How To Respond To A Low Car Accident Settlement

If you receive a low car accident settlement, you will want to know how to respond to ensure that you receive a higher offer the next time around. Of course, your car accident attorney can help you with these steps and ensure that you respond in the correct way. Here's how to best respond to a low settlement:

Reject the Offer: The first thing that you need to do is reject the offer by writing a letter to your insurance company. In this letter, facts about the case need to be addressed in order to back your claim that the settlement offer was too low. Your car accident attorney can help you to sort out what facts need to be included in the letter and why. 

Decide on a Fair Range: Once you have written out the facts of your car accident and why you believe that the offer was too low, you want to establish in what range you feel is fair for compensation. Based on the facts, you and your car accident attorney can develop a fair range for a settlement. 

Negotiate at the High Range with Insurance Adjuster: When you are negotiating with the insurance adjuster, you must  be sure that the adjuster makes an offer first. This is going to show you the low range of what he or she believes is fair. From here, you are going to want to counter offer at the high end of your range and explain why you believe this is fair. Sometimes, you can have your car accident attorney do this part of the negotiating since he or she may be better at dealing with the pressure in these circumstances. From here, the insurance adjuster usually will meet you in the middle. 

Ask for More Time if Necessary: When the insurance adjuster makes a claim, you should ask for more time if you aren't sure whether the number is reasonable. From here, you can consult with your attorney, and they will be able to tell you whether to settle or counter offer. Consulting with your attorney can help guarantee that you are getting the most compensation possible, so be sure that you ask for a day or two to help you make your decision.

By knowing how to respond to a low car accident settlement, you can be sure that you receive a settlement that you believe is fair. Also, be sure that you consult with your attorney to ensure that you are making reasonable negotiations. 

For more information, contact a business such as Hardee and Hardee LLP.

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