If you’ve recently been involved in an auto accident where another person was at fault, please take a moment to read this article. It could make a huge difference for your claim.
As we all know, people get into auto accidents every day. The auto insurance industry has become extremely successful based on the sheer amount of premiums collected and the fact that carrying auto liability insurance is required in most states. The auto insurance industry does not, however, make money by paying full value for every claim that is made. A staggering number of injured persons try to deal directly with the liable auto insurance company soon after an accident; the auto insurance industry loves this concept and they feast on its results.
What You Are Owed
The biggest way the auto insurance industry takes advantage of injured claimants is capitalizing on the fact that most people do not have a solid grasp of everything they are owed if they have been injured as a result of an automobile accident. Here is a list of different aspects of damages that a person is owed if they have been injured in a car accident:
- Property damage payment or restoration
- Past physical pain and suffering damages
- Past emotional pain and suffering damages
- Future physical pain and suffering damages
- Future emotional pain and suffering damages
- Actual lost wages
- Future loss of earning capacity
- Medical bills incurred
- Future medical bills likely to be incurred
Why You Should Consult a Personal Injury Lawyer First
The insurance company will often assign a “non-repped” adjuster to handle a claim for a person who is not yet represented by an attorney. This person’s job is to get the claim resolved for as little as possible. Many times, this adjuster will offer the injured claimant a few thousand dollars to settle the claim in exchange for a general release of liability.
A few thousand dollars free and clear sounds great to many people, and this strategy often works out well for the adjuster. Unfortunately for the injured claimant, once the claimant signs the release and accepts the money, there can be no going back and asking for more money as more medical bills and other expenses are realized by the claimant.
All too often people get taken advantage of and end up receiving two to three thousand dollars from the auto insurance company, only to learn later on that they have medical bills that far exceed the amount paid and, to add insult to injury, their car is still damaged.
The insurance company’s first offer is NEVER their best offer. If the injured claimant hires an attorney, the first thing the attorney will do is send a letter of representation to the auto insurance company. Once the letter is received, a different type of adjuster is assigned to the claim, an “attorney-repped” adjuster.
This new type of adjuster has significantly more authority than the “non-repped” adjuster and will typically dispense with futile attempts to settle the claimants case for an abusively low amount.
We here at Breaux Law Firm encourage people who have been involved in an auto accident to contact us, if for no other reason than to ensure that they are not being taken advantage of by the initial adjusters assigned to their claim. Give the law office of Breaux Law Firm a call any time.
We will let you know where you stand, and if you choose to hire us, we will fight hard to get you all the damages you deserve and to ensure you’re not taken advantage of by the auto insurance industry!
If you’ve recently been involved in an auto accident and are considering whether to hire an attorney or just settle with the insurance company on your own, give our office a call for a completely FREE consultation. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (504) 882-0545 or you can email us at info@breauxlaw.com.
