Attempting to settle a personal injury lawsuit without the assistance of a personal injury lawyer is a big mistake. However, it is not compulsory to hire a lawyer to handle cases that involved personal injuries. But you can get maximum amount of compensation possible with the help of a good lawyer. Of course, the lawyer will charge you a fee for providing legal services, yet it is better to choose to hire a lawyer. There is no problem if you do not want to file a case against the other party but you should consult an experienced lawyer prior to negotiating with the insurance company of the other party. In spite of all these things, if you want to negotiate with the insurance company directly, then you should keep a few things in mind before moving ahead.
Direct damages, for the most party, comprise your lost wages and medical bills. If you have been disabled for good, you can recover compensation that will cover lost wages for years to come. Without the professional assistance of a lawyer, it is close to impossible to reach a settlement.
You will find it immensely hard to deal with the insurance provider, as insurance providers try their level best to pay as little money as possible to their clients in case of an insurance claim. When you try to negotiate with the provider without the help of a lawyer, the insurance company of the other party will easily twist the matters in order to avoid paying compensation you deserve. The company will not take your insurance claim seriously. Most of time, they make delays in order to discourage you on purpose. At the end of the day, you will be able to recover only a small amount of money from the insurance provider.
Damages in a case that involved personal injuries are not restricted to those in the black and white. The bulk of states allows for non-economic damages like “pain and suffering” and a low standard of quality of life. You will find it difficult to put a monitory price tag on them. This is another most common reason why you should turn to a personal injury lawyer to get your case resolved and to obtain the right amount of compensation.
You may find it close to impossible to negotiate with the insurance provider if you have no idea what “success” means to you. Prior to agreeing on a certain amount of compensation, you should have a figure in your mind. This means you should keep a minimum amount of compensation in mind that you can obtain from the other party.
You should consider the factors mentioned above prior to deciding on the amount of compensation. Once decided, you should not agree on taking an amount of compensation below the one you decided on. If the insurance company refuses to pay you a reasonable amount of compensation, you should then find and hire a good personal injury lawyer to file a case against the other party.