, you talk and talk and talk, and before you know it, you have done more harm than good.
Knowing What Documents You Need
The documents you produce matter. If you do not know what documents support your case, you will have a weaker case. In addition to knowing what documents you need, you need to be able to explain what the documents mean or show. If you cannot, you will have a weaker case. An experienced personal injury attorney will ask you for all the documents necessary to legally prove your damages and can explain them to the adjuster or defendant in a way that gets you more money.
Knowing the Value of Your Injures and Damages
In terms of case value, every injury is different. A broken arm will command more than a bruise. This is obvious. What is not so obvious, is how to value the actual injury. What are burns over 45% of your body or a herniated disc in your neck worth? Where do you go to get the information to evaluate your injuries? How do you get the insurance company or adjuster to offer you enough money to pay your medical bills, wages you lost from missing work, and enough money in your pocket for your personal injuries? The insurance adjuster or claims representative will have a playbook on how to evaluate your injuries in a way that favors the insurance company, but you will not.
Now you are wondering why the insurance company offered small money for your claim rather than big money. It is because you did not hire an experienced personal injury attorney. An attorney experienced in evaluating personal injuries will be able to go toe‑to‑toe with the insurance adjuster or claims representative to get the money you deserve and help you avoid anxiety, stress, and low settlement offers you will have handling your own claim.
Knowing to Hire Professional Personal Injury Attorneys
An experienced personal injury lawyer knows how to fight for you. Avoid the anxiety and stress of trying to settle your personal injury claim on your own. If you have injuries involving a personal injury accident of any kind, leave it to professional personal injury attorneys. Contact the Houston personal injury attorneys at BadassInjuryLawers.com today to schedule a free consultation and discuss your options to get your money.
